Help creating a gish

[catsora]

I'm using a blend of 3.5 and pathfinder materials to try and make a gish. My current basic plan is to grab abjurant champion after levels of warblade and wizard. Probably at warblade 3 for the two save boosts and wizard 4 for a school ability. Any advice to make a build like this effective?

[JaronK]

You're losing a lot of caster levels there. Generally, the goal is to lose as few as possible.

JaronK

[Sayt]

Dwarf Fighter 1/Wizard 5/Runesmith 1/Eldritch Knight 9/Abjurant Champion 5 Can get a ninth level spell and fifth iterative attack if you put it together right. (EK can be swapped out for anything with full bab and 9/10 casting, which is Knight Phantom, basically.) Runesmith replaces all somatic components with material component(Rock)(Not literally)

If you don't mind less power but added simplicity, Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus)with however much Abj. Champ as you want should be fine. You'll get 17 BAB (So fifth iterative), and sixth level spells, although unfortunately Magus doesn't get any spells at reduced level like the Summoner/

Another, radically different option from what you've proposed is....Synthesist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/archetypes/paizo---summoner-archetypes/synthesist) Summoner 20

[Larkas]

I'm using a blend of 3.5 and pathfinder materials to try and make a gish. My current basic plan is to grab abjurant champion after levels of warblade and wizard. Probably at warblade 3 for the two save boosts and wizard 4 for a school ability. Any advice to make a build like this effective?

If you're going for Warblade anyways, try this:

Warblade 1/ Wizard 6/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Jade Phoenix Mage 7

Or, if you want the JPM's capstone ability and increase you IL a bit:

Warblade 1/ Wizard 6/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 10

You lose the AbjChamp's Arcane Boost, but I believe it is a great trade.

[Daftendirekt]

...Magus 20. Done.

[catsora]

If you're going for Warblade anyways, try this:

Warblade 1/ Wizard 6/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Jade Phoenix Mage 7

Or, if you want the JPM's capstone ability and increase you IL a bit:

Warblade 1/ Wizard 6/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 10

You lose the AbjChamp's Arcane Boost, but I believe it is a great trade.

If I'm not wearing any armor, using abj champ's ac increases, doesn't that make the -10% spell failure redundant. Because instead of that I could take an 8th level in JPM to get some free quickens.

[Sayt]

The thing about Abjurant Champion is that that level one ability that it says makes mage armour better? Doesn't make mage armour better. Mage armour is a conjuration spell, not an abjuration spell. However, Shield IS an abjuration, so by the end of Abjurant Champion you swift action to get a +9 shield bonus to AC, however, you'll want some more armor than that by level ten

[Larkas]

The thing about Abjurant Champion is that that level one ability that it says makes mage armour better? Doesn't make mage armour better. Mage armour is a conjuration spell, not an abjuration spell. However, Shield IS an abjuration, so by the end of Abjurant Champion you swift action to get a +9 shield bonus to AC, however, you'll want some more armor than that by level ten

Don't forget about luminous armor and greater luminous armor, which are available to any prepared spellcaster.

[Azoth]

Mmmm...Extended Greater Luminous Armor. +13AC -4 to hit for mele enemies, as a once every 2 day buff and a rod of bodily renewal. Gotta love Abjurant Champion.

[Sayt]

Don't forget about luminous armor and greater luminous armor, which are available to any prepared spellcaster.

Providing BoED is available and you can do something about the strength damage. That said, UMDing for a wand of lesser restoration shouldn't be that difficult.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

For (Greater) Luminous Armor's Str sacrifice, get a Rod of Bodily Restoration in MIC. For 3,100 gp it gets three charges/day, and each charge can heal 4 points of damage to a physical ability score.

Warblade is just not good for a gish, you've got better things to spend your swift/immediate actions on than boosting a saving throw. Fort and Will should be high enough to make nearly every save anyway, and Reflex is just damage you can soak/avoid/heal.

If you're using Wizard, then go with one of the following two starts:
Human Paragon or Elf Paragon 1/ Fighter 1/ Wizard 2/ Human or Elf Paragon 2
or
Fighter 2/ Wizard 4, only if you're not a Human or Elf and want to get the Dungeoncrasher ACF.

After either of those you can continue with the standard Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5. This qualifies for Abjurant Champion with the minimal loss in both BAB (2 points) and spellcasting (2 levels). Your goal is 17/20 spellcasting and 16/20 BAB, so you can still sacrifice a little of both for a stronger character.

This build can afford to lose two more points of BAB by 20th, so get Incantatrix 4 to persist your buffs. You can take this before, during, or after Abjurant Champion. Use the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it. Get Item Familiar at 3rd and invest every skill point you get into it for the greatest return, and always take ten on your Spellcraft checks for your Incantatrix abilities. If using fractional BAB, take only three Incantatrix and one Paragnostic Apostle for Mind Over Matter.

Finish the build with Eldritch Knight, you lose a third level of spellcasting for it but you'll still have 9th level spells at 20th. Knight Phantom is a suitable replacement but its prerequisites cost you more than it's worth.