Binder//Totemist help

[Demons_eye]

In a game I am playing I find it likely that I will die soon. And I was looking at ToM and MoI and I had an idea for a human that wishes to "find a short cut" to power. He would try to find power from Ghost (vestige) and animal spirits (totems) and start an empire. But......

1. Never played binder or totemist so.... What totems/vestige do people suggest.
2.Best stats in order, Con....?
3.Feats other things?
4.Maybe a different race?

Looking for over all help.

Assume any book (online source) allowed and I am just trying to have fun and trying to be helpful. Other member is a bard//crusader

Edit: level at the moment is 4

[Sinfire Titan]

This is the Incarnum Handbook. It has everything you need to make a Totemist viable. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=551.0)


This is the Consolidated Binder Handbook. It's formating needs work, but that's a Copy-Pasta error. Its the best source of information regarding Binders. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=137.0)

Stat Priority: Con, Str/Dex (your choice), Int, Cha, Wis. Cha can actually be dumped outright if you can live with the Vestige's signs (which are really no problem to RP out save for a few).

[Blackfang108]

This is the Incarnum Handbook. It has everything you need to make a Totemist viable. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=551.0)


This is the Consolidated Binder Handbook. It's formating needs work, but that's a Copy-Pasta error. Its the best source of information regarding Binders. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=137.0)

Stat Priority: Con, Str/Dex (your choice), Int, Cha, Wis. Cha can actually be dumped outright if you can live with the Vestige's signs (which are really no problem to RP out save for a few).

Don't forget the Influences. Those can be a somewhat bigger problem, depending on who you bind.

I can see Dantalion's Influence causing MANY problems.

[Chronos]

Binders also use Charisma for their save DCs. How significant this is depends on what vestiges you prefer.

On your totemist side, I would recommend multiclassing out after either level 2 (when you get access to the totem chakra) or level 9 (when you're eligible for the Double Chakra feat). Good options after that are Tome of Battle classes or Kensai (get six claws each with a +6 enhancement bonus and +9 worth of other special qualities, pre-epic).

On your binder side, you can either stick with the totemist theme and pile on yet more natural weapons (gore from Amon, bite from Chucoclops, etc.), or pile on defenses (immunity to cold, lightning, and Inflict/Harm spells from Acercerak, immunity to petrification and polymorph from Haagenti, etc.), or pick up entirely new attack modes (breath weapons, save-or-sucks, etc.). Or, of course, go with a different one of these options every day.

[Sinfire Titan]

Binders also use Charisma for their save DCs. How significant this is depends on what vestiges you prefer.

On your totemist side, I would recommend multiclassing out after either level 2 (when you get access to the totem chakra) or level 9 (when you're eligible for the Double Chakra feat). Good options after that are Tome of Battle classes or Kensai (get six claws each with a +6 enhancement bonus and +9 worth of other special qualities, pre-epic).

On your binder side, you can either stick with the totemist theme and pile on yet more natural weapons (gore from Amon, bite from Chucoclops, etc.), or pile on defenses (immunity to cold, lightning, and Inflict/Harm spells from Acercerak, immunity to petrification and polymorph from Haagenti, etc.), or pick up entirely new attack modes (breath weapons, save-or-sucks, etc.). Or, of course, go with a different one of these options every day.

I'd disregard multiclassing if the DM likes throwing casters at you. Nothing is more agitating than having every natural weapon on your person dispelled, thus rendering you useless for the duration. In fact, multiclassing with a meldshaper class in general is a bad idea (losing access to the Shoulders chakra, for example, denies you the best ability of the Phase Cloak and Displacer Mantle, while losing access to the Waist chakra denies you the Manticore Belt's Fly speed, one of the fastest fly speeds you can get even with spellcasting).

A handful of Totemist builds can do multiclassing. Most are just better off taking the class to 20 (the capstone is actually useful, especially if you are using Eberron's Action Point system).

[wadledo]

Yea, both the Totemist and the binder are very very good gestalt classes, because they're best taken to 20 with no interruptions.
Neither the Binder nor the Totemist has any particular spectacular PrC's (though totem rager is both an interesting class and pretty decent), so your best bet is just to take a few dips into rogue, or possibly one of the half decent spellcasting PrC's(chameleon, and assassin, among others) to fit your tastes.

[Demons_eye]

thanks everyone this helped my build very much.

[Sinfire Titan]

Yea, both the Totemist and the binder are very very good gestalt classes, because they're best taken to 20 with no interruptions.
Neither the Binder nor the Totemist has any particular spectacular PrC's (though totem rager is both an interesting class and pretty decent), so your best bet is just to take a few dips into rogue, or possibly one of the half decent spellcasting PrC's(chameleon, and assassin, among others) to fit your tastes.

The Binder has one: Knight of the Seal (or at least, I think that's the name). You lose out on some Pact Augmentations, but you get Full BAB, improved saves due to multiclassing, and a bunch of good abilities. There's few reasons not to take that PrC.

Totemists like multiclassing into War Mind for Expansion and a few other goodies, but have little other reason to do so. It does open up Soul Manifester, which can be useful, but otherwise you don't need to.

[Chronos]

I'd disregard multiclassing if the DM likes throwing casters at you. Nothing is more agitating than having every natural weapon on your person dispelled, thus rendering you useless for the duration.Remember, soulmelds are only unshaped on a targeted dispel targeted on the meld itself, not an area dispel or one targeted on you. And when is unshaping a single soulmeld ever going to be an effective use of the enemy's actions?

As for chakra binds, in most cases I'd rather have the corresponding magic items, myself, but if you really want them, you can get them back with feats. 11 or 18 class levels are not worth the benefit of 1 or 2 feats.