Help with a Gestalt Mailman build? Sorcerer/Swift Hunter?

[Gavinfoxx]

Hi there, I'm trying for a Gestalt Mailman-style character. The DM said 3.5e primary, pathfinder secondary, so I can yank spells and feats from pfsrd, for example.

We're starting at level 5, with standard WBL.

My idea is this:


Race: Human or Silverbrow Human or Azurin

EDIT: Made several changes

Starting at level 5 Gestalt with lvl7 wbl. The DM is using this variant:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/magicRating.htm
as well..
Haven't added anything Pathfinder yet, dunno what to add.

Otyugh Hole in backstory: Iron Will
L1: Easy Metamagic: Empower Spell <retrained to improved initiative later>
Human: Empower Spell
3: Quick Recovery
Lvl5scout4: Swift Hunter
6: Mobile Spellcasting
Lvl7Incantatrix1: Maximize Spell
9: Natural Spell
Lvl10Incant: Twin Spell
12: Residual Magic
lvl13Incant: Easy Metamagic: Maximize Spell
15: Improved Skirmish
Lvl16Incant: Ocular Spell
18: Easy Metamagic: Twin Spell

alternative class features:
Ranger
arcane hunter, skilled city-dweller for tumble, wild shape ranger, will trade animal companion for something at some point.
Sorcerer
Fast Metamagic, planar sorcerer lvl5
Scout: none

Items
otyugh hole 3000
darkwood light shield 257
thistledown padded armor 405
amber amulet of vermin: giant wasp 800
travel cloak combined with cloak of resistance +1 2200
anklets of translocation 1400
belt of healing 750

Spells so far:
6 lvl 0: Acid Splash, Sonic Snap, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Fleeting Fame
4 lvl 1: Lesser Orb of Acid, True Strike, Lesser Shivering Touch, Shocking Grasp
1 lvl 2: Combust

Side1:
1Scout/1Ranger/+3 Scout/+Rest Ranger
Side2:
Sorcerer6/Incantatrix10/Fatespinner 4

Now, please help me make sure I have this right:
At level 5, I move 10 feet and use Metamagic Specialist to put Empower Spell on Lesser Shivering Touch as a standard action, and use my planar substitution option, and I successfully hit a creature's touch AC, and it is a creature that happens to have spell like abilities, and I succeed in overcoming SR (if it has any), I do...

1d6*1.5 dex damage + 2d6+2 cold/force damage (half and half).

If I do the same but use Shocking Grasp, I do 5d6*1.5+2d6+2 electrical/force damage (half and half). Lesser Orb of Acid does 3d8*1.5+2d6+2 acid/force damage (half and half)?

Will swap out lesser shivering touch for the greater version at L6, and get True Casting as my other L1 spell.

I'm considering changing the build to be more caster-y on the other side, what with the 'Magic Rating' giving a gigantic possible increase in caster level... Thoughts?

[Gavinfoxx]

Holy HECK the DM just said he'd be enforcing multiclass penalties (!)... what the heck now?

[Tvtyrant]

Can I make a CRAZY suggestion? Why not go Mystic Ranger instead, and then use your Ranger levels for the casting and the fighting? With the right feats you get full BaB, Wildshape, skirmish, casting like a fifth level wizard (except they are divine and you know them all). I know you want to do a Cindy/Mailman, but you can get similar damage by picking up a level of Cleric and take Extra Turning in order to apply Divine Metamagic to the wizard spells.

[Darrin]

Holy HECK the DM just said he'd be enforcing multiclass penalties (!)... what the heck now?

Could you ask him to elaborate? I'm not sure how you could enforce multiclass penalties in gestalt... is it enforced separately on each side, or on both sides at once...?

Assuming it's separate for each side, human or silverbrow human shouldn't cause any problems. Otherwise, I think there's an "Extra Favored Class" feat tucked away in Unearthed Arcana somewhere.

[Gavinfoxx]

Yea, I might have to end up taking that Extra Favored Class feat... I've asked him to elaborate, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet...

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

I don't know how much swift hunter is adding to the mailman besides the BaB and the d6s of precision damage. Unless you're going to make good use of Wings of Cover/Arcane Spellsurge I might recommend switching to a standard Wizard/ICX//Factotum; if done properly you're still a serviceable mailman, and you're a great buffer if you want to be.

Edit: If you want to stick with mailman/swift hunter, pathfinder half elves get two favored classes, though I'm not sure that's available... Given the nature of 3.5 half elves you may be able to talk your DM into it, though.

[Randomguy]

Spellwarp Sniper. That way, you can swap out twin spell for split ray. Even without metamagic reducers, a spellwarped split rayed moonbow does 2*1d4*1d6 damage every two caster levels and is a level 7 spell. And empowering it affects the number of motes, as well as the number of damage. It would be well worth multiclassing rogue a level if skirmish doesn't count as sneak attack for it.

This also lets you save a feat, since you don't need easy metamagic (split ray), since neither that nor incantrix can lower the metamagic cost by bellow +1 level.

By the same token, do you really need easy metamagic (empower spell)? IIRC, empower spell increases a spells level by 2. Incantrix decreases this by 1 and easy metamagic can't bring it below +1.

True casting as a spell known might be worth it, as well as assay resistance, to help bypass spell resistance.

[Gavinfoxx]

So I train out Easy Metamagic Empower when I get my first level of Incantatrix, then?

[Randomguy]

When you get your 8th level of incantrix, since that's the level when the metamagic reduction comes into play.

[Gavinfoxx]

Right, I'm AFB now, I'll retrain it when it happens.

[Stormageddon]

You can't experience multi-class penalties as a human or silverbrow human.

[Gavinfoxx]

Eh? Favored Class: Any just means that your class with the most levels doesnt count as far as multiclass penalties...

[Gavinfoxx]

Ack! DM said no traits or flaws. And level 7 wbl. AND this is in use:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/magicRating.htm

AND LA+0 races have favored class: all.

*sigh* updating... anyone have any suggestions if something more caster-y would be better on the other side?

[Gavinfoxx]

Weell DM changed it to not gestalt, level 5, and standard WBL...

[Aegis013]

Sounds like a really indecisive DM.

You can just go straight mailman, then. Though a couple of the feats on there I don't understand what purpose they serve. Like Force of Personality. Easy metamagic: Maximize might be better.

[Randomguy]

This means you should probably just go sorcerer, then incantrix, and then another prestige class for the last 4 levels. Anything that's easy to qualify for, and that advances your spellcasting. If you're a race that grants proficiency with any martial weapon like elves do, you can get into abjurant champion without multiclassing at all.
You could also go into rainbow servant, if you can convince your DM to follow the text instead of the table (So that you don't lose caster levels), if you're non-evil and non-chaotic and if you manage to find the jungle temple of the coatls. It's really not THAT great, but it's better more levels in sorcerer, and it gets you the good and air domains, which aren't that great, but aren't horrible either.
There's also sacred exorcist, which you can take at the cost of 7 skill points and one spell known, but which gives you turn undead (Which will be decent as a charisma based caster), d8 instead of d4 hit dice, and medium BAB.
If you manage to meet the prerequisites, sandshaper gets you a large amount of extra spells known, at the cost of one level of casting.
There's also archmage, but that costs you spell focus in two schools of magic and skill focus (spellcraft), so it's probably not worth it.

Last but not least, there's fatespinner: The prerequisits are very easy to meet, all it really costs you is 5 skill points, your casting improves at every level (The 5th level doesn't improve casting, but you won't be taking it), and you get a bunch of neat abilities involving forcing others to make rerolls, making rerolls and giving yourself small bonuses to some rolls. Probably not the best option, but definitely the easiest to qualify for.

[Dr.Epic]

Well, he should definitely be dressed as the postman from LoZ, so give him a bunny-ears hat.

[hex0]

Odd suggestion: Fit Dragon Devotee in there, even as filler. It increases your Sorcerer Casting and Skimish as well. You can stagger the levels so you won't interupt your casting.

[Gavinfoxx]

Odd suggestion: Fit Dragon Devotee in there, even as filler. It increases your Sorcerer Casting and Skimish as well. You can stagger the levels so you won't interupt your casting.

Uh, DM removed Gestalt...