Critique this Swiftblade

[BeholderSlayer]

So...this campaign may or may not go gestalt. I was thinking for the other side something like 2 Fighter/2 Bard/3 Ranger/1 Battle Dancer/2 Paladin of Freedom/+2 Fighter/+8 Bard. Pick up Dodge/Mobility/Power Attack through fighter, Endurance through ranger, charisma to AC via Battle Dancer and charisma to saves again via PoF. Pick up Snowflake Wardance in place of Endurance, and have a couple empty feats at level 1 to toss at nummies.

Say hello to AC over 100 and high 60's saves, and full power attack against touch AC with double charisma bonus to-hit.

This is only a possibility though, not sure if it'll be gestalt. Thoughts?

Edit: I'll have to drop the leather armor, but that won't matter at all. As usual, the guy in the traveler's outfit is the one you gotta worry about.

[Rebel7284]

Not very impressed by ranger here.  The full BAB is redundant, the track feat is meh, and the combat style is useless if you're going with snowflake wardance.  Although to be fair, favored enemy [Arcanists] can be useful sometimes.  Of course taking a level of sorcerer during swiftblade's spellcasting-free levels is encouraged. =)

Edit: arcane duelist 2 is nice =)

[BeholderSlayer]

Not very impressed by ranger here.  The full BAB is redundant, the track feat is meh, and the combat style is useless if you're going with snowflake wardance.  Although to be fair, favored enemy [Arcanists] can be useful sometimes.  Of course taking a level of sorcerer during swiftblade's spellcasting-free levels is encouraged. =)

I threw that together in like 5 minutes, was doing it do grab Endurance. I couldn't think of a class that granted a bonus feat early on at the time. I would make it Eldritch Knight and do it on a spellcasting dead level of Swiftblade, but that bonus feat has to be one from the fighter list (and Endurance isn't). I didn't take the time to look up all the feats I've taken so far to see if I can take them as fighter bonus feats, I just know I could with Dodge and Mobility. If anybody can think of a base class that grants a bonus feat early that I'm missing, feel free to suggest it.

I also wasn't aware that I could use sorcerer on both sides of a Gestalt once I'd taken it on another side. That does change things up a bit.

[Rebel7284]

I also wasn't aware that I could use sorcerer on both sides of a Gestalt. That does change things up a bit.

Technically, gestalt has no sides, you're just taking two class levels at the same time.  Also, check my edit.

[BeholderSlayer]

I also wasn't aware that I could use sorcerer on both sides of a Gestalt. That does change things up a bit.

Technically, gestalt has no sides, you're just taking two class levels at the same time.  Also, check my edit.

Never seen that one, that's sexy. Now I'm not sure how to fit that in since I am so stocked on PrC's already. I really want it, though, as Charisma to AC twice (particularly Touch AC) is bananas. If this goes epic, I was already planning on squeezing in a level of War Mage (DL) for that bonus...charisma to AC three times with a 52+ charisma.....

Right now for the Endurance all I can find is 4 levels of Scout to pick it up as a bonus feat. Any other suggestions?

[BeholderSlayer]

I think I'd probably do it this way if Gestalt. I'd loose Innervated Speed but pick up 24th level sorcerer spellcasting, so I could add Time Stop to my spells known list. I would have 7th level bard spellcasting and (primarily) 7 uses of Snowflake Wardance per day. I'd also have 3xCharisma bonus to AC, 1 of them my deflection bonus. I'd lose 2 charisma but that's a drop in the bucket. Of course there's also the second addition of charisma to saves as well. I think I was able to squeeze 19 BAB, which of course would go to full power attack every swing since Snowflake Wardance gives me charisma to-hit a second time.

If Gestalt
1 - Sorcerer: Dragonwrought, Endurance (flaw), Divine Sorcery - Destiny (flaw), Draconic Rite of Passage
1 - Fighter: Expeditious Dodge
2 - Sorcerer
2 - Fighter: Mobility
3 - Sorcerer: Draconic Reservoir
3 - Fighter
4 - Swiftblade: +1 CHA
4 - Sorcerer
5 - Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian
5 - Sorcerer
6 - Swiftblade: Combat Casting, Greater Draconic Rite of Passage
6 - Bard
7 - Swiftblade
7 - Bard
8 - Abjurant Champion:, +1 CHA
8 - Bard
9 - Abjurant Champion: Snowflake Wardance
9 - Bard
10 - Spelldancer
10 - Fighter: Power Attack
11 - Abjurant Champion
11 - Paladin of Freedom
12 - Abjurant Champion: Arcane Strike, +1 CHA
12 - Paladin of Freedom
13 - Swiftblade
13 - Sorcerer
14 - Swiftblade
14 - Bard
15 - Swiftblade: Extend Spell
15 - Bard
16 - Swiftblade: +1 CHA
16 - Sorcerer
17 - Swiftblade
17 - Bard
18 - Swiftblade: Persist Spell
18 - Battle Dancer
19 - Arcane Duelist
19 - Sorcerer
20 - Arcane Duelist: +1 CHA
20 - Sorcerer

PS - hmmm I'm not sure what exactly 24th level casting would do for me other than durations and caster level effects. I don't seem to gain any spells known or spell slots and extra Shapechange options. It might not be totally useful. I might be better off slapping bard levels in the last 4 gestalted sorcerer levels. Thoughts? Opinions?

[Hallack]

Monk could be a sexy dip for bonus feats and other goodies.  Especially the variants that give you say.... Dodge and Mobility as bonus feats.

Even better, do the monk and take Kung Fu Genius with one of the feats you save for Int to AC.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Ghost1 dip for cha to ac again.

[BeholderSlayer]

Ghost1 dip for cha to ac again.

Ghostform already grants the +charisma deflection bonus, so actual ghost level wouldn't stack I believe.

[Sunic_Flames]

Ghost1 dip for cha to ac again.

Ghostform already grants the +charisma deflection bonus, so actual ghost level wouldn't stack I believe.

What about just a cha to AC bonus? Would that work?

[BeholderSlayer]

Ghost1 dip for cha to ac again.

Ghostform already grants the +charisma deflection bonus, so actual ghost level wouldn't stack I believe.

What about just a cha to AC bonus? Would that work?

Depends on the name of the bonus. So far I've got "AC Bonus" from Battle Dancer, deflection from Ghostform, and "Apparent Defense" from Arcane Duelist. If this guy goes epic, I'll pick up Arcane Aegis from War Mage (not Warmage, War Mage from Dragonlance: Age of Mortals). If epic, that's a +100 AC from just charisma before additional charisma bonuses. 

I'm always up for suggestions for other ways to add charisma to anything.

[BeholderSlayer]

Monk could be a sexy dip for bonus feats and other goodies.  Especially the variants that give you say.... Dodge and Mobility as bonus feats.

Even better, do the monk and take Kung Fu Genius with one of the feats you save for Int to AC.

Not sure if there is a monk variant that can be chaotic, I don't look at monks very often. What's the variant that gives Dodge and Mobility?

Better than Kung Fu Genius might be Ascetic Mage, but I doubt that the AC bonus given that way would stack with Battledancer 1.

[Rebel7284]

Monk could be a sexy dip for bonus feats and other goodies.  Especially the variants that give you say.... Dodge and Mobility as bonus feats.

Even better, do the monk and take Kung Fu Genius with one of the feats you save for Int to AC.

Not sure if there is a monk variant that can be chaotic, I don't look at monks very often. What's the variant that gives Dodge and Mobility?

Better than Kung Fu Genius might be Ascetic Mage, but I doubt that the AC bonus given that way would stack with Battledancer 1.

There is a chaos monk with a better flurry in some dragon magazine (1d4 bonus attacks I believe) not sure if the cobra style subs can be used with them.  Away from magazines.

[Hallack]

Dip Cleric for Travel Devotion (and other goodies) instead of Barbarian?  Turn Attempts would synergize well with the huge CHA.  Then, would not be forced into Chaoitic so Monk could still be an option.    Cobra Strike variant as Rebel pointed out is the one mentioned.  It and others can be found here or UA http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantcharacterclasses.htm

[Sunic_Flames]

Cloistered Cleric. Who can also pick up an easy Knowledge Devotion.

[Hallack]

  Yep, that was part of the "extra goodies" I meant.

[BeholderSlayer]

Dip Cleric for Travel Devotion (and other goodies) instead of Barbarian?  Turn Attempts would synergize well with the huge CHA.  Then, would not be forced into Chaoitic so Monk could still be an option.    Cobra Strike variant as Rebel pointed out is the one mentioned.  It and others can be found here or UA http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantcharacterclasses.htm

Dipping monk would buy me a level off fighter, I suppose, and only have to take fighter to 1. It would have to be the Chaos Monk variant, as I still have bard and cannot be lawful for that reason. With the level bought from Fighter I could take Cleric 1 for Travel Devotion, but I'd have to find a way to squeeze in the feat, still.

I'm sure it can be done, just need to mull it over.

In a perfect world I could have both Travel Devotion AND Pounce, that way no matter whether I charge or move normally as a swift action I could take a full attack action. The only thing I need to do to accomplish that is pick up a feat somewhere.

Edit: hmm I think I found it, I think I messed up a tad on the above progression, for some reason I thought I needed 4 fighter to snag PA, but I have it on a normal feat. Probably need to take it later when I can get STR to 13 easily though.

Edit 2: Now I see what I did, I have it twice, and it wasn't on a regular feat, it was a mistype. I still need to free up a feat.

Edit 3: I guess I misunderstood travel devotion, it's strictly better than pounce it seems, but I'd have to check out how the swift action interacts with Arcane Strike and Abjurant Champion 4 as far as action economy. I'd still need a feat, though. Maybe dip wizard and PsyRef Scribe Scroll for Travel Devotion? Is that legal?

[BeholderSlayer]

I'm still stumped as to how to fit Travel Devotion. Right now all I can really think of is to go back to the 3 levels of ranger, replacing some sorcerer levels, to pick it up for free. I should still be able to squeek CL 21, but haven't looked at it extremely closely. Been mostly focusing on how to grab Endurance without spending a feat on it.

[Amechra]

Are you allowed bloodlines? There are at least three that give you PA at 2nd level as a bonus feat.

[BeholderSlayer]

Are you allowed bloodlines? There are at least three that give you PA at 2nd level as a bonus feat.

I'm not quite sure what good that would do me, as right now I'm more concerned about opening up something that isn't a fighter bonus feat. It's something to note, I guess.