[3.5 Optimization] Gestalt Psion/Factotum

[Saragos]

Ok everyone. We're going to be doing a Gestalt game here in a couple of weeks. We'll all be making level 20 gestalt characters. I'm not that good at optimization for even one character, so having to make basically 2 level 20 characters is really giving me a headache. Who would be up to the challenge of assisting me with making the most powerful/cheesiest gestalt Psion/Factotum available?

A few rules.

1) Thou shalt not lose manifester levels.
It's likely I'll be the "primary spellcaster", as everyone else is going for more straight up combat-centric builds instead of casters. Thus, I'll need as much power with my psionic abilities as possible.

2) Thou shalt be as cheesy as possible
I'm not looking for a "balanced" build, as should be obvious by the mere mention of gestalt. One of the people in my group will be playing a ranger/warshaper/something else I don't remember that will end up being immune to all damage, so I'm looking to get as much velveeta in there as possible.

3) I'm open to suggestions.
Not so much a rule, but Psion/Factotum seemed like a good choice for a cheesy gestalt. However, I'm open to other suggestions. I'd like Psion to be the primary class, but if you have ideas for other classes other than Factotum that have a great synergy with Psion and would make me hilariously overpowered, by all means suggest them here.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

[VarianArdell]

Spell-to-Power Erudite 20//Factotum 18/Chameleon 2
Congratulations, you now know every spell and power known to man, and can craft every item in the world (except artifacts).

[subject42]

Warblade pairs well with Psion, especially if you focus on long-duration Egoist self buffs. You can't wreck the action economy like you can with a factotum, but that's a price you pay.

For Psion/Factotum, I've done this with a Kineticist before. I spent all of my normal feats on Font of Inspiration and all of my Psion Bonus feats on damage-boosting metapsionics + Overchannel. Being able to blow your entire power point reserve on direct damage spells in a single round was a blast.

(Pardon the pun)

[Saragos]

Hmm. This spell-to-power Erudite idea intrigues me. Can you expand a bit on that? What does the changeling add? It looks like, given enough time and resources, an Erudite would be able to amass potentially any spell, certainly. How do the Factotum and Changeling help with this setup?

[Divide by Zero]

Warblade pairs well with Psion, especially if you focus on long-duration Egoist self buffs. You can't wreck the action economy like you can with a factotum, but that's a price you pay.

Or you could go Psion 20//Factotum 8/Warblade 12 and get the best of both worlds. Falls just short of 9th level maneuvers, unfortunately, and you might need to take FoI a few times to get more mileage out of Cunning Surge.

[Psyren]

Hmm. This spell-to-power Erudite idea intrigues me. Can you expand a bit on that?

Erudite (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060406b&page=1)
Spell to Power Erudite (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a)

If you don't care about game balance, this is the class for you.


What does the changeling add?

Did you mean Chameleon? Anyway, what it adds is a floating feat - meaning that you can, for example, keep swapping out crafting feats every time you want to make something different, or keep swapping out Expanded Knowledge to get another new power. And that's before you get into Psychic Reformation and just repicking your feats on the fly.


It looks like, given enough time and resources, an Erudite would be able to amass potentially any spell, certainly. How do the Factotum and Changeling help with this setup?

See above for Chameleon's usefulness. Factotum's should be obvious; extra actions, tons of skill points, reflex save, and Int to just about everything beneficial.

[Saragos]

Did you mean Chameleon?
Yes, sorry, Chameleon. I definitely am not concerned about game balance. I need to out-cheese(or at least reach equal level of cheese) my peers. I will do some further research on the spell-to-power Erudite. Any suggestions for good feats to pick up for it?

[subject42]

It's not a Psion, but have you considered a Druid // Ardent with the time mantle?

When you're a time traveling psychic bear that can punch people from the future, you're in a pretty good place.

Actually, with some practiced manifester shenanigans you could get 9th level powers + a few levels of swordsage.

[Psyren]

Any suggestions for good feats to pick up for it?

Check Saeomon's handbook in my sig - pretty much anything good for a Psion is good for an Erudite, including gear. If you can wrangle stuff from Hyperconscious or Untapped Potential, even better.

In general, you want metapsionics, Psionic Meditation/Psicrystal Containment, and Overchannel/Talented; you can live without Expanded Knowledge (or at least do without as many as the Psion would need.) And definitely get some crafting feats so you can rely on dorjes, power stones and psicrowns for utility castings, preserving your UPD.

Check out Kalaska's Psionic Tricks Handbook too, since cheese is an objective.

[Saragos]

Do you mind if I use this for my quote from now on? I love that line!



When you're a time traveling psychic bear that can punch people from the future, you're in a pretty good place.


But to answer your question, yes. I thought about Druid, but one of my companions will be using Master of Many Forms cheese, so I wanted to stay away from the shapeshifting to let him shine.

[subject42]

Do you mind if I use this for my quote from now on? I love that line!

Feel free to use that line.

[Saragos]

Excellent. Thanks! And I think it's going to be Spell-to-Power Erudite for sure. Potentially knowing every psionic power, spell, and skill in the game is just too good to pass up.

[subject42]

Excellent. Thanks! And I think it's going to be Spell-to-Power Erudite for sure. Potentially knowing every psionic power, spell, and skill in the game is just too good to pass up.

Make sure you use the "Mental Pinnacle" trick. It's like the Psionic version of Tenser's Transformation, where your Manifester level is equal to your caster level. Combine that with stuff like Overchannel and you can do some silly stuff.

[Psyren]

Be sure also to abuse the hell out of normally costly spells. Spam Identify and Forcecage, Stoneskin the party, make and sell Continual Flame items, keep True Seeing on all day, create a menagerie of Clones and Simulacra etc.

[subject42]

You know, it's not 100% Theoretically optimized, but since you're gestalt, you could use your other side to take one level of every class that grants sneak attack at first level.

Normally you wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn, but gestalt takes care of the BAB issue.

Assuming there are 20 classes that offer sneak attack or an analogue, a fully augmented overchanneled Fire Energy Ray sneak attack with the craven feat would be 20d6 fire + 20d6 sneak + 20 craven + 20 fire.

Note: This is meant to optimize for horrifying the DM, not for pure power. The main goal here is to take a picture of the look on his face when you break out 40 D6s and pour them all over the table.

[Dragonsoul]

Yes, sorry, Chameleon. I definitely am not concerned about game balance. I need to out-cheese(or at least reach equal level of cheese) my peers. I will do some further research on the spell-to-power Erudite. Any suggestions for good feats to pick up for it?

Forthe Gestalt as a whole?
1)Font of Inspiration
2)Font of Inspiration
3)Font of Inspiration

Seriously, you could make all your feats FoI and it'd be a fair choice,Time Stop is considered broken (Partially) because you can break the action economy, the Factotum can not only break it, but smash it into tiny little pieces and jump up and down on them, do you know how awesome it is to win initiative and proceed to take twenty standard actions.

[Divide by Zero]

Note: This is meant to optimize for horrifying the DM, not for pure power. The main goal here is to take a picture of the look on his face when you break out 40 D6s and pour them all over the table.

That can be accomplished much more easily. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/disintegratePsionic.htm)