Gestalt idea... is it good?

[Paganboy28]

Warlock/Dread Necromancer

Would that work as a CN anti-hero?

[Greenish]

Good longevity, but quite a bit of overlap. Should work ok, though gestalt games often assume at least two good saves.

[Keld Denar]

If you do, I'd focus primarily on passive invocations like Fell Flight and Entropic Warding. That leaves your standard action open to cast DN spells.

Although I think DN/Dragonfire Adept would be slightly cooler. DFA is also Invocation based, but swankier. If you ward your minions, you can even breath over them without worrying about damaging them.

[Duke of URL]

The general rule is that you want the two sets of features to complement each other. As noted, if going this route, you'd want to use "buff" invocations for the most part.

I tend to like Favored Soul as a partner for Dread Necro or Warlock -- in both cases it improves your HD and saves, and the divine spells provide a nice complement to your arcane. Flavorful too, CN antihero "of the gods".

What might be a really nice combination, if allowed, is Favored Soul 20 // Dread Necro 8 / Warlock 3 / Eldritch Theurge 9 -- technically, it shouldn't be allowed because ET is a "dual progression" class, but DN and Warlock aren't exactly tier 1.

[Paganboy28]

I want something flavourful not just something that "is good on paper".

DFA and DN seem to be an odd mix in terms of flavour. Though I could be a "Disciple of Falazure" or Chronopsis I guess...

I want to be arcane if I can as having to pray or such is a pain.

[Keld Denar]

Eh, DFA and DN aren't that contrary. Venerate a specific Dracolich, or the idea of Dracolichdom, or even aspire to ascend to Dracolichdom yourself. Undead dragons aren't THAT uncommon. There is a whole cult around this concept in the Forgotten Realms (The Cult of the Dragon).

[Fax Celestis]

Dread Necromancer//Hexblade, maybe? Then you come out with a d10 HD, Cha dependency on both sides, full BAB, full DN casting, a bonus feat every four levels (if you subsume the Paladin CCham alternate class feature) or hexblade debuff casting, Dark Companion (from PHB-II; call it a ghost for more thematics), and two good saves (and Cha to saves versus spells).