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desmond1323
2010-05-02, 03:07 PM
So right....while nothing is certain, a friend of mine is part of a Dark Sun group....apparently, he's suggested me as a possible player, if they're in need of one.....something that, based upon some of the awesome stories I've heard, I'm quite flattered by.

Anyways....as stated, it's a Dark Sun game, largely homebrewed...so, low magic, typically high psionics, and the whole party is gestalt. I've never made a gestalt character before.

Originally I figured I'd finally get the chance to play a Swiftblade, but the low magic setting ruins that...unless I come up with a good way to get Haste either via Psionics or something.

Anyways....so, my request is from people a little more experienced with gestalt--A, if I do figure out a way to get access to the PrC, what sort of gestalt would work well with a Bard?

B...the party is as such...Gladiator/Barbarian or Fighter, Druid/Preserver, Rogue/Soulknife, Psion/Preserver, Psychic Warrior/Monk, Rogue/Scout.

So, overall, rather well balanced...so I guess I could play pretty much anything. Preferences I have....I'm fond of the Druid and Scout, or classes that play similiar...so, suggestions to good gestalts with those, or general suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.

ErrantX
2010-05-02, 04:27 PM
A Bard // Psychic Warrior would make for a decent gestalt there, as the character would fill a nice assassin like niche or be the party face (or both!). Or a Soulknife // Psychic Warrior for the assassin type character.

-X

desmond1323
2010-05-02, 04:34 PM
A Bard // Psychic Warrior would make for a decent gestalt there, as the character would fill a nice assassin like niche or be the party face (or both!). Or a Soulknife // Psychic Warrior for the assassin type character.

-X

Mmm...I'm not a fan of assassin style characters, but being the party face...now that's something I almost always do, whether I choose to or not.

I am completely unfamiliar with psionics. So, I'll peruse that and see what it's like....who knows? Maybe it'll tickle my fancy. Thanks for the suggestion.

ErrantX
2010-05-02, 04:37 PM
Well if assassin style characters aren't your style, then maximize party face with a Bard // Telepath. Cannot possibly go wrong there, and very fitting conceptually. Bards value a high Int and with a moderate Charisma you can go far. Consider the Thrallherd PrC on your telepath side. Are you using the Athas.org 3.5 conversion for Dark Sun? If so, I've got tons more suggestions as my group and I played it for 2 years and I'm very familiar with their work.

-X

desmond1323
2010-05-02, 04:40 PM
It is my understanding that, yes, that is indeed what's going on....If I do get to play, this'll be my first time with the setting, as well.

TheThan
2010-05-02, 04:42 PM
Barbarian/rogue-
Play a Cimmerian adventurer who’s destined to become a king by his own hand.

ErrantX
2010-05-02, 06:23 PM
It is my understanding that, yes, that is indeed what's going on....If I do get to play, this'll be my first time with the setting, as well.

Well welcome to Dark Sun, I love that setting. One of my all time favorites. That being said, if you can spare a power on Sustenance, it's not a bad investment (due to, well, little food and water). Power resistance is a lot more easily found here, and don't rely on loot items to see you through things. Psionic items are much more common, so good for that, and don't trust anybody; you'll find yourself in a slave pen in no time flat.

That being said, as far as your character? Bards are shady characters in this world, minstrels and performers yes, but also poisoners and assassins. No magic for them, they get rogue like abilities on top of their other bard abilities (including songs). One good thing about being a manifester with bard song, is that you can sing and still manifest powers. Telepath will dovetail awesome with Bard, and bard will make you a little more hardy then a normal psion. Better weapon selection, as well as a ton of neat abilities.

-X

Warpwolf16
2010-05-02, 07:46 PM
How about a halfling scout with a taste for flesh? But really, I suggest a halfling scout build...Dark Sun Halflings are murderous little beast even when your on there side they'll still sacrafice you to the forest/jungle.

If not for the scout go druid/preserver. There is no such thing as to many druids in Dark Sun..though Templar and Sorcerer kings would hate you mostly but hell it works decently.

If allowed try Trikreen, multi attack is fun not to mention their saliva is poisonous. I love a Trikreen druid...its just pure evil win.

desmond1323
2010-05-02, 08:20 PM
I'm loving all of this....though it's raised some flavor concerns....It seems I'm going to have a fun time in this world! All my characters are Neutral Good, nice guys. Going into a crapsack world....well, this could be very very awesome, or get me killed all the quicker. Be fun to find out.

As far as races go, I prefer sticking to not all that out there sorts of things...I'm typically human or a half-elf. Hell, my swiftblade build that I put together was one of the few times I picked something else, and it was still only feytouched.

The lack of quality when it comes to items is a challenge I'm looking forward to greatly...overall, I don't think I'll have too much in the way of problems concerning that--though, once again if I play a Bard, it hinders my bardic music optimization...but ah well.

I was told about the different Bard, what with the poisons and such...but yeah, I need to read some of the redesigns and familiarize myself with them, not to mention psionics on the SRD.

ErrantX
2010-05-02, 08:42 PM
Not all bards need to be misanthropic meanies, most of them are just very selfish and only care for themselves or for their bardic communities (bards tend to organize into bardic districts in city-states, and they're territorial depending where you try to go while you're in there). You can easily be a nice bard, someone who, yes, has the knowledge of how to kill folk, you choose to kill those who threaten you, your family and friends, or your community. Bards are often hired as hitmen as well as entertainers. They organize crime. Bards in Dark Sun are awesome btw :)

If you tend to play good-aligned characters, I suggest you focus more on his Diplomacy and party-face abilities as a bard (as a black-clad bard will get you into places) and really use your talent with the Way of the Unseen (what they call Psionics there on Athas) to get your goals accomplished. As I said, Telepath would be perfectly suited to this, but if you want to get some fighting in, Egoist is also a great choice. Either way, definitely get yourself some psicrystal shenanigans going and consider buying an Extra Power feat for Astral Construct to summon yourself a handy-dandy fighter (ectopic adept is a great PrC in the Comp Psi if you decide to go Shaper and really deck your astral construct out).

-X

deuxhero
2010-05-02, 09:18 PM
Factotum 8/warblade 12//Psion 20.

NEXT!

ErrantX
2010-05-02, 09:59 PM
Factotum 8/warblade 12//Psion 20.

NEXT!

Sadly, neither Factotum or Warblade are viable class options in Dark Sun by their core, so unless his DM wants to import them, they're not available.

-X

desmond1323
2010-05-03, 06:58 AM
Uh, not so sadly actually...I don't touch ToB classes, as I really, really dislike them.

But yeah, ErrantX...all that sounds pretty awesome, and will be considered. As in almost any group I'm in, I tend to fall into the party leader/group face role, I'm often the Diplomancer as a result (the one group where I was playing a Scout, and thus did not have much in the way of ranks in it, was an interesting experience).

At least now I have some ideas....the psionic suggestions in particular are nice, as it gives me a place to start looking where previously I wouldn't know a thing.

TheYoungKing
2010-05-03, 07:06 AM
Gestalt? In Dark Sun?

You're doing it wrong.

desmond1323
2010-05-03, 07:28 AM
Gestalt? In Dark Sun?

You're doing it wrong.

A, I'm merely a potential invite to a game that's been going on for a while.
B....apparrently, it's just that bloody difficult. Even with gestalt, they've been having a rough time of it. And that's just how it is, heh.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-05-03, 08:32 AM
I'd go with a beefy combat character, combined with probably Egoist. Pick up Persistent Power (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaOccupationsandFeats.rtf) if you can, that link goes to the d20 modern version but it's easily transferable. You'll lose out on augmentation for it but it's worth making some buffs last all day.

Gestalt is a perfect opportunity to use some of the nicer partial progression prestige classes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/psi), such as Psychic Weapon Master (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d). Sangehirn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c) is also quite useful, though it's extremely limited in what powers known it can gain so you'd have to plan when you take the next level in it based on whether you want some of the powers listed. It looks to me like your party is lacking in BAB, so consider the following build:

Elan (for survivability and sustenance)
1. Fighter 1/ Egoist 1, Dodge, Mobility, Psionic Dodge
2. Fighter 2/ Egoist 2, Power Attack
3. Fighter 3/ Egoist 3, Psionic Weapon
4. Fighter 4/ Egoist 4, Weapon Focus
5. Fighter 5/ Egoist 5, True Healer: Life mantle (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070314a)
6. Psychic Weapon Master 1/ Egoist 6, Psicrystal Affinity
7. Psychic Weapon Master 2/ Fighter 6, Weapon Specialization
8. Psychic Weapon Master 3/ Egoist 7, Psionic Weapon Focus
9. Psychic Weapon Master 4/ Fighter 7, Melee Weapon Mastery
10. Psychic Weapon Master 5/ Egoist 8, Combat Reflexes
11. Psychic Weapon Master 6/ Fighter 8, Improved Critical
12. Psychic Weapon Master 7/ Egoist 9, Greater Weapon Focus
13. Psychic Weapon Master 8/ Fighter 9
14. Psychic Weapon Master 9/ Egoist 10, Overchannel
15. Psychic Weapon Master 10/ Fighter 10, Talented, Defensive Sweep
16. Fighter 11/ Egoist 11
17. Fighter 12/ Egoist 12, Greater Weapon Specialization
18. Fighter 13/ Egoist 13, Elusive Target
19. Fighter 14/ Egoist 14
20. Fighter 15/ Egoist 15, Practiced Manifester

I'd probably use a Falchion, since you'll end up with a 13-20 threat range, plus you can use your Increased Multiplier ability to get x3. Use Metamorphosis to take the form of a Cave Troll or War Troll for superb combat ability. Psicrystal Affinity is there so you can use Share Pain on it and then have it benefit from Vigor when you use it on yourself, and don't forget that it has Hardness 8. Swap out Overchannel and Talented for Extend and Persistent Power if you can take it. Practiced Manifester is there so you can skip four levels of Egoist once you go epic. After 20 you'll want to take at least three more Fighter levels to get Weapon Supremacy, if you get that far.

deuxhero
2010-05-03, 05:11 PM
Uh, not so sadly actually...I don't touch ToB classes, as I really, really dislike them.


Not going into this argument, but Factotum 8 is the important part, Warblade 12 is the gravy (it gives you some more int based abilites and making you less squishy). An extra standard action is another power to manifest in a turn.