Binder//Totemist Advice?

[Esser-Z]

So, for a level 8gestalt game (40 PB, so MAD isn't really an issue and I'm able to do that fine myself), I've decided to run a Totemist//Binder. I've never played either class before, so I'm not quite sure how to best exploit whatever synergy they may have.

Thus, Playground, I come to you. I don't really want full builds, but rather just tips--good choices of melds and vestiges, general strategic and/or tactical advice, feat advice.

Thinking it'll probably be some kind of melee combatant. Or maybe Manticore Belt fun.

[Big Fau]

Here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=137.0) and here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2943.0). Those should help.

[Esser-Z]

Yeah, I've got the guides. I was looking for any pointers on the combination of the two in gestalt, which guides tend not to have sections on.

[MeeposFire]

Pick one to be your primary class and boost it with your feat choices. Then use the other class to passively boost your primary class.

[Big Fau]

Yeah, I've got the guides. I was looking for any pointers on the combination of the two in gestalt, which guides tend not to have sections on.

Off-hand, your Vestiges should either be for natural weapons that you don't have because of your soulmelds or for effects like Paimon.


You can also use Totemist to just buff up your defenses, and ignore natural weapons outright while using Vestiges to create a tank.

[Darth Stabber]

Multiattack + Improved Unarmed Strike + 1lvl dip in barbarian (for pounce, save your chakra binds for other stuff). Seriously, if done properly you should be throwing out a rediculous number of attacks per round. Squeeze in power attack, leap attack, and shock trooper if you can, and unconventionally übercharge your way to glory, while being able to do other stuff (your not tier 3 for nothing). If you can use the vestige that gives you summon monster X every 4 rounds, go nuts.

[Godskook]

You've got two of the more versatile tier 3 classes in the game. What do you *WANT* to build with them. That'd be really helpful.

[Ungoded]

Multiattack + Improved Unarmed Strike + 1lvl dip in barbarian (for pounce, save your chakra binds for other stuff). Seriously, if done properly you should be throwing out a rediculous number of attacks per round. Squeeze in power attack, leap attack, and shock trooper if you can, and unconventionally übercharge your way to glory, while being able to do other stuff (your not tier 3 for nothing). If you can use the vestige that gives you summon monster X every 4 rounds, go nuts.

You can get pounce and a bite attack from Chupoclops at level 12 Binder (level 10 with Improved Binding).

[Quirp]

Binding vestiges that increase the number of your natural attacks is probably a good idea (Ipos, Chupoclops, Amon). Instead of improved unarmed strike I would bind Ronove to get a monks unarmed damage.

[kestrel404]

I designed and built a similar character and I determined a few very insteresting things.

1) Your 2 primary class features (meldshaping and binding) lend themselves very well to choosing 1 activity for the day and optimizing towards that activity.

2) Most days you know what you're going to be doing ('in own', 'dungeon crawl', 'boss fight', etc).

3) The same way a well optimized wizard has a 'standard selection' of spells as well as several 'specialized selections' for specific activities, you should create a 'standard biuld' for general activity that's got a little of everything, along with a few specialist builds' for specific actions.

Edit: Oh yes, and for permanent build features, like feats, I strongly recommend choosing generic but always-useful ones like Multi-attack and Power attack.

For example: If you know that you're soon going to be fighting a single, powerful enemy (like a dragon or a lich) you should bind/shape your 'bossfight' build. This might include a couple of vestiges with strong debuffs and soulmelds that give you a ridiculous number of natural attacks on a charge, for example. However, if you're going to be facing off against an army of weenies, then Paimon/area attacks are the order of the day.

In essence, if you're serious, don't make 1 build - make several, and choose what you're going to be each day.

[Person_Man]

You're one level away from Arms/Brow/Shoulders chakra and 2 levels away for sweet sweet Zceryll. So my advice is going to focus on what you currently have access to:

Fanged Mask: Adds an all day magic bite attack (which benefits from many soulmelds), plus a limited use Stun attack. Most importantly, it saves you from having to waste a chakra bind to get a bite. Magic Item Compendium pg 99.

Horned Helm: Grants a magical Gore attack. Same deal as above, avoiding the need to bind Unicorn Horn. Magic Item Compendium pg 112.

Fanged Ring: Grants Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Natural Attack. Basically allows you to make your full attack routine without holding a weapon (which would necessitate giving up a claw attack). However, you can skip this if you want to use the Ronove vestige (see below). Dragon Magic pg 101.

Gloves of the Balanced Hand: Grants the Two Weapon Fighting feat. If you already have Improved Two Weapon Fighting, it grants an additional attack as if you had Improved Two Weapon Fighting. Basically adds another attack if you're using Improved Unarmed Strike. Magic Item Compendium pg 105.

Girillion Arms (Bound to Totem) + Chaos Roc's Span (Dragon 350 pg 87) + Dragon Tail (Dragon Magic (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=4)): 4 Claws, 2 Wing buffets, and a tail. With the above, your attack routine should be something like Unarmed/Unarmed/Unarmed/Claw/Claw/Claw/Claw/Wing/Wing/Bite/Gore/Tail, all of which benefit from a variety of soulmelds.

Heart of Fire (bound to Totem): Adds 1d4*essentia Fire damage to ALL natural attacks. If you have 10ish natural attacks each round, then that's 30d4ish extra damage per round at your level. By ECL 15 when you're up to 15ish attacks and 5ish essentia, it's 75d4ish. (If you're playing a Crusader//Totemist using Aura of Chaos and assuming 2d6ish base damage for each of your natural attacks, you easily break 100 dice of damage per turn).

Ronove: Improved Unarmed Strike feat (which means you wouldn't have to buy a Fanged Ring), Monk Unarmed Damage, a movement bonus, and Mage Hand as a Swift Action. The last ability is actually the biggest deal, because you can buy a 5 foot square sheet of metal and levitate it around the battlefield as a Swift Action to block line of sight between you and any casters or ranged attackers, which means they couldn't target you.

Dahlver-Nar: You get a Constitution (Totemist prime ability score) based bonus to natural armor, Maddening Moan is a great area of effect debuff, and Shield Self works great against boss enemies, making them take half of your damage.

Karsus: Greater Dispel Magic works great on casters. Auto-Wizard magic item use means you have easy access to wands, which is a fairly big deal that opens up a ton of different options. You also get +2 to the DC of any magic items you use. There are a ton of magic weapons with a Save or Lose effects which you could use in place of Unarmed Strike if you're willing to give up a Claw attack. Karsus + Focalor would give you a 4 point swing on the DC. Buy a Wand Chamber and a couple Wand Bracers and you're set.

UMD: If you choose not to dump Charisma, by ECL 8 you should be able to auto-hit UMD for wands if you invest in it, even though it's cross class. This would be an alternative to using Karsus, and would give you easy access to Pounce and Free Movement (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103358) (Lion's Charge, Protective Imposition, Knight's Move), which frees you from having to bind Sphinx Claws to get it.

Basalisk Mask (bound to Totem) + Lamia Belt + Astaroth (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070307a) + Balam or Focalor or Naberius: A solid Save or Lose machine. Basalisk Mask allows you to force 1 enemy to Save or be turned to Stone for one round, allowing an ally to Sunder them. Asoroth has a great Save or Nauseated/Sickened debuff breath weapon, plus a bonus to Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate, plus Bardic Knowledge, plus Suggestion, and the vague but abusable item creation ability. Lamia Belt gives you another bonus to Bluff, or you could drop a feat on Silver Tongue Mask for a bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy. Balam or Focalor or Naberius would improve your debuffs or Bluff/Diplomancy in a variety of different ways.