Dragon RHD and Gestalt

[evil-frosty]

So I have the opportunity to play a very young copper dragon in a gestalt campaign coming up. My DM has asked me to split the Racial Hit Dice and the LA 8RHD//3 LA. Starting at level eight so my build so far looks like 8RHD//3 LA/1 sorc/4 abjurant champion. My question is can I when leveling up can I just take more dragon racial hit dice? If I am able to do that as I gain more racial hit dice will I advance age categories?(my guess is no, but thought I would ask the experts)

Lastly how should I build him from now on? My first level spells are mage armor, shield, shocking grasp, and bloodwind. My seconds are wings of cover and mirror image. So advice on spells to pick up and other class opportunities would be well appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Essence_of_War]

Do you hace access to the draconomicon? This procedure is explored in some detail there.

[Urpriest]

Essentially, here's the situation:

If you don't use Draconomicon, you can't gain Dragon HD by leveling up. However, you will automatically gain Dragon HD just by getting older. Naturally this can get about as silly as people becoming +8 LA Vampires mid-game, and is somewhat a design blind-spot.

If you do use Draconomicon, you can gain Dragon HD by leveling up, and they do contribute to advancing your age category, but normally you still need the time to age to actually get to the next category (though this can be obviated by a kind DM).

[evil-frosty]

Okay fair enough. I do have access to Draconomicon, reading it I am a little confused as to it advances the age category? My goal is to be a gish so what classes on the other side should I go for?

[NineThePuma]

That depends.

Are you aiming for lols or actually being an effective Gish?

[Essence_of_War]

If your goal is to be an effectice caster, both rhd and la are somewhat at cross purposes to that. If you are willing to switch roles to more of a melee specialist the dragon hd are pretty good for that, maybe mixed with some tob? Or maybe this is an opportunity for an incarnum dragon? :smallamused:

[Circle of Life]

If you are willing to switch roles to more of a melee specialist the dragon hd are pretty good for that, maybe mixed with some tob?

Especially given the archetype presented in Dragons of Eberron, which allows you to trade some of your innate sorcerer casting for Tiger Claw maneuvers.

On the subject of gishes, I can only imagine that Spellsword 1 (Dragons can wear barding too, it just looks silly!)/Abjurant Champion 5 will feature prominently in there somewhere.

Maybe add Knight of the Raven for good measure.

[NineThePuma]

In a Gestalt scenario, I would consider playing a divine Gish on the other side, and pick up Loredrake on your Dragon half.

Cloistered Cleric 20//Loredrake 20 is a reasonably tasty build, though it's not very heavy on the Sorc Gishing.

[Essence_of_War]

Wait, so, you get all of the la and rhd on one side of the gestalt?

[evil-frosty]

I do not have access to setting specific material. And essence i had to split it 8//3. I'll look into incarnum and ToB see if I can find anything I like. Thanks for the advice. I think I will be effective sorta no matter what I do(I'm still a dragon) so a little of the lol isn't bad.