How's this E6 Gestalt Combo?

[Black_Zawisza]

I want to build a jack-of-all-trades-assassin-type character for a PBP I'm playing in soon. 32 point buy, 2 flaws allowed, all splatbooks allowed (not Dragon mags, though). Here's what I've got so far:

STR 14
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 14
WIS 10
CHA 10

Undecided on race

Unarmed Swordsage 1 (focused on Setting Sun and Shadow Hand)
Factotum 3
Totemist 2
Incarnate 3
Wildshape Shooting Star Trapfinding SotAO (etc.) Ranger 3

I'd like to pile the best of these classes into a single 12-level package. Are the above levels a pretty optimal combination? If so, in what order should I take them to reap the greatest benefit? If not, what would you suggest?

[Lonely Tylenol]

Three levels of Wildshape ranger doesn't get Wildshape, because it gets Wildshape as a Druid (which occurs at fifth level). You're trading your combat feat for nothing.

What's more, Mystic Ranger doesn't get second-level spells until fourth (and doesn't even have a high enough WIS score to prepare divine spells), so...

You're better off either trading the Mystic Wildshape ranger (which has no usable class features with this build) for either generic ranger, which at least gains a combat feat, or better yet, for more levels of factotum (which nets you that missing second-level spell).

That, or jumping to a full six-level commitment to Wildshape Mystic Ranger, which gets you the Wildshape and Mystic ranger features you wanted.

As is, though, the three levels of ranger are useless.

Your Swordsage level comes at 5th or 6th, giving you access to second-level maneuvers as an IL 3rd. I don't know enough about Inarcanum to help you with the rest.

[gorfnab]

A few suggestions:

Stats for 32 point buy:
Str 10
Dex 16
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 15 (16 at 4th level)
Cha 8

Mystic Ranger 6// Swordsage 5/ Barbarian 1

ACFs:
Arcane Hunter (Ranger)
Trapfinding (Ranger)
Unarmed (Swordsage)
Pounce (Barbarian)
Whirling Frenzy (Barbarian)

Feats:
1. Adapative Style, Weapon Finesse, Shadow Blade, Magical Training (for spellbook)
3. Nemesis: Arcanists
6. Sword of the Arcane Order
Feats after 6th: Ability Training (Dex and Wis), Ability Advancement (Dex and Wis), Improved Two Weapon Fighting (if you don't go with Wildshape), Natural Spell (if you do go with Wildshape), Snap Kick, Extra Rage (Whirling Frenzy), Extra Wildshape (if you do go with Wildshape)

[Godskook]

For a melee build, try:

Ranger 1/Barbarian 1/Scout 4//Totemist 2/Ardent 2/Factotum 1/Soul Manifester 1

Feats you can take:
-Weapon Finesse
-INA(Claw)
-Swift Hunter
-Improved Skirmish
-Expanded Knowledge(Expansion)
-Practiced Manifester(required pre-6)
-Multiattack.

And with access to 3rd level powers, you can keep taking Expanded Knowledge for more 1st or 2nd level powers known, and Psionic Talent to improve your PP pool enough to use them all.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

There's no point in taking SotAO unless you're using Mystic Ranger, which is from an issue of Dragon magazine. Even then you would need four levels to get 2nd level spells, or six levels for 3rd level spells.

Wild Shape Ranger gets Wild Shape starting at 5th level, same as a Druid, plus Fast Movement at 1st as a Barbarian. At Wild Shape Ranger 6 you can Wild Shape 2/day for 6 hours at a time, and with Extra Wild Shape you can be in animal form 24 hours per day. The best form to use is a Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3), and you could probably stop at Ranger 5 and only be in your normal form when you're asleep if you're trying to cram more classes into your build.

I'd probably go something like Human Paragon 1/ Wild Shape Ranger 5// Beguiler 2/ Human Paragon 2/ Beguiler 1/ Mindbender 1. Get Hidden Talent: Chameleon so you can use a Dorje (wand) of that, and you can cast Camouflage via Ranger since they both stack. Take Natural Spell, Extra Wild Shape, Mindsight, and Multiattack after you hit 6th level. Your Advanced Learning spell should be Ray of Stupidity. That's capable of handling any situation you'll run into, and you'll actually be good at whatever you do.

[Tyndmyr]

There's no point in taking SotAO unless you're using Mystic Ranger, which is from an issue of Dragon magazine. Even then you would need four levels to get 2nd level spells, or six levels for 3rd level spells.

That said, Mystic Ranger is particularly solid in E6, and since it covers both melee needs and casting progression nicely, it can be gestalted with almost anything pretty solidly.

You could do worse than Mystic Ranger 6/Factotum 3/Totemist 2/Unarmed Swordsage 1(to support the OPs general path).

[Black_Zawisza]

That said, Mystic Ranger is particularly solid in E6, and since it covers both melee needs and casting progression nicely, it can be gestalted with almost anything pretty solidly.

You could do worse than Mystic Ranger 6/Factotum 3/Totemist 2/Unarmed Swordsage 1(to support the OPs general path).
That sounds great, yeah! What gestalt order would be most optimal?

EDIT: I'm actually undecided between Totemist 2 and Incarnate 3. I'd rather have Incarnate 3, but it's harder to fit with the rest of the build.

[the_archduke]

Totemist probably has a better meld list for what you want. If you wild shape into a beast with multiple natural attacks, heart of fire bound to your totems and sphinx claws bound to your hands (via Open Least Chakra: Hands feat) will give you a disgusting damage output. Heart of fire adds d4/essentia fire damage to each natural attack. Sphinx claws give you pounce for natural weapons.

My vote would be Wildshape Mystic Ranger 6\\Totemist 2/Unarmed Swordsage 4

This is a mighty MAD character. Fortunately, you seem to only be using 28 points of your pointbuy. Put those 4 into WIS stat.

As for Race, whisper gnome would be pretty sweet. massive hide/move silently bonuses. +2 dex/con -2 str/cha. 30' movement despite being a small race. Pretty ideal for the assassin type character you want. You could even dump strength and pick up the shadow blade feat for dex to damage.

Str 10
Dex 17(+1 at level 4)
Con 16
Int 14
Wis 14
Cha 6

Feats: Shadow Blade, Open Least Chakra: Hands, weapon finesse, SotAO, (see if the DM will allow the Druid capstone feat that allows you to pick one large animal to WS into. Brown Bear or tiger are good choices.)

If you are going to be WS a lot, you might want to dump dex too and take extra wildshape instead of shadow blade. Natural spell would be a must

Str 6 (wildshape boosts this a lot)
Dex 10 (wildshape boosts this a lot)
Con 18
Int 14
Wis 18
Cha 6

This would be tough until level 5, but then you would be a beast... literally

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I want to build a jack-of-all-trades-assassin-type character for a PBP I'm playing in soon. 32 point buy, 2 flaws allowed, all splatbooks allowed (not Dragon mags, though).

Mystic Ranger is exclusively in Dragon magazine 336, so it looks like it's a no-go for this build.