Gestalt Character Help

[dr awesome phd]

Hey folks. I friend of mine is going to be DMing a new Gestalt campaign that, according to him, will take us from level 4 to 20, and maybe a little further.

I thought it might be interesting to make a Gestalt character with only 1 actual class, as kind of a personal challenge.

I intend to take one class line straight Paladin to 20. I've been given permission to take the other one and fill it with templates if I can find ones that actually fit the character idea (that being "Mr. Holy Roller", of course).

I like the idea of going Half-Celestial, and the DM has allowed me to pursue Sainthood. I have no idea what to do with the other 14 levels of space. Can't seem to find a template that I like, that fits.

I suppose it doesn't have to be a template, a prestige class works just fine to. This particular character will actually be utilizing his Mount quite a bit, taking the mounted combat feats, and Leadership to give the Mount a few character levels.

Any suggestions as per how to fill up that 2nd class line without using a base class?

[Hirax]

Is Dragon Magazine available?

1 Draconic
2 Phrenic
2 Saint
3 Firesouled (gives leadership)
4 Half celestial
2 Half-nymph

A draconic celestial nymph was one of your parents, and your other parents was a psionic [insert base race of choice here]. Those templates grant a total of +22 charisma, not including any base race. Consider also bloodlines (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm) and racial paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm) levels for the non-paladin side.

[Randomguy]

Why be human? If you've got room for templates, you've got room to pick up a nice paladin race, like hound archon or something.

[FearlessGnome]

Is Dragon Magazine available?

1 Draconic
2 Phrenic
2 Saint
3 Firesouled (gives leadership)
4 Half celestial
2 Half-nymph

A draconic celestial nymph was one of your parents, and your other parents was a psionic [insert base race of choice here]. Those templates grant a total of +22 charisma, not including any base race. Consider also bloodlines (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm) and racial paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm) levels for the non-paladin side.Problem likely being that they start at level four, so all those templates don't fit in to start with.

Savage Species has several races in it that can 'start' at level one, and grow into their full power as they level up.
Some of them also give spellcasting/spell-likes, which any high level paladin will appreciate.

[Hirax]

Sure, but it'd be simple to just make them not come online until a certain level. IE, start with half celestial, 3 level later firesouled comes online, 1 level later draconic comes online, or whatever order is desired. Alternatively, a SS-like progression could be made.

[Rubik]

Start out with the non-LA necropolitan.

Then take evolved undead all the way up to 20. It's a +1 LA template that explicitly stacks with itself, and gives some really nice benefits, to boot.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You've actually got a perfect opportunity here, but it will involve a few class levels along side of your Paladin 20; bear with me here.

Take the Divine Counterspell ACF for Paladin. You may now attempt to counterspell 1+Cha bonus times per day, as though you were using Dispel Magic. You roll 1d20 and add your Paladin level -3, which would have been your effective Cleric level for turning undead. With Kn: Religion 5+ ranks this is instead your Paladin level -1.

Take (Cloistered (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric)) Cleric 1, preferably along side of Paladin 1. If you use an inherited template, you won't be able to do that, in which case the Cloistered Cleric variant will be largely irrelevant. One of your domains should absolutely be Inquisition, the other can be anything you want; Travel Devotion is a good choice. This is mostly to gain Turn Undead, which you use to power the feat Divine Defiance from FC2.

You may now spend a turn undead use to attempt to counter an opponent's spell as an immediate action. You use your Divine Counterspell ability, rolling a dispel check of 1d20+3+Paladin level thanks to your Inquisition domain. You can use Divine Counterspell 1+Cha times per day, and Divine Defiance 3+Cha times per day, leaving you two turn uses to power other feats like Divine Might or Travel Devotion. You could get a Reliquary Holy Symbol for +2 more turn uses, and/or Night Sticks and/or take Extra Turning if you plan to use a lot of divine feats. Items like a Scepter of the Netherworld, Phylactery of Undead Turning, Ephod of Authority, and similar which increase your effective Turn Undead level could also increase your Dispel bonus for using Divine Counterspell, but it would be entirely up to your DM's interpretation of how those interact.

I would also get one level of an arcane spellcasting class along side of Paladin, to put a Wand of Wraithstrike in a Wand Chamber of your primary weapon. You can also use an Eternal Wand (MIC) of Hound of Doom (CW), which is just amazing for a character with a high BAB and high Cha. Be sure to give that hound a name, and keep in mind that there are plenty of stories of righteous champions enslaving evil creatures to aid their cause (Saint Nicholas, etc.). I'd probably use Martial Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) specialized in Conjuration for Abrupt Jaunt, or maybe Spellthief with the feat Devoted Inquisitor though that wouldn't enable you to use Eternal Wands unless you get 4+ levels. Sorcerer could also be useful if you hold two items (TWF or sword and board) for a second wand chamber with a Wand of Wings of Cover. Technically a gauntlet is a weapon, and a weapon can have a wand chamber, so even if you go 2H you can have three items with wand chambers for three wands available at any time.

For templates, Phrenic Creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm) is pretty good, and Half-Fey (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) is also nice particularly for gaining flight. Choose a race that can get the feat Magic in the Blood in PGtF and all of your 1/day racial spell-like and psi-like abilities will be usable 3/day instead, including those gained from templates. Also, this would be worth looking at (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12788035#4) for a melee-focused character. Shadow Creature in Lords of Madness and Dark Creature from Tome of Magic are also extremely good for various reasons, but may not be very fitting. Then there's always Half-Minotaur....

[dr awesome phd]

Much appreciated for the help so far. As far as the Dragon Magazines, assuming I can find mention of it posted online that looks relatively official, I'm sure it'd fly. Nothing said I had to be human, that's just where I started. Was considering using SS to 'level up' a massive template of some kind, just wasn't sure where to start.

Thanks again for the suggestions! Gives me quite a bit to work with.