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AtopTheMountain
2010-03-17, 05:34 PM
So I was thinking of a Gestalt character (yes, I often just make up random characters, whether I play them or not), and I decided I wanted to have really, really, really good spellcasting, probably a mix of Arcane and Divine. I decided on Favored Soul//Sorcerer, since it has spontaneous casting for both classes and I pretty much only need Charisma and Wisdom. I would take loads of combat spells and some utilities as a Sorcerer, then do defensive, utility, and healing as a Favored Soul. Is this a good plan? What could I improve about it?

Tinydwarfman
2010-03-17, 06:51 PM
Ditch Favored Soul for Cleric, FS gives you nothing a cleric doesn't do better.

AmberVael
2010-03-17, 06:58 PM
Ditch Favored Soul for Cleric, FS gives you nothing a cleric doesn't do better.

Single ability dependency, more spells per day, and three good saving throws? (I'd also mention spontaneous casting, but cleric can get that with a variant...)

I mean, okay, cleric is good, but I think there is a place for Favored Soul in this build.

Pluto
2010-03-17, 07:02 PM
Is this a good plan?
It's not bad:
-The Favored Soul has a solid frame.
-There is some Charisma synergy so long as you avoid save-dependant spells on your Favored Soul side.
-It has full casting, any way you spin it.



I have a few quibbles, though:

Even though it doubles the Sorcerer's Spells Known list, it still has a Spells Known list. (Compare to a Spell Domain Cleric.)

This doesn't really have any class abilities either (no Turning, no skills of note, no bonus feats). You're probably going to use a couple PrC's for these sorts of things, but the base classes are kind of dry.

FS and Sorc don't really synergize well in terms of abilities: Any time you cast a Favored Soul spell, you're not getting anything from your Sorcerer side. Any time you cast a Sorcerer spell, you aren't benefiting from your Favored Soul Side (well, less than you would from Ranger or Scout, anyway).

[Contrast with a Demonologist (BoVD)//Cleric, a Factotum (Dung)//Psion or an Incarnate (MoI)//Druid.]


What could I improve about it?
That depends what your goals are.

If you're trying to build an Arcane//Divine SAD caster, something based on Factotum (Dung)//Archivist (HoH) is hard to beat.

Closer to what you've done, a Sublime Chord (CAr)//Favored Soul would get better skills and class abilities to supplement similar casting abilities.

To build on your idea:
-Sacred Exorcist (CD) could give access to Divine Metamagic (and other Cha-synergetic Divine feats)
-I don't remember how spontaneous casters work with domains, but the Domain Substitution spell (CC) and some method of domain access (eg. Church Inquisitor, Divine Oracle, Contemplative) might expand your spells known a bit further.
-Versatile Spellcaster (RotD) allows you to use spell slots from one side of the build to cast spells from the other. Not a fantastic ability, but nifty enough for me to want it.

Tinydwarfman
2010-03-17, 07:06 PM
Single ability dependency, more spells per day, and three good saving throws? (I'd also mention spontaneous casting, but cleric can get that with a variant...)

I mean, okay, cleric is good, but I think there is a place for Favored Soul in this build.

It's not SAD, he already has a boatload of spells per day, and who give a damn about ref saves when you know the entire cleric list!

AmberVael
2010-03-17, 07:16 PM
It's not SAD, he already has a boatload of spells per day, and who give a damn about ref saves when you know the entire cleric list!

As Pluto quite correctly noted, a well made Favored Soul can focus on non-saving throw required spells. Gestalted with Sorcerer, this becomes an even easier and better idea. You're practically SAD with just Charisma to focus on (bonus points if you pick up Divine Grace).

Also, it's Gestalt. The highest saves you can get are what save your life. Even for reflex.

Lastly, while spells per day may be less of an issue at higher levels, it is certainly one at lower levels. And if you do things right, you can certainly put having so many spell slots to use.

Yes, Cleric is a good option. It might even be a better option. But Favored Soul certainly isn't a bad option by any stretch of the imagination, and in some cases it may end up better.


Pluto brings up some decent points, I thought I might recommend attempting to utilize Favored Soul for long-term buffs and utility spells in order to work with action economy, also work around action economy with sorcerer via arcane fusion, arcane spellsurge, etc. There are certainly options with much higher synergy out there though (most of the action economy stuff I mentioned for sorcerer can be used with other things that Favored soul...)

I also have to wonder -- why are you recommending Demonologist//Cleric, Pluto? As far as I can tell, Demonologist is a horrendous class, and not only that, but one that completely fails to synergize with cleric. Is there some kind of errata or later version? Did you mean a different class? Am I missing something?

Pluto
2010-03-17, 08:58 PM
I also have to wonder -- why are you recommending Demonologist//Cleric, Pluto? As far as I can tell, Demonologist is a horrendous class, and not only that, but one that completely fails to synergize with cleric. Is there some kind of errata or later version? Did you mean a different class? Am I missing something?
Summoning Mastery means a Wizard 5/Demonologist//Cleric gets Summon Monster IX at ECL 11.
(Not the greatest trick ever, but certainly a fun one.)

I didn't mean to recommend it here, but to use it as an example of complimentary class abilities.

edit: @\/`Now I kind of want to play a Demonologist/Nar Demonbinder. [/tangent]

AmberVael
2010-03-17, 09:05 PM
Summoning Mastery means a Wizard 5/Demonologist//Cleric gets Summon Monster IX at ECL 11.
(Not the greatest trick ever, but certainly a fun one.)

I didn't mean to recommend it here, but to use it as an example of complimentary class abilities.

Ah, okay. I had only glanced at the general class features- the spellcasting had completely turned me away from the class.

That's probably a decent short-term build, but for the long haul I'd definitely recommend straight wizard instead.

Jack_Simth
2010-03-17, 09:12 PM
So I was thinking of a Gestalt character (yes, I often just make up random characters, whether I play them or not), and I decided I wanted to have really, really, really good spellcasting, probably a mix of Arcane and Divine. I decided on Favored Soul//Sorcerer, since it has spontaneous casting for both classes and I pretty much only need Charisma and Wisdom. I would take loads of combat spells and some utilities as a Sorcerer, then do defensive, utility, and healing as a Favored Soul. Is this a good plan? What could I improve about it?

You've got endurance down, and you've got a decent frame... but you're missing the action economy (you've got two "active side"s, and no "passive side") - that is, the most notable abilities of both classes eat standard actions. You can only do one at a time. The Sorcerer//Monk/Paladin(or variant Paladin) (With Ascetic Mage and Ascetic Knight, of course) will do better in *most* campaigns. The Psion//Factotum will slaughter everything in sight (or near enough). How strong do you want the theoretical character to be?

Roc Ness
2010-03-18, 12:57 AM
Play a Sorcerer//Druid. No, not because I think druids are good, but because you want synergy.

This feat was created by Rich Burlew and placed in the Gaming Section (http://www.giantitp.com/Gaming.html) of this site.


Fey Blood (General)


You have one or more fey as ancestors, and as a result your druid powers come naturally to you rather than from any great insight into the nature of the world.


Prerequisites: Cha 11+, ability to speak the Sylvan language, humanoid or giant type.


Benefit: Your druid spellcasting powers are based on Charisma rather than Wisdom. To prepare or cast a druid spell, you must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level, and you gain bonus spells based on your Charisma score. The DC for saving throws against your druid spells is 10 + the spell's level + your Charisma modifier. This feat does not alter the means by which you prepare or cast druid spells; you must still prepare spells in advance, as normal. Because you are using your natural fey connection to nature as the conduit for your magical powers rather than any great insight, your spells are considered to be partially fey magic. Any druid of 4th level or higher with the Resist Nature's Lure class ability gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against your druid spells.


Special: You may only select this feat at 1st level, though you need not possess the druid class at that time. Your DM may limit this feat to certain appropriate races that would be likely to have crossbred with fey over the history of the campaign world.