Gestalt Ardent Help

[Illuminaire]

Hey everyone. I'm working on a new character and could use some help figuring out the details. Here's the setup:

Standard Gestalt
All Official 3.5 Books (GM reserves veto power)
Rolled Stats: 17,16,15,15,15,12
(Two attribute increases every four levels rather than one, bonus may be split)
Starting Level: 6
Races with LA apply to both sides, but the level adjust will be factored in *after* start.
No flaws.
Weapon and armor proficiencies from level 1 classes may be swapped out via a houseruled point system. (IE, swap heavy armor for an exotic weapon, etc..)
Starting Wealth: 4800 GP

The campaign will have an emphasis on stealth and secret missions; the party is a kind of magical black ops team. My personal character goals are:
   - excellent to amazing mobility
   - versatile skills and/or powers
   - to be a swashbuckling pirate
   
I am currently debating what else to focus on. If I could, I'd like to figure out how to be fill either a tank/debuffer role or a buffer/crowd control role in combat.

Current Build
Race: Lesser Aasimar
Str  12
Dex 15
Con 16
Int   15
Wis  20
Cha  17

Side One - Swashbuckler 1 -> PsyWar 2 -> Swordsage 2 -> Dread Pirate 1
Side Two - Ardent 6

Definite Mantles: Freedom, Pain and Suffering
Probable Mantles: Time, Conflict

I'm just not sure where to go from here. Originally I was going to TWF Eagle's Claws and be a crit-specialist using Tiger Claw fun, but it looks like the party has a lot of melee damage dealers, so I'm looking for something else to do without changing the flavor (psionic swashbuckling pirate!). Only Ardent is set in stone, everything else is mutable at this point.

Your ideas are greatly appreciated.

[KellKheraptis]

Play with Dominant Ideal to create something truly monstrous, maybe?  You've got the capability to add TONS of actions via psionics, and even the potential to run a Swiftblade up the other side.  Add Psiotheurgist feats and reap the rewards of being an ubergish.

[Illuminaire]

I've considered the Swiftblade, oh have I considered it!

I'm not sure how well optimized my fellow players will be, and I wanted to do something flavorful, hence the Dread Pirate currently on my non-ardent side. If I could find a way to fit in the requirements, I agree that an Ardent/Swiftblade would be tons and tons of fun to play though.... and certainly more effective.

Aside from Combat Trapsmith, anyone know of a good way to get haste without a bunch of levels in a casting class? (This is me shaking my first at the lack of a psionic haste, grr!)

[Benly]

Aside from Combat Trapsmith, anyone know of a good way to get haste without a bunch of levels in a casting class? (This is me shaking my first at the lack of a psionic haste, grr!)

Trapsmith, not Combat Trapsmith.

Completely unhelpful post, I know, I just have a thing for the two trapsmith classes.

[Illuminaire]

My apologies for the oversight. 

As an additional note regarding this character, I'm only expecting to play from about levels 6-12. I would be very, very surprised if we advanced higher than that. So, the sweet spot is now.

[Maat_Mons]

It is difficult to own a ship worth 10,000 gp when you're only allocated 4,800 gp.  Is the DM giving you a special exemption for dread pirate? 

Since it sounds like it will be easy to get exotic weapon proficiency, you could use the elven blades from Complete Warrior and Races of the Wild. 

[emaNsdrawkcaB]

Suel Arcanamach gets haste, and some other goodies.

[carnivore]

id suggest this:

Ardent 6// Swashbuckler 3/ Warblade 3

there is a lot of Synergy between Swash and Warblade ..... also you gain great Hp and you maintain Full BAB

swap out Heavy Armor Proficency .... gain Exotic Weapon(Elven Courtblade) 2 handed Finnessable weapon ... or Exotic Weapon(Spinning Sword) one handed Finnesseable weapon with reach and attack adjacent

 

[PhaedrusXY]

id suggest this:

Ardent 6// Swashbuckler 3/ Warblade 3

there is a lot of Synergy between Swash and Warblade ..... also you gain great Hp and you maintain Full BAB

swap out Heavy Armor Proficency .... gain Exotic Weapon(Elven Courtblade) 2 handed Finnessable weapon ... or Exotic Weapon(Spinning Sword) one handed Finnesseable weapon with reach and attack adjacent

 

That looks like it would work a lot better gestalted with a Psion... I'd go for more Wis synergy with Ardent. So yeah, Swordsage and maybe Cloistered Cleric on the other side. You want Skills and Wisdom synergy. Ranger could work, too.

[carnivore]

yes it would work better for Int Synergy ... but the OP wanted Ardent + "- to be a swashbuckling pirate" .... Warblade seemed the best fit for that

 

[awaken DM golem]

Tank ...
Ranger 1 / Druid 19 and Natural Spell feat
Ardent 10 / X 3 / Slayer 6+ and Prac Manifester feat
... but ToB isn't my forte.

It's not like you can go wrong with Druid + an extra feat, by itself.
Ardent isn't a great choice for Crowd Control,
unless something else does that, until level 10 and D.I. happens.
Then it ought to be good at whatever you pick.


EDIT - missed the "pirate" part. Can't Anthropomorphic Squids be Pirates ?! (wink)

[emaNsdrawkcaB]

Lots of melee damage... Wis synergy needed... Soulbow?

[Illuminaire]

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone.  

Since there is a plethora of damage dealers already in the party, I'd like to focus on the following areas:
Tanking
Single Target Lockdown

I think I have a handle on the first, but I'm not so keen on how to approach the second. Here is my current, updated build for level 6.

Race: Lesser Aasimar
Attributes
Str: 12
Dex: 16
Con: 16
Int: 15
Wis: 20
Cha: 17

Feats:
1| Quickdraw
3|
6| Leadership
PsW1| Psicrystal Affinity
PsW2| Linked Power
Swsh| Weapon Finesse
SwSg| Weapon Focus (Desert Wind)
Dread| TWF

Mantle Adjustments for ACF
Freedom [spoiler]+Inconstant Location, +Dimensional Slide[/spoiler]
Conflict [spoiler]-Dimensional Slide, +Vigor, +Damp Power, +Form of Doom[/spoiler]
Fate [spoiler]+Moment of Prescience[/spoiler]
Pain and Suffering [spoiler]+Share Pain[/spoiler]

01] Ardent 1 / Swashbuckler 1
02] Ardent 2 / PsiWar 1
03] Ardent 3 / PsiWar 2
04] Ardent 4 / Swordsage 1
05] Ardent 5 / Swordsage 2
06] Ardent 6 / Dread Pirate 1
07-15] Ardent 15 / Dread Pirate 10
(After that, I'd probably try for a psionic Abjurant Champion and more Swordsage/Crusader)

As a variation, I could drop the PsiWar or Swordsage levels and take Monk instead. I'm already dying for feats though, so I don't know if I'd be able to fit in Tashalatora to make it worth it.

Powers:
PsW1 - Chameleon, Biofeedback
Ardent1 - Vigor, Precognition (Offensive), Prescience (Offensive)
Ardent2 - Hustle, Damp Power, Share Pain
Ardent3 - Empathic Transfer (Hostile)

Notes:
- My GM does NOT like having tons of classes. My backstory allows the ones I have, and I'm kind of paying a "class tax" by sticking with Dread Pirate.
- Ardent needs to go straight through to level 10, because dominant ideal friggin' rocks.
- I was planning to take a buffing character as my cohort. Possibly a Sorcerer into War Weaver.
- I considered trying for a Robilar's Gambit combo later, but I'm not sure the best way to pull that off weapon wise... or if I'll be hitting hard enough to make it worthwhile. Then again, Share Pain (hostile) can help that problem. =D

With all that in mind... have at!

[carnivore]

id recomend removing the 2 levels of PW ... an replace with one of these choices:

2 Fighter levels
2 Warblade Levels
2 Crusader Levels
2 Barbarian Levels

or try this:

01] Ardent 1 / Warblade 1
02] Ardent 2 / Warblade 2
03] Ardent 3 / Warblade 3
04] Ardent 4 / Swordsage 1
05] Ardent 5 / Swordsage 2
06] Ardent 6 / Dread Pirate 1
07-15] Ardent 15 / Dread Pirate 10

it will give you much better Martial Manuvers, more of them also .... and Better Hp, BAB .... everything really

 

[fuinjutsu]

Wood Elf

Ardent6//Paladin4(Serenity)/Warblade3

Continue to Ardent20//Paladin4/Warblade6/Eternal Blade10

Wis to Saves, Wis based Turn Uses, Wis based casting and manifesting.  IL 18, ML20.

Earth Devotion is a fun fun feat for tanks with turn uses, even if perhaps not optimal.

Pick up Stormguard Warrior at 9.   Reach out and touch someone.  Combine with "Shape Soulmeld: Winter Mask" for extra fun.

[Rooster]

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone.  

Since there is a plethora of damage dealers already in the party, I'd like to focus on the following areas:
Tanking
Single Target Lockdown

Have you considered becoming a tripmonkey?
Have you looked at fear debuffing? http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0
Have you considered AoO maximization?

Both are quite useful for doing those. Being an AoO machine with reach tends to make tanking viable. And I'm sorry, tripping someone AND fearing them straight to cowering? It's going to be a couple rounds before they can even THINK about acting.

Especially since one route of the fear thing goes into Dread Pirate for the AoE demoralize within 30 feet ability at L5.

[Illuminaire]

And I'm sorry, tripping someone AND fearing them straight to cowering? It's going to be a couple rounds before they can even THINK about acting.

Especially since one route of the fear thing goes into Dread Pirate for the AoE demoralize within 30 feet ability at L5.

Ooooh. Looking into that one.