High-OP Gestalt - What would you do?

[TGPhoenix]

So my DM is running a VERY high-OP, mostly evil campaign. My question to everyone is this - with the character creation rules given here, what kind of character/monster would you make? I am aware that these are very liberal interpretations of the character creation rules, the campaign is meant to expose some new players to as much content as possible and get everyone's creative juices flowin' when it comes to their character. The campaign progresses at a rate that a character not taking any racial hit dice will level up every other session or so. AKA - people taking racial hit dice are generally about 2-3 class levels behind but have 2-3 more hit dice overall at the moment.

Please give what character you would make at the current campaign experience and also what class progression it would have at LvL 20. Go into as much detail as possible, including stats, feats and any special abilities key to the flavor of the character. I'll give a few brief descriptions of my characters in this campaign at the end.

Character Creation Rules -
-Any 3.5E Content, 3.0 Content that falls in line with 3.5E rules is also allowed at DM's approval. (approval is almost always given)
-Current Campaign XP - 37,550 (without any boost from bonus point system)
-Current Campaign Gold - 55,430gp each
-All alignment restrictions are removed.
-Flavor or campaign specific feat requirements removed in most cases.
-Start with a +2 Level Adjusted race or +1 LA race & +1 CR template or base race & +2 CR template for free as your base character.
-Further templates can be purchased based on CR. Buy-off templates at (CR value + 1)*(Class LvL*1000xp). Anything with a scaling CR pays the initial amount at LvL 1 then pays for each increase in CR at the appropriate LvLs. Ex: Monster of Legend has a CR of +2, so it costs 3,000xp if purchased @ LvL 1.
**Special Note: Any racial hit dice that are required by a template from lycanthrope, multi-headed or any other that specifically requires that racial hit dice be taken (not just a level adjustment) are all paid for at 1,000xp each.
-Gestalt class system
-Racial hit dice are tracked separately from class levels for paying experience to gain a new class level/hit die. For all other things, such as attaining feats or ability increases, class levels and racial hit dice stack.
**House Rule for the Monk class - increased damage for unarmed attacks also applies to natural attacks.
-50 Ability points to spend. Abilities start at base 8, cost 1 + the modifier for that ability to add another ability point. 18 max in any ability (before adding bonuses from race/templates).
-May take up to 2 flaws, each giving a bonus feat in return.
-Psion infinite action cheese is banned.
-Undead Toughness added as a feat option. (sorry I forgot to add this in the beginning when I first posted)

7 Bonus Points to spend according to following table -
4 pts - Add a +2 CR template you qualify for without paying xp cost
3 pts - Gain a Cohort (same CC Rules, minus 2 LvLs of xp)
3 pts - Add a +1 CR template you qualify for without paying xp cost
2 pts - 5% bonus xp (can be taken multiple times)
1 pt - 5% bonus gold (can be taken multiple times)

My current character, Baldro was created at the beginning of the campaign and isn't totally optimized to take advantage of the bonus xp, taking the cheap templates early instead (campaign started at 3,000xp). He is based around maximizing the damage of the spell Disintegrate by LvL 18 and being able to ride a dragon into combat while leading hordes of undead & the occasional demon.

Baldro the Damned
Race: Human
Templates: Saint [Char Creation], Animus [4 pts], Spell Stitched [3 pts], Spell Warped [1,000xp, +1 CR @4, +2 CR @11]
Current Classes: Sorcerer 4/Favored Soul 1/Thrall of Demogorgon 7/ Incantatrix 4 (8 total class levels, 4,550xp remaining)
Eventual Classes/Racial HD: Sorcerer 4/Favored Soul 1/Thrall of Demogorgon 10/Incantatrix 10/Fighter 2/Dragon Lord 7/Halruaan Elder 6, Undead 20

Ability - Mod
Str: 14 +2
Dex: 16 +3
Con: -- --
Int: 18 +4
Wis: 18 +4
Cha: 24 +7

Current Feats:
(Flaw) Inattentive - -4 spot, listen
(Flaw) Pathetic Strength - -2 Str
Bonus Flaw: Versatile Spellcaster
Bonus Flaw: Spell Focus - Evocation
Temp Bonus: Alertness
Temp Bonus: Improved Initiative
Temp Bonus: Lightning Reflexes
Racial Bonus: Iron Will
Thrall Bonus: Energy Substitution [Vile]
Thrall Bonus: Maximize Spell
Thrall Bonus:Practical Metamagic Quicken Spell
Incantatrix Bonus: Quicken Spell
1: Spontaneous Wounder
3: Undead Toughness
6: Twin Spell
====================== Future Feats=========================
[LvL 9]: Incantatrix Bonus: Split Ray
[LvL 9]: Rapid Metamagic
[LvL 11]: Thrall Bonus: Practical Metamagic Twin Spell
[LvL 12]: Incantatrix Bonus: Improved Metamagic - Reduce penalty to all metamagic spells by 1 lvl
[LvL 12]: Fighter Bonus: Point-Blank Shot
[LvL 12]: Dragonfriend
[LvL 13]: Fighter Bonus: Precise Shot
[LvL 14]: Incantatrix Bonus: Chain Spell
[LvL 15]: Elder Bonus: Adroit Casting 1 - Twin Spell
[LvL 15]: Dragon Cohort
[LvL 18]: Elder Bonus: Adroit Casting 2 - Quicken Spell
[LvL 3 Racial]: Undead Leadership
[LvL 6 Racial]: Mounted Combat
[LvL 9 Racial]: Mounted Mobility
[LvL 12 Racial]: Mounted Casting
[LvL 15 Racial]: Mounted Archery
[LvL 18 Racial]: Leadership


Xilo (Baldro's future replacement)
Race: Thri-Kreen [Char Creation]
Templates: Monster of Legend [3,000xp], Half-Minotaur [2,000xp], Half-Dragon [3,000xp], Lycanthrope (Megaraptor) [13,000xp]
Current Classes/Racial HD: Psychic Warrior 7/Monk 5/Barbarian 2, Lycanthrope 8
Eventual Classes/Racial HD: Psychic Warrior 10/Monk 5/Zerth Cenobite 10/Barbarian 3/Bloodscaled Fury 12, Lycanthrope 20

Ability-Race/Temp-Total-Mod
Str:14+0 +34 48 +19
Dex:12+0 +14 26 +8
Con:14+0 +24 38 +14
Int:14+0 +0 14 +2
Wis:18+3 +8 29 +9
Cha:10+0 +0 10 +0

Xilo is a raging monstrosity built around natural attacks & using psionic abilities to buff himself and the party.

[Story]

Assuming you have time to craft, how about a Artificer//Factorum?

[Fouredged Sword]

Psion / Archivist going into the class that turns you into a Cognizance Crystal and grants unlimited pp for a short time.

Use the power that cost PP, but extends effects a round. Use it every round. Now you have sacrificed your swift actions to have every buff on the archivist list and psion list. Get anyspell and you have arcane buffs as well.

Oh, and you have unlimited PP.

And lots of vigor temp HP.

[Kazyan]

Lessee...I'm no good with casters, but they're the bomb, so you sorta have to be one in super high-op...

Radiant Lesser Aasimar of Legend, buying radiant with 3 Bonus Points, grab a cohort with 3 others, and then +5% XP. Be a Sorcerer/Swiftblade//Totemist 2/Factotum 8/sprinkled Sorcerer to cover Swiftblade losses.

[dspeyer]

There has to be a way to abuse those RHD rules...

You could play a were-legendary-tiger swordsage // psion. With 26 rhd and 5 class levels, you'll have an initiator level of 18 granting 9th level maneuvers and well-synergizing physical bonuses. The psion side will be short on PP, but with practiced manifester, it'll hit as hard as an ordinary 9th level. Make sure to specialize in powers that augment well.

What are the rules on RHD that don't come from templates?

[candycorn]

I'd lean towards:

Druid 20 // Swordsage 5 / Fist of the Forest 5 / Stoneblessed 3 / Deepwarden 2 / Warshaper 5

You'll get Wisdom + Constitution + Constitution to AC, full Wildshape, immunity to critical hits, extra reach, a ton of shapeshifting ability, 9th level druid spells, and 3rd level Swordsage maneuvers.

That would be a melee choice.

For non-melee, I'd probably go with:

Psion 3 / Wizard 1 / Mystic Theurge 9 / Incantatrix 7 // Archivist 20

With a bit of work, this build can be immune to pretty much... well everything.

(Favor of the Martyr + Shapechange + Energy immunity = all damage is nonlethal or sonic, and you're immune to nonlethal and sonic)

Honestly, you'd want an 18 intelligence and a 16 Wisdom, and after that, throw all the rest of the points into extra XP or Stat boosting templates.

Most of your actions would take place on the turns of your opponents. Use Twin Power Synchronicity, let your schism do the same, recover your Focus with a move action, let your psicrystal recover the other focus (give it a PP via its feats, and it becomes psionic, allowing it to do so). Now, at any time, you can take 4 readied actions. If that's not enough, afterwards, you can Anticipatory strike, ready 4 more, and essentially dump 8 rounds worth of spells onto an enemy on their turn. You get the ability to counter specifically what your opponent is doing, exactly when they try to do it.

DISCLAIMER: Not responsible for books being thrown at you if you take the latter option. It is very, very cheesy.

[Hirax]

Wizard15/void disciple4/mindbender1//psion5/metamind10/psion+5

1. Shapechange into a chronotyryn, allowing you 2 full round and 2 swift actions per turn among other things
2. Activate metmamind's font of power ability, granting you unlimited power points
3. Manifest fission
4. Perpetually use temporal reiteration with one of your swift actions
5. All buffs that you can will now last indefinitely, including fission and moment of clarity
6. At the start of the next day, you and your fission buddy regain power points and spells as normal for beings of your class
7. You and your fission buddy each get one use of moment of clarity every day, and its duration will never expire, meaning that over a period of time you and your fission buddy will have virtually every buff spell in the game and every feat active at once, as moment of clarity does not require you to qualify for the feats it grants.

[dspeyer]

How are you guys getting 20 class levels?

Another lycanthrope trick:

were-deinonychus human rogue 8 // wizard 1 / ur-priest 7

You need Educated at first level, and to take spell focus(evil) before any actual spellcasting. Unless you can declare that you were bitten *after* you obtained first level, in which case you want Able Learner and everything's easier.

7th level spells from the base cleric list. Not bad. See if you can weasel into contemplative for some domains.

You can swap out the deinonychus for a desmudo war bat if they're predatory enough.

The first rogue level is needed unless you can get your afford a really high int, but you can take the remaining levels in something else if you like.

[Story]

Isn't there a playable monster somewhere that gets two actions per turn? I don't remember what it's called but it has three heads and lives in the Underdark. Unfortunately, it isn't allowed to shapechange or polymorph.

[TGPhoenix]

DISCLAIMER: Not responsible for books being thrown at you if you take the latter option. It is very, very cheesy.

That is the one and only thing my DM took out of psionics is the synchronicity doubled up trick. But it was my first thought as the other half of my Thri-Kreen instead of Psychic Warrior.


How are you guys getting 20 class levels?

The campaign isn't going to end at standard LvL 20, we intend to segway this campaign into an epic one at some point, so i was just wondering what 20 class LvLs people would take, assuming they would probably also get 20 racial HD.

[Kazyan]

Isn't there a playable monster somewhere that gets two actions per turn? I don't remember what it's called but it has three heads and lives in the Underdark. Unfortunately, it isn't allowed to shapechange or polymorph.

Sharn, in one of the Faerun Books, actually. It can get, like, three standard actions.

[Hirax]

Isn't there a playable monster somewhere that gets two actions per turn? I don't remember what it's called but it has three heads and lives in the Underdark. Unfortunately, it isn't allowed to shapechange or polymorph.

Not what you're referring to, but Chronotyryn, Fiend Folio, as I mentioned in my post. Completely legit for shapechange. With the wording of its dual actions ability, you could easily make the argument that planar shepherds get to double their already stupidly high number of actions, in fact. I settled for merely using fission for extra actions. Gotta have some restraint, after all.

[Hunter Killer]

Factotum 5//Cleric 5 (Martial Maneuver/Martial Stance Feats)
Cleric 6//Ruby Knight Vindicator 1
Factotum 3//Ruby Knight Vindicator 4
Duskblade 1//Ruby Knight Vindicator 5
Cleric 7//Ruby Knight Vindicator 6
Duskblade 4//Ruby Knight Vindicator 9
Duskblade 5//Prestige Paladin 1 (Battle Casting Feat)
Duskvlade 6//Ruby Knight Vindicator 10
Duskblade 13//Any Full Casting Progression PRC 4

The Highlights:

1. Use a 1st Level Feat and the 3rd Level Feat to get a Maneuver and Stance you need. Battle Casting when you get Prestige Paladin. Everything else goes to Font of Inspiration.

2. Use Cunning Surge and Divine Impetus to poop Standard and Swift actions whenever your want. Swifts for Battle Casting Spells, Standards for Cleric stuff.

3. Channel Divine/Arcane Touch Spells though your sword, like a boss, because Arcane Channeling doesn't specify only Arcane spells. Full Attack w/Arcane Channeling at 20th.

4. Iajutsu Focus might be fun since you'll want high Cha anyway, and with all your access to spells you could probably come up with a way to make your opponent Flat Footed.

If you wanted to go full bore with this, I'd suggest Able Learner/Exotic Weapon Prof: Gnomish Quickrazor/Combat Expertise/Improved Feint/Sudden Riposte. Simply use Cunning Surge to Feint prior to your Full Attack, then go to town. This does, of course, mean that you have drop almost all of your Font of Inspiration feats.

5. You Duskblade spells will be marginally useful... You could pick up Arcane Strike at some point to use them as fuel for To-Hit/Damage Bonus. This would actually be a good route to go if you lack the Int to cast the higher level ones.

:smallbiggrin:

[Eldan]

Factotum/intelligence caster is always a good one. Wizard, for sheer power, Psion otherwise. Archivist if you can do spell list cheese.

[Mephit]

1. Use a 1st Level Feat and the 3rd Level Feat to get a Maneuver and Stance you need. Battle Casting when you get Prestige Paladin. Everything else goes to Font of Inspiration.

2. Use Cunning Surge and Divine Impetus to poop Standard and Swift actions whenever your want. Swifts for Battle Casting Spells, Standards for Cleric stuff.


If you mean Battle Blessing, that doesn't actually work with Prestige Paladin, as that class doesn't grant Paladin spells. It progresses another spellcasting class.

Personally, I'd go for a Spellwarped Human, Spell-to-Power-Erudite/Anarchic Initiate//Factotum8/Warblade. Slap on all the ridiculous Int to Y bonus feats and you have yourself a true Mind-over-matter character.
Edit: That's if we're talking balls-to-the-wall op, of course. All in all, the full prepared casting class//synergy here type of builds aren't really original.

[Hirax]

If you mean Battle Blessing, that doesn't actually work with Prestige Paladin, as that class doesn't grant Paladin spells. It progresses another spellcasting class.

Personally, I'd go for a Spellwarped Human, Spell-to-Power-Erudite/Anarchic Initiate//Factotum8/Warblade. Slap on all the ridiculous Int to Y bonus feats and you have yourself a true Mind-over-matter character.

Not so (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm).

"The bard, paladin, and ranger spell lists contain a number of spells that don't appear on other classes' spell lists. In general, any character who enters one of these prestige classes should gain access to spells unique to that class's spell list, at the same levels indicated for the standard class. At the game master's discretion, spells unique to that class's spell list found in other books may also be available, but on a case by case basis. The game master may require such spells to be researched or learned specifically by the character, rather than simply making them freely available."

[TGPhoenix]

Just a general point - if you don't something creative or that hasn't been posted...... don't waste my time please. I've seen archivist/psion for infinite action cheese 3 times already, stop posting it. Think outside the box, the point is to be totally creative while still being absurdly powerful. Look into possibilities that are only possible because of the weird way we are creating the characters. And hardly anyone has addressed the templates, just class levels, which tells me nothing of how powerful the character actually is in this case. What cool template/race/class combo can you find?

[Mephit]

Not so (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm).

"The bard, paladin, and ranger spell lists contain a number of spells that don't appear on other classes' spell lists. In general, any character who enters one of these prestige classes should gain access to spells unique to that class's spell list, at the same levels indicated for the standard class. At the game master's discretion, spells unique to that class's spell list found in other books may also be available, but on a case by case basis. The game master may require such spells to be researched or learned specifically by the character, rather than simply making them freely available."

Hmmm, I'd forgotten about that. Fair point. Still, it's one of those things that are very open for interpretation.

[Hirax]

Oh sure, battle blessing is a candidate for protective asylum somewhere far away, given how often it is tortuously interpreted to achieved a desired end.

[Hunter Killer]

Duskblade//Dread Necromancer is fun. Not sure about absurdly powerful, but there's a lot of Touch Spells on the Necro's list, and it has secondary abilities that are awesome for melee characters but don't really work on the Necro alone because of crap Attack Bonus and Armor Class. Plus, lots of Undead.

[candycorn]

Alternately, you could go:

Gravetouched Ghoul (+1 CR) on a +1 LA race (let's go with Half Giant). There's your freebie.

Now, for your Levels:

Paladin of Tyranny 2 / Sorceror 7 // Evolved Undead 9

Now, spend 6 points for 2 more +1 CR templates free... Namely, Evolved Undead.

Now, for the final racial mods?

Natural Armor: +13
A boatload of SLA's (See invisibility 2/day, haste 2/day, 5 more SLA's)
Fast Healing 33
Str +26, Con XX, Dex +2, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +24

Assuming you put an 18 in Charisma, and gave the boost at level 4 and 8 to charisma, that would make your Charisma, at level 9, a 44, for a whopping +17 modifier. With a Cloak of Cha +4, that's a +19 modifier.

Yeah, you only have 3rd level spells... But the DC to save against them is 30. In addition, you have bonus spells. Specifically:
{table=header]Spell Level | Bonus spells
1 | 5
2 | 5
3 | 5[/table]

Of course, by the time you reach level 20? Assume a +5 tome, +3 more in level up boosts, +2 more in enhancement bonuses, and +22 from evolved undead, and your charisma is a respectable 80. That's a +35 modifier, which equates to:

{table=header]Spell level | Bonus Spells | Save DC
0 | - | 45
1 | 9 | 46
2 | 9 | 47
3 | 9 | 48
4 | 9 | 49
5 | 8 | 50
6 | 8 | 51
7 | 8 | 52
8 | 8 | 53
9 | 7 | 54[/table]

Basically, anything you face will need to roll a 20, or be thoroughly suppressed. In addition, when you hit 20, you'll be able to shapeshift into a nymph, which gets Charisma to AC.

That's the stat whore method, though you'll also have a boatload of SLA's, a Strength score that's incredible, and a paralysis attack that is basically "Roll a 20 or I get to Coup de Grace you next round" (at level 9, DC is 33. At level 20, the DC is 55.)

[Lonely Tylenol]

I'm assuming Mystic Theurge, Psychic Theurge, Eldritch Theurge, Eldritch Disciple, Jade Phoenix Mage, Ruby Knight Vindicator, and any other combinations with any other subsystems therein are banned.

Human (or some other race that gets a bonus feat) Wizard (and relevant PrCs) 20//Factotum 8/Warblade (and relevant PrCs) 12.

The exact Wizard PrCs that you choose are up to you, although I'd probably go 10 levels of Incantatrix and follow it with something with lax prerequisites, or just 10 levels of Incantatrix. I'd probably not PrC the Warblade end.

This gets you 9th-level Wizard casting and 8th-level maneuvers with strong INT synergy and Cunning Surge, AKA "take an arbitrary amount of actions".

If you were so inclined, you could replace the tail end of the second half with Psion and take Practiced Manifester at 15 and 18 so you are a 20th-level manifester and 20th-level arcane caster.

If theurge classes were allowed, I'd go (some combination of races and templates with mental ability score bonuses) Wizard (and relevant PrCs) 4/Sorcerer (or Beguiler) 1/Ultimate Magus 6/Mystic Theurge 9//Cleric (and relevant PrCs) 4/Warlock 1/Eldritch Disciple 6/Eldritch Theurge 9. Mystic Theurge advances Cleric and Wizard; Eldritch Theurge advances Sorcerer (or Beguiler) and Warlock.

This option gets you 9th-level prepared arcane casting (CL 18), 9th-level divine casting (CL 19), 8th-level spontaneous arcane casting (CL 16), and dark invocations (CL 16). It's possible to advance Ultimate Magus and Eldritch Disciple to 10, but doing so gives up 8th-level spontaneous casting unless you take Practiced Spellcaster a second time on the Wizard side. If you're feeling particularly zesty, you can sack the last level of Mystic Theurge (you're already at double 9ths at 19th level anyway) and grab a level of Warblade, Crusader or Swordsage to grab a set of maneuvers of up to 5th level (though these will probably be much closer to surface-level maneuvers due to prerequisites).

Of course, theurge classes are generally banned from gestalt for precisely this reason.

[Jack_Simth]

Ok... Hatchling Phaerimm (Lost Empires of Faerun): LA+2, 1 RHD - with class levels, a single racial HD goes away automatically, and you get the +2 LA for free.

Your seven points:
4 spent on a free +2 CR template: Ghost (Core).
3 spent on a free +1 CR template: Evolved Undead (Libris Mortis)

The build:
Sorcerer-X (Yes, Sorcerer, no PrC'ing).
Massive-Charisma-Dip-X (Hexblade-3 (Complete Warrior)/Monk-2/Paladin of Tyrrany (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#paladinofTyrannyClassF eatures)-2/Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a)-2/Blackguard-2/et cetera). When you run out of useful dips, go Loremaster (for the bonus feats at Epic levels - they're tasty).

Use the old clause in regional feats about ranks in Knowledge(Local) to qualify for regional feats, and pick up Faerie Mysteries Initiate. Do a sensual act with... something, probably a simulacrum of yourself... to get the Int to HP (as you lost Con to HP). Make sure to also pick up Ascetic Mage (Complete Adventurer) to turn the monk's Wis to AC to Charisma to AC. The build above this line has: Charisma to saves vs. Spells and spell-like abilities three times (twice vs. everything - Hexblade-2 gives Arcane Resistance, Paladin of Tyrany and Blackguard get variations on the Paladin's Divine Grace), Charisma to AC three times (Deflection from the incorporeal type from Ghost, Monkish from Ascetic Mage, and Apparent Defense from Arcane Duelist). Also full Charisma-based casting.

The big trick here:
The Phaerimm get racial casting based on their hit dice - not on their racial hit dice, but on their hit dice - as a Sorcerer, which explicitly stacks with actual levels in Sorcerer. And they're all as spell-like abilities, with no escape clauses about XP components or material components (so there aren't any). So at level... looks like 9 is where you'll be starting... you'll be casting as a Sorcerer-18. And you don't have to pay little things, like the XP cost of Wish. Read up on the magic item creation clause. Turns out you'll be able to mass-manufacture magic items for free.

Other feats to get not mentioned above: Flyby Attack, Ghostly Grasp (Libris Mortis - and pay attention to the expansion on the incorporeal type), Planar Touchstone (Don't remember if it was Manual of the Planes or the Planar Handbook), for the Cataloges of Enlightenment, for the Pride domain. That gets you a reroll every time you roll a 1 on a save, which is handy with the saves you'll have. You may eventually want to pick up Martial Stance (Tome of Battle) for Aura of Perfect Order - which lets you take ten on one d20 roll a round. Incidentally, the Ghost's Rejuvenation check is a d20 roll (although a 1 on it doesn't matter once you hit 15 hit dice).

Items to get: Ring of X-Ray Vision. You're immune to the drawback (no Con score). Run it constantly, stay underground, pop up for a single standard action when it's time for combat. Total cover vs. everything except readied actions.

Oh yes, and duplicating Simulacrum (via Wish, of course...) gets you an arbitrary creature with as many HD as your caster level (which is twice your hit dice) (oh yes, and this is not dependant on finding a sample of the creature - that's a material component, and you get to ignore those completely). Grab the Malevolence ghost ability, and then posses it. You now have the shape of an arbitrary creature. And there's no upper limit on how many of these creatures you can have running around at the same time, so you can lead an army.

Edit: Oh yes, and if you want to spend XP on something: More iterations of Evolved Undead. It boosts your Charisma by 2 with every iteration, which boosts your AC and saves by three each. The fast healing and the extra spell-like abilities are nothing more than icing.

[Kazyan]

Just a general point - if you don't something creative or that hasn't been posted...... don't waste my time please. I've seen archivist/psion for infinite action cheese 3 times already, stop posting it. Think outside the box, the point is to be totally creative while still being absurdly powerful. Look into possibilities that are only possible because of the weird way we are creating the characters. And hardly anyone has addressed the templates, just class levels, which tells me nothing of how powerful the character actually is in this case. What cool template/race/class combo can you find?

Here's an off-the-wall one: Reusing Monster of Legend with 4 of your bonus points, put it on a Mineral Warrior Half-Minotaur (Con race of your choice). Then go Totemist//Obligatory Barbarian Dip/DFA?

Your Con will be outrageous, you'll have reach and extra actions...bind the meld that gives you a Flesh to Stone attack, with your save DC of You Will Not Make This. Then punch the statue into dust as a standard action, or just breathe at it with your save DC of You Will Not Make This Either.

Also buy a cohort with the rest of your bonus points to get the obligatory spellcasting.

[Randomguy]

Factotum//Wu-Jen, with gish prestige classes (I suggest 9 levels of swiftblade to wreck the action economy) and a template that grants spell like abilities such as half fey or phrenic. Use body outside body to get duplicates, and have the duplicates use their spell like abilities or melee your enemies to death.

[Darth Stabber]

I'm thinking pixie wizard//factotum assuming you can use the bonus point thingys to buy off the rest of pixie's LA. Base stats (after racial modifiers) str6, dex20, con14, int24, wis14, cha14. Rays that don't miss, saves your enemies can't make. And then add gold 3 times. Xp is a river, where as spellbook aren't, so the vast bulk of the money is going right there. Conj ban evo and ench, pick up abrupt jaunt. Then proceed to reorder reality to suit my purposes.

Wizard5/Mindbender1/MotAO10/Archmage4//Factotum20. Have a solution to every problem, on hand ready to go. Factotum can pick up some of the slack from my banned schools, MatAO provided access to anything else i don't have immediate access to. Feats are undecided (with the obvious exception of prc prereqs). Probably quicken spell, extend spell, cooperative spell, spell focus (conj), spell focus(trans), skill focus (spellcraft), spell mastery(the usual paranoia stuff: teleport, planeshift, freedom of movement, ect), and beyond that i'm not sure.

Or if you want to be a shining paragon of all that is good in your party of sinners and blasphemers. Pixie druid20//totemist13/barbarian1/unarmed swordsage2/warshaper4 with VoP. Trust me it's the one time in your life where VoP isn't absolutely terrible (since you are turning off your items with incarnum and with wildshape). The big loss is spell completion items. Spend the remaining points on either a template or a cohort.

[dspeyer]

Aha!

Afflicted Were-dire-wolf human Ur-Priest 9 // whatever

Take the bonus xp option 3 times. 37550 * 1.05 * 1.05 * 1.05 = 43468. 6000 (6hd) + 36000 (9 levels) = 42000. 1468 xp left over for crafting.

Take Educated, Keeper of Forbidden Lore and Apprentice(criminal) at first hit die. Shaky makes a nicely irrelevant flaw. Normally saves would be a problem, but dire animals have all good ones. Iron Will is a bonus feat, so you just need Spell Focus (evil). You'll be taking that with no actual spellcasting, but that's raw-legal and not too crazy for a lycanthrope.

9th level spells that probably won't get books thrown at you.

As for the whatever, there are a bunch of options. Warblade is nice defensively (and 6th level maneuvers). Psion has obvious benefits. Everyone loves a factotum. A spontaneous arcane caster (sublime chord if you can manage the skills) would have the special bonus that once you finish Ur-Priest you can use Dragon Disciple to keep the 9th level spell slots coming.

[Hunter Killer]

Hmm...

What about a Divine Minion (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) into Lion Totem Barbarian 1//Cleric 1 then Master of Many Forms 10//Cleric 11 then Planar Shepard 9//Factotum 9?

Wild Shaping to Dragons at Will, getting 10:1 turn ratios in Planar Baubles, and full Cleric casting.

[A_S]

Do I understand correctly that if you're playing a race with RHD, you double-dip on your experience, such that at each level-up, you gain a RHD and a class level both? Does the RHD side take up a side of your gestalt? I don't think I quite understand what you're saying there...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Take Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm), get a 10% bonus to all current and future XP, plus tons of other benefits.

Your seven bonus points should be Cohort and 5% XP twice. That gets you 45,538 xp starting out.

Go Desert Half-Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs), Half-Minotaur (Dr313, +1 CR), Death Knight (MM2, +3 CR), Spellstitched (CA, +1 CR), only pay for Death Knight at 4,000 xp. Say he was made into a Death Knight by a Dread Necromancer 8+ who had the entire Corpsecrafter line of feats (LM) in the area of a Desecrate spell with an evil altar present. That gives him a permanent +6 HP/level, +4 Enhancement to Str and Dex, +4 initiative, +10 ft. movement, +2 turn resistance, +2 natural armor, and +1d6 cold damage per natural weapon.

With race/size adjustments and those Enhancement bonuses you'll get Str +20, Dex +2, Con -, Int -4, Wis +2, Cha +2, plus level-up points. You'll be large size, 50 ft. land speed, +7 natural armor, Darkvision 60 ft., Scent, a gore attack for 1d8 piercing +1d6 cold, etc. I'm going to assume that regional feats (PGtF) no longer have a race/region requirement nor a limit of one per character.

You'll be 9th level, class levels should go as follows:
Flaws: Insomniac and Skulker (http://alt.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258440#30) (immune to fatigue/exhaustion and don't need sleep, immune to fear).
Alternate cost feats: Iron Will (Otyugh Hole, CS, 3,000 gp), Menacing Demeanor (Otyugh Hole, CS, 3,000 gp), and Moderate+ Taint (HoH) gives a bonus feat.
1. Fighter 1// Cobra-Strike Chaos Monk 1, Dreadful Wrath, Magic in the Blood, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Cleave
2. Savage Bard 1// Cobra-Strike Chaos Monk 2, Mobility, Inspire Awe ACF, Spellbreaker Song ACF
3. Savage Bard 2// Fighter 2, Item Familiar, Dungeoncrasher ACF
4. Savage Bard 3// Half-Orc Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halfOrcParagon) 1
5. Savage Bard 4// Zhentarim Fighter (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) 3, Skill Focus: Intimidate, Applied Force (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a)
6. Savage Bard 5// Fighter 4, Knock-Back, Improved Sunder
7. Savage Bard 6// Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) 1, trade Suggestion for Haunting Melody
8. Savage Bard 7// Arcane Duelist 2
9. Savage Bard 8// Blackguard 1, Imperious Command
10. Paladin of Slaughter 1// Blackguard 2
11. Paladin of Slaughter 2// Blackguard 3
12. Marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b) 1// Mystic Wanderer 1, Motivate Charisma, Fell Frighten Spell
13. Sublime Chord 1// Zhentarim Fighter 5
14. Sublime Chord 2// Fighter 6, Dungeoncrasher ACF
15. Incantatrix 1// Fighter 7, Applied Force, Persistent Spell, Leap Attack
16. Incantatrix 2// Fighter 8, Combat Reflexes
17. Incantatrix 3// Zhentarim Fighter 9, Applied Force
18. Mindbender 1// Warblade 1, Mindsight
19. Incantatrix 4// Warblade 2, Quicken Spell
20. Paragnostic Apostle 1// Warblade 3

Warblade Maneuvers/Stances: Mind Over Body, Iron Heart Surge, Absolute Steel Stance, White Raven Tactics, White Raven Strike, War Leader's Charge
Note that stances count as maneuvers for purposes of qualifying for maneuvers and stances. Maneuvers and stances gained at 1st level are gained simultaneously, the character qualifies for all of his maneuvers and stances at the time they're gained.

Spellstitched spells: Benign Transposition 3/day, Grease 3/day, Kelgore's Grave Mist 3/day, Glitterdust 3/day, Shivering Touch 3/day, Melf's Unicorn Arrow 3/day, Animate Dead 3/day, Evard's Black Tentacles 3/day, Teleport 3/day, Wall of Force 3/day, Animate Dread Warrior 3/day.
Note that your Magic in the Blood feat increases all 1/day racial (including template) spell-like abilities to 3/day, so split those 1/3 or 3/1 and 1/1 and everything becomes 3/day. Also note that you can use Melf's Unicorn Arrow with Dungeoncrasher.

Your Item Familiar should be a ring that started out as a Ring of Protection +1 for 2,000 gp. Say you upgraded it to a Ring of Invisibility with a +1 Deflection bonus to AC added (MIC p234), costing you 10,000 gp and 800 xp. An Item Familiar is treated as a Construct, and Constructs cannot be dispelled or disjoined and continue to function in antimagic and dead magic areas. Your item familiar gets actions during combat, so it can activate its own Invisibility effect on your character after you've finished attacking each round. You can wear a gauntlet over the ring so opponents will never have line of sight/effect to it, so it cannot be sundered, disintegrated, or slight of handed. Invest every skill rank you get into the ring for the greatest return in skill bonuses, much of which will need to be applied to Spellcraft once you begin taking Incantatrix. You can even add intelligent item minor/major powers and even a special purpose and dedicated power of your choosing to your item familiar via normal item creation rules.

You can get the Feathered Wings graft (FF) and be able to fly despite being mostly skeletal. Get a custom Runestaff (MIC p224) with whatever spells you want on it, and make a DC 20 UMD check every day (boosted from your Item Familiar) to use the spells it contains as though they were on all of your class spell lists. A Runestaff is still a quarterstaff, so put two Wand Chambers on it and enchant it to be your primary weapon. One end can be +1 Defending which you always apply toward your AC, the other end can have a bunch of damage-boosting abilities like Valorous. Put a Wand of Wraithstrike and a Wand of Rhino's Rush in it and UMD to activate them. Get clothes that are enchanted as +1 armor with the Fearsome property (DotU), max Intimidate and be sure to get the Never Outnumbered skill trick (CS) along with any useful Balance and Tumble skill tricks.



Cohort:
Lesser Aasimar (PGtF), Magic Blooded (Dr306), Unholy Scion (HoH, CR +2, at 11 HD becomes CR +3), all race/templates are free until 11 HD.

Dex +2, Int +6, Wis +2, Cha +8, plus level-up points.

Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) 1/ Warlock 1/ Martial Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) (Focused Conjurer) 1/ Fiend of Possession 6/ Divine Oracle 1/ Contemplative 1/ Divine Oracle 9// Psion (Egoist) 20
Abrupt Jaunt ACF for Wizard.
Noncombatant and Vulnerable flaws, Moderate+ Taint.
Alternate cost feats: Skill Focus: Knowledge: Religion (Frog God's Fane, CS, 2,000 gp).
Domains: Knowledge, Inquisition, Wrath
Mercantile Background, Psicrystal Affinity, Knowledge Devotion, Travel Devotion, Practiced Spellcaster: Cleric, Overchannel (1st), Item Familiar, Improved Initiative (3rd), Psionic Meditation (5th), Midnight Augmentation (6th), Expanded Knowledge: Schism (9th), Extend Power (10th), Persistent Power (12th)....

His Item Familiar can be whatever you want it to be, doesn't really matter. He's used his Mercantile Background for every coin he's ever spent, and he's used it on the Death Knight's behalf for every coin he's spent as well, so both of them buy everything at 75% of its value.

He's always possessing the Death Knight, giving him a +4 Profane bonus to all of his ability scores and granting +6 worth of magic weapon properties to all of his weapons. When possessing the Death Knight this character can use personal-range buffs on him, such as Inertial Armor, Force Screen, Thicken Skin, Vigor, Divine Favor, Beguiling Influence, etc. He can also cast Magic Vestment on the Inertial Armor and Force Screen effects to grant an Enhancement bonus to those Armor and Shield bonuses. His Unholy Scion Deflection bonus to AC will extend to his current body, i.e. the character he's possessing.

He keeps Share Pain active between the Death Knight and his Psicrystal, so the damage the Death Knight takes is halved. The Psicrystal's Hardness 8 reduces every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain by that amount regardless of the original attack's damage type. The Psicrystal should be kept in a compartment so opponents won't have line of sight/effect to it, so it can never be targeted directly and won't get hit by area effects.

The Fiend of Possession still gets actions during combat, and can use psionic powers and spell-like abilities and activate magic items while possessing the Death Knight. When combat starts he should use a max augmented Vigor on him, shared with the psicrystal. He can also activate a Wand of Wraithstrike or Rhino's Rush that the Death Knight is holding (or that's in a wand chamber). He can spam crowd controls and disabling powers every round, throw out AoE nukes, Dispel Psionics like a boss (+24 at 10th level with Inquisition), Hustle the Death Knight so he can Intimidate via his Fearsome armor, etc.

[Socratov]

for templates or race, anything that grants intelligence,

classes: wizard/incantatrix(/rainbow servant?)//factotum/chameleon

feats: fonts of inspiration and metamagic

Enjoy your casting and lots of actions :smallcool:

You can now do just about everything to cow reality into wearing a balgag and chains. :smallcool:

[TGPhoenix]

Do I understand correctly that if you're playing a race with RHD, you double-dip on your experience, such that at each level-up, you gain a RHD and a class level both? Does the RHD side take up a side of your gestalt? I don't think I quite understand what you're saying there...

No, RHD can be taken instead of a gestalt class level, but they track separately for how much xp they cost. A character with 3 RHD and 5 gestalt class levels would need either 3,000xp to get 1 additional RHD or 5,000xp to get 1 additional gestalt class level.

Also, I forgot to mention that the DM allowed Undead Toughness to be taken as a feat to keep Undead viable in the super HP game we have going.

[Woodzyowl]

Did somebody mention cheese?

Warmage 5/Divine Oracle 1/Rainbow Servant 10/Sacred Exorcist 1/Divine Oracle +1/Contemplative 2//Druid 10/Planar Shepherd 10

So if casting all Cleric spells spontaneously wasn't good enough for you, you can cast any druid spells, DMM all your spells, fly for free and pull off Planar Shepherd shenanigans to boot. All you need is some way to convert your Druid spellcasting to being charisma-based (if there is a way) and you'll be golden.

*DISCLAIMER: This poster is not liable for any injuries caused by flying DMGs or being chaotic good in an evil party.*

[Socratov]

Did somebody mention cheese?

Warmage 5/Divine Oracle 1/Rainbow Servant 10/Sacred Exorcist 1/Divine Oracle +1/Contemplative 2//Druid 10/Planar Shepherd 10

So if casting all Cleric spells spontaneously wasn't good enough for you, you can cast any druid spells, DMM all your spells, fly for free and pull off Planar Shepherd shenanigans to boot. All you need is some way to convert your Druid spellcasting to being charisma-based (if there is a way) and you'll be golden.

*DISCLAIMER: This poster is not liable for any injuries caused by flying DMGs or being chaotic good in an evil party.*

wow, that is some serious roquefort you have there, I can smell it all the way overe here in the Netherlands...

well, here's another piece, just make sure you advance both characters on either side of the gestalt:

the Wish and The word (http://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=the%20wish%20and%20the%20word&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dandwiki.com%2Fwiki%2FThe_Wis h_and_the_Word_(3.5e_Optimized_Character_Build)&ei=RxLUUJa9DO_Z0QXy1ICQDA&usg=AFQjCNHddebuOGwbd1NA4csCeYb9RVi-KQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.d2k)

yes, it's on dandwiki, but it originates from the Wizards TO boards and is actually legal (just can't find the link the the TO boards themselves)

this build topples gods, elder evils, and even cows AO into submission. the ony reason this duo didn't win the TO challenge was becuase it not only trample reality into sobbing into the corner, but dressed it up into submissive gear as well...

[Wookie-ranger]

I did not come up with that myself, but it fits SO well here



Domain Wizard 3/Sorc 2/Mindbender 1/Ur-Priest 1/Mystic Theurge 8(adv wiz/UP), Sublime Chord 1/Ultimate Magus 4(adv SC/Wiz)//
Marshal 1/Human Paragon 2(adv wiz)/Bard 1/Human Paragon 1(adv wiz)/Sorc 1/Wizard 1/Sorc 9/Wiz 1/Erudite 1/Sorc 1/Wiz 1/.

Feats: Able Learner(1), Iron Will(human bonus), Lucky Start(HP Bonus) Scribe Scroll(wiz bonus), Invisible Spell(Wizard bonus 5), Spell Focus(evil)(traded familiar out for it), the feat I need for the erudite shenanigans(3), Mindsight(6), Spell Focus(Abj)(9), G Spell Focus(Abj)(12), Make Your Own Luck(15), Tempting Fate(18) Sanctum Spell(Flaw-Noncombatant), Skill Focus(Spellcraft)(Flaw-Shaky).

I'm basically looking at lining up levels for essentially full BaB(cause why not?), and having pretty much limitless access to spells. My CL for classes such as Ur Priest is...inordinately high. I should have pretty solid saves all round, and plus yes to Will. I know, I know...natural 1s. I treat those as nat 20s. Also I can do fun things like abusing sanctum spell for cheaper scrolls.

[JaronK]

Many people are saying that Factotum//Int Caster is incredibly strong. They're right. But at the same time, these rules are just begging for a Mineral Warrior Half Minotaur Water Orc as a base race. It's free! Now just add some low CR int boosting templates (Phrenic, for example?) to get the Int back up and go to town.

Or, for something less powerful but hilariously fun, use that same race idea (maybe adding in Feral or Lolth Touched or both) and then use a shield charger. Just gestalt together (roughly, some tweaking needed) the two builds found here: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1532.0;wap2

Your strength score will be astronomical, and you'll smash through absolutely everything. Guaranteed to be hilariously fun to play.

JaronK

[Lonely Tylenol]

Many people are saying that Factotum//Int Caster is incredibly strong. They're right. But at the same time, these rules are just begging for a Mineral Warrior Half Minotaur Water Orc as a base race. It's free! Now just add some low CR int boosting templates (Phrenic, for example?) to get the Int back up and go to town.

Well, if you're going Half-Minotaur, why not also involve Half-Ogre, be treated as a giant for no additional LA, and then acquire the Primordial Giant template? :smallwink:

[A_S]

No, RHD can be taken instead of a gestalt class level, but they track separately for how much xp they cost. A character with 3 RHD and 5 gestalt class levels would need either 3,000xp to get 1 additional RHD or 5,000xp to get 1 additional gestalt class level.

Okay, got it. In that case, you can probably get a spellcaster level above what would otherwise be possible by stacking a monster whose RHD grant spellcasting and the actual spellcasting class (like Loredrake Steel Dragon + Sorcerer, for instance) on one side of the gestalt.

Or, better yet, if you're allowed to take a race with a LA higher than +2 (possibly with LA buyoff as if the LA were 2 lower than normal?), you could go Sylph/Sorcerer on one side of the gestalt. Sylphs are LA+5, but cast as a sorcerer level = RHD + 4. So, splitting your xp evenly between Sylph RHD and sorc levels would get you a sorc level well above what you would get as a single-classed sorcerer with the same xp.

[dspeyer]

So can you do a two-headed (grants 2 additional hit dice) gloura (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e) bard 1 / sublime chord 7 // Ur-priest 2 / geomancer 6 and get 8th level both divine and arcane spells all cha-based?

[TGPhoenix]

So can you do a two-headed (grants 2 additional hit dice) gloura bard 1 / sublime chord 7 // Ur-priest 2 / geomancer 6 and get 8th level both divine and arcane spells all cha-based?

I'm not quite sure if that will allow you to have both casting styles as CHA based, but yes taking the Multi-Headed template and all the RHD required for it are paid for at LvL 1 according to our rules.

[dspeyer]

Geomancer lets you swap casting stats.

[PinkysBrain]

How about a Karsite VoP Forsaker with ToB classes and some template to gain flight? Anti-magic personified, slightly awkward to play with though ... teleporting becomes a chore and if one of the party casters includes you in a spell by accident he could be screwed.

[Darth Stabber]

If in doubt factotum + pick one wizard, psion, archivist, warblade. It's elegant, easy to optimize, and eats the action economy for breakfast starting 8.

[TGPhoenix]

Pretty good ideas so far, anyone with some ideas for more melee oriented classes? There has been quite a bit of casting ideas here so far. Keep em coming, no matter what they are though. :)

[Hirax]

I'd consider an ur-priest/ruby knight vindicator build if you want a melee side. More swift actions are hard to come by, and ruby knight vindicator also can get you access to aura of perfect order, one of the better ToB stances. Once per round it lets you treat a d20 roll as an 11. Great for some of those oddball rolls that are hard to manipulate, and you know an average result will do the job. Or even if you just want to be sure an attack hits.

Edit: crusader7/ur-priest2/RKV10/crusader+1 is a simple example. That crusader level is there at the end for access to a higher level stance. You can't retrain stances (though ask your DM if he's willing to change that), so leaving one to pick 'til the very end can be helpful. If that's enough casting for you, warblade20 on the other side is a fine choice.

[Wings of Peace]

Generic Warrior 20//Sha'ir 1/StP Erudite 1/Mind Mage 10/Cerebremancer 7/Tainted Scholar 1.

Anything you could possibly want this build can do.

[Jack_Simth]

Generic Warrior 20//Sha'ir 1/StP Erudite 1/Mind Mage 10/Cerebremancer 7/Tainted Scholar 1.

Anything you could possibly want this build can do.Warning: The Erudite loses the ability to learn new powers when levels in other classes meet or exceed Erudite levels. So... that doesn't quite do what you want.

[Hunter Killer]

How about a Karsite VoP Forsaker with ToB classes and some template to gain flight? Anti-magic personified, slightly awkward to play with though ... teleporting becomes a chore and if one of the party casters includes you in a spell by accident he could be screwed.

Hmm. What could be even better is adding Quorbred with the Karsite, if +4LA could be swung/bought off. Base race would be Silverbrow Human. Add in the Mage Slayer line of feats with Bloodstorm Blade, and you're truly a mage hunter. I see the build being something like:

Battledancer 1//Crusader 1
Feats: Sacred Vow, Lighting Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Iron Will
Forsaker//Crusader 11
Feats: Vow of Poverty -3rd, Combat Reflexes - 6th, Mage Slayer - 9th
Feat Rogue 2//Crusader 13
Feat: Piece Magical Concealment - 12th, Martial Strike (Wall of Blades) - Bonus, Martial Stance (Dancing Blade Form) - Bonus
Bloodstorm Blade 5//18
Feats: Stand Still - 15th, Pierce Magical Protection - 18th
Fighter 2//Sword Sage 2
Feats: Defensive Sweep - Bonus, Combat Expertise - Bonus

Other Advice -
If doing a 32 Point Buy the Stats would be 15, 12, 10, 8, 16, 16. After Adjustments, that would be 15, 12, 12, 12, 14, 14.

All of your stat increases from Forsaker should go to Charisma, as should your first Vow of Poverty increase. That's going to leave you with a score of 32. First three level boosts to Strength and second Vow increase, leaving you with a 24. Last two level boosts to Dexterity for 14 and third Vow increase to Constitution for a 16. Last Vow increase to Wis for 16. Final stat line will be 24, 14, 16, 12, 14, 32

Take Dragonscale Husk for Crusader at 1st, and the total AC at 20th for this character will be around 53 (+12 Husk, +11 Cha, +10 Exalted, +3 Deflection, +2 Dex, +3 Wis, +2 Natural). Expertise can up this more.

To-Hit will only be about +33 (+20 Base, +7 Strength, +5 Exalted, + Weapon Focus), but with Smite you're looking at +44. There's various other ways to increase your To-Hit through Maneuvers, but unfortunately we just don't have a ton of access to resources to increase this.

8th level makes you undetectable on the Alignment scale, so you could play some sort of infiltrator that kills Evil mages, but I guess otherwise this build doesn't fit too well into an Evil party... So, yeah, reconciling this roleplaying wise would be hard.

[Wings of Peace]

Warning: The Erudite loses the ability to learn new powers when levels in other classes meet or exceed Erudite levels. So... that doesn't quite do what you want.

It does enough. The psionic side is primarily there to qualify for Mind Mage. However, I would argue that technically this still works fine. Mind Mage/ Cerebremancer are psionic in the same way Loremaster is an arcane class. Neither Mind Mage nor Cerebremancer actually grant manifesting powers on their own so I don't know if it's completely accurate to call them psionic classes. They are also prestige classes not base classes.

[dspeyer]

Melee you say? Expanding a bit on my were-legendary-tiger from earlier...

Afflicted Were-legendary-tiger human swordsage 5 // warmind 5

Base stats if I understood the point-buy correctly: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 8.

Racial Bonuses: Str +22, Dex +8, Con +14, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha +0.

31 hit dice means 7 boosts, put them all in str.

VoP bonuses, assuming no epic extension: Str: +8, Dex +4, Con +2, Int 0, Wis: +6, Cha 0

Final: Str 53, Dex 28, Con 32, Int 16, Wis 24, Cha 8

Feats:

1: Wild Talent
H: Able Learner
3: Sacred Vow
6: Vow of Poverty
VOP6: Nymph's Kiss
9: Martial Study (Moment of Perfect Mind)
12: Power Attack
15: Leap Attack
18: Martial Study (Sudden Leap)
21: Martial Study (Rapid Counter)
24: Blinding Speed
27: Adaptive Style
SS: Weapon Focus (Tiger Claw)
30: Practiced Manifester

(Remaining exalted feats omitted, because they're pretty-much useless. Unless removing alignment requirements also makes those arbitrary feats, in which case all sorts of fun open.)

Maneuvers Known:

Moment of Perfect Mind [MS]
Rapid Counter [MS] (0)
Sudden Leap [MS] (0)

Greater Insightful Strike (2)
Blood in the Water [Stance] (0)
Dancing Mongoose (2)
Shadow Blink (0)
Stalker in the Night (0)
Cloak of Deception (0)
Something that will be swapped out

Diamond Nightmare Blade [8] (3)
Assasin's Stance (1) [stance]

Swooping Dragon Strike (3)

Time Stands Still (4) [Swap something for this]
Feral Death Blow (4)

Balance on the Sky [8] [stance] (3)
Five Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike (5)

Psionic Powers Known:
Expansion
Compression
Hustle

Skills

{table=head]skill|{colsp=3}ranks|ability|misc|total
|rhd<NK|rhd >NK|classes|ability|misc|total
balance|||5|9||14
concentration||14|20|11||45
control shape|8|10||7||25
hide|8|21|5|9|4|47
jump|8|21|5|21|8|63
knowledge(history)||2||3||5
knowledge(psionics)||8||3||11
listen|8|21|5|7||41
martial lore||2|3|3||8
move silently|8|21|5|9|8|51
psycraft||3|2|3|2|10
survival||3||7||10
spot|8|21|5|7||41[/table]

Hide misc is assuming large and not in grass.

[Darth Stabber]

Melee oriented

Factotum//Warblade: make Int a higher priority than normal, but otherwise build like you would a normal warblade, and any extra feat go to Font of Inspiration. You can proceed to beat down anything that gets in your way.

Druid//swordsage: kung-fu panda

Crusader//warlock: grab eldritch glaive, shred everything with massive damage from the glaive + maneuvers. Boosts are less usable, and it gets hard to change stances, but it's still pretty good.

Archivist//duskblade: channel harm to your opponent's face. There are plenty of good touch spells on the cleric list, and since it's a divine caster it won't interfere with armor.

Barbarian4/fighter2/fist of the forest1/bear warrior5/fist of the forest2/frost rager5/warblade1//totemist20: How many natural attacks do you want to dump on a massive shocktrooper/leapattack powered charge. Throw in improved unarmed strike (a prerequisite for fotf and frost rager), and it gets pretty vicious. You saw kung-fu bear earlier, this is full on krav-maga/mma/ultimate fighting bear.

[TGPhoenix]

Thanks to everyone that has given me some great ideas so far for future characters in the campaign. More ideas are always welcome :)