Reltzik
2011-07-04, 05:40 PM
I'm likely to get into a Pathfinder gestalt game soon. Being completely new to pathfinder and having touched gestalt only once, I thought I'd come here for ideas.
My current ideas involve a Fighter-Rogue. I've got a good idea for backstory and this suggests to me a tough, versatile character with poor will saves, and also I've always loved the customization potential in skills and feats those two classes offer. In particular, I want to deviate from the standard 3.x DnD tank role (soak up and deal out massive melee damage), and go for a more 4ed control role.
In particular, I'm imagining a Guisarme, combat reflexes, and a whole lot of combat maneuvers. Hordes of charging critters coming near me and being nerfed because of disarming and trips. (Charges fail if they get tripped up and can't complete the charge.) And then AoOs they provoke by standing or drawing a backup weapon. And yes, I'm aware it will never work out this perfectly.
However, I'm not like this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0216.html). Even if I could find a perfect formula on the game grid, I'd grow bored using it over and over and over. Rather, I like my tactical combat to be like a chess game -- careful consideration of moves, placement, and effects. So I'd want a build that gave me lots of options, but options I'd have to think about, master, and use intelligently.
Sneak attacks would early on be derived from flanking, but I'm thinking they wouldn't start shining until 6th level or later. Mostly I'd want the "don't let the party die from traps" and "get into and out of places" skills. I particularly like that pathfinder rogues get to take lots of combat-type feats as talents; that will help my build and leveling progression.
We'd be starting fairly near levels 1-2. I don't know what resources we'd be using so I'm sticking to Core in my request. A few feats in APG seemed drool-worthy, so I'm sticking them in in Italics.
Power Attack -> Cleave -> Great Cleave
-> Stunning Assault
Combat Reflexes -> Dodge -> Mobility -> Combat Patrol (Yes, Dodge and Mobility are Core, but without combat patrol I wouldn't take them.)
Combat Expertise -> Improved Trip -> Greater Trip
-> Improved Disarm -> Greater Disarm
-> Improved Dirty Trick -> Greater Dirty Trick (Blind them and AoO for the sneak-attack win!)
Weapon Focus -> Specialization -> Greater Weapon Focus
-> Dazzling Display -> Shatter Defenses
Step Up -> Following Step -> Step Up and Strike
Disruptive -> Spellbreaker
Improved Critical
Critical Focus -> Blinding Critical
-> Staggering Critical -> Stunning Critical -> Critical Mastery
Believe it or not, I'm pretty sure that between Fighter and Rogue I've got the feats (including rogue talents) to grab most if not all of these by level 20, not that I think the game will progress that far.
My questions (besides "will the DM handle chargen the way I think he will?) are: What order should I take these feats for an intelligent progression? How do I handle a single big nasty rather than a bunch of pipsqueaks (eg, dragon vs kobolds)? Are there any cool options or pitfalls I'm overlooking? How should I prioritize ability scores and pick skills? And, does this build look like it will rule or be lame?
My current ideas involve a Fighter-Rogue. I've got a good idea for backstory and this suggests to me a tough, versatile character with poor will saves, and also I've always loved the customization potential in skills and feats those two classes offer. In particular, I want to deviate from the standard 3.x DnD tank role (soak up and deal out massive melee damage), and go for a more 4ed control role.
In particular, I'm imagining a Guisarme, combat reflexes, and a whole lot of combat maneuvers. Hordes of charging critters coming near me and being nerfed because of disarming and trips. (Charges fail if they get tripped up and can't complete the charge.) And then AoOs they provoke by standing or drawing a backup weapon. And yes, I'm aware it will never work out this perfectly.
However, I'm not like this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0216.html). Even if I could find a perfect formula on the game grid, I'd grow bored using it over and over and over. Rather, I like my tactical combat to be like a chess game -- careful consideration of moves, placement, and effects. So I'd want a build that gave me lots of options, but options I'd have to think about, master, and use intelligently.
Sneak attacks would early on be derived from flanking, but I'm thinking they wouldn't start shining until 6th level or later. Mostly I'd want the "don't let the party die from traps" and "get into and out of places" skills. I particularly like that pathfinder rogues get to take lots of combat-type feats as talents; that will help my build and leveling progression.
We'd be starting fairly near levels 1-2. I don't know what resources we'd be using so I'm sticking to Core in my request. A few feats in APG seemed drool-worthy, so I'm sticking them in in Italics.
Power Attack -> Cleave -> Great Cleave
-> Stunning Assault
Combat Reflexes -> Dodge -> Mobility -> Combat Patrol (Yes, Dodge and Mobility are Core, but without combat patrol I wouldn't take them.)
Combat Expertise -> Improved Trip -> Greater Trip
-> Improved Disarm -> Greater Disarm
-> Improved Dirty Trick -> Greater Dirty Trick (Blind them and AoO for the sneak-attack win!)
Weapon Focus -> Specialization -> Greater Weapon Focus
-> Dazzling Display -> Shatter Defenses
Step Up -> Following Step -> Step Up and Strike
Disruptive -> Spellbreaker
Improved Critical
Critical Focus -> Blinding Critical
-> Staggering Critical -> Stunning Critical -> Critical Mastery
Believe it or not, I'm pretty sure that between Fighter and Rogue I've got the feats (including rogue talents) to grab most if not all of these by level 20, not that I think the game will progress that far.
My questions (besides "will the DM handle chargen the way I think he will?) are: What order should I take these feats for an intelligent progression? How do I handle a single big nasty rather than a bunch of pipsqueaks (eg, dragon vs kobolds)? Are there any cool options or pitfalls I'm overlooking? How should I prioritize ability scores and pick skills? And, does this build look like it will rule or be lame?