Dragonfire Adept Gestalt

[MirthTheBard]

I'm in a 3.5/pathfinder gestalt campaign right now and really considering rolling a Dragonfire Adept, and I was wondering what classes might go well with the DFA, as well as what feats and possible PrCs. I was thinking maybe a sorcerer. If you have an opinion on nice races that match it or anything just for flavor, feel free to write that as well. Maybe Dragon Disciple for a PrC, would work well with the sorcerer idea.

One thing to note is that all classes from Pathfinder and 3.5 are options, if that gives you any extra ideas.

[Nettlekid]

I've thought a lot about this in the past, since DFA is one of my favorite classes in the game, and have had a lot of trouble thinking of a class that fits with it really well. Well, I tanked Charisma, and you seem not to have done if you're considering Sorcerer, so that might be different. I highly expect that if you go Sorcerer, the spells will greatly outshine the DFA abilities, unless you focus on things like Metabreath Spells, which you could get by using staves or something.

Which brings me to my first idea, that Artificer makes a pretty cool combo with DFA. DFAs are going to have good UMD anyway, and they have a good selection of skills that you'll want a high Int for, and Artificer likes a high Int. I think that the idea of an aspiring dragon crafting and lying on his own hoard is pretty neat. The DFA I built was meant to be basically indestructible, and crafting custom items with the Artificer went a long way toward that. Plus you get to do tons of things in the downtime, without losing coolness with your DFA abilities in battle.

Another possible Gestalt that I don't know too well but should be good is Totemist. Totemists want sky-high Con and nothing else, which DFAs also want (DFAs can use Cha, but honestly I wasn't bothered not to have it. The best invocations are the buffs, which don't rely on save DCs.) With high Con for Totemist DCs, you can get lots of cool buffs and alternative attack options with the soulmelds. What I don't like about it though is that I love my magic items, and with Totemist you use those slots for Chakra Binds, which is a bit iffy. Doesn't NOT work, but it's not as free. Also if you're an aspiring dragon you probably don't want to use the power of other creatures like Gorgons, Manticores, Girallons, and Bulletes the way that the Totemist does, unless you like the idea of your character tapping into the wild might of all beasts.

As far as Prestige Classes go...I wouldn't. DFA is seriously cool. There's no Prestige Class I can think of that I'd want to go into rather than stay straight DFA. If you're a Dragonmarked race and in an Eberron-compatible setting you might dip out one to three levels of your other side for Heir of Syberis for prereqs to the better version of the Breath of Syberis feat to add 2d6 to your breath weapon, but I do suggest staying with DFA 20 on that side.

[Aegis013]

You can always consider Binder as a second class in a gestalt. The passive benefits from the vestiges can pair nicely with almost any class. If you have a decent charisma score, the abilities which allow saves and such will be quite useful too.

[NamelessNPC]

Orc Scarred Witch Doctor (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-orc/scarred-witch-doctor-witch-orc). The CON caster!

[Tvtyrant]

Incarnate for skill buffs seems the thing to me. It gets access to a ton of pseudo-magic items granting it utility powers, variable skill modifiers, and is good at everything except combat. DFA is extremely good at combat and can use the Incarnate to its benefit.

[Darth Stabber]

Another possible Gestalt that I don't know too well but should be good is Totemist. Totemists want sky-high Con and nothing else, which DFAs also want (DFAs can use Cha, but honestly I wasn't bothered not to have it. The best invocations are the buffs, which don't rely on save DCs.) With high Con for Totemist DCs, you can get lots of cool buffs and alternative attack options with the soulmelds. What I don't like about it though is that I love my magic items, and with Totemist you use those slots for Chakra Binds, which is a bit iffy. Doesn't NOT work, but it's not as free. Also if you're an aspiring dragon you probably don't want to use the power of other creatures like Gorgons, Manticores, Girallons, and Bulletes the way that the Totemist does, unless you like the idea of your character tapping into the wild might of all beasts.

Totemist wants strength too, but con is the prime requisite. And totemist amazing, it will shred things with style, though most things that require saves that it has are questionable compared to just tearing things apart.

[Nightraiderx]

Not to forget but a multi-class totemist/DFA could become a tiny little dragon avatar if you use your dragon blood to mimic the dragon magic chakra binds.

But if you want to go for even more awesome, play a syntheist summoner, you become the TOTEM dragon which leaves your feats open to take meta breath and pump your cha and con for good ability saves. TAKE THE POWER SURGE FEAT. It'll allow you to get the metabreath feats since you now have a recharge time and you can also cast spells (enhancing your totem dragon syntheist powers/ summoning dudes) inbetween entanglement and other cool things.

[Waker]

Well, what is it you want this character to accomplish? There are any number of classes that could conceivably mix well with DFA. But just for the sake of suggesting something, how about Warblade. You would get a better HD, BAB, fortitude and more combat options that don't involve a breath weapon. And the DFA would compensate for the Warblades lack of ranged attacks.

[MirthTheBard]

TAKE THE POWER SURGE FEAT. It'll allow you to get the metabreath feats since you now have a recharge time and you can also cast spells (enhancing your totem dragon syntheist powers/ summoning dudes) inbetween entanglement and other cool things.

Do most people feel this way about power surge? I'm still iffy about it because it only gives your breath weapon a recharge time when you want to use it on your breath weapon, since it's not always active. Also, I'm looking for a class that blends well with the Dragonfire Adept, adding more to it's flavor while mixing well with it. I don't really want a class that will just constantly outshine the DFA aspect, unless it does so out of flavor as well.

Right now I'm really considering a pathfinder sorcerer with the dragonic bloodline.

[Nettlekid]

Do most people feel this way about power surge? I'm still iffy about it because it only gives your breath weapon a recharge time when you want to use it on your breath weapon, since it's not always active. Also, I'm looking for a class that blends well with the Dragonfire Adept, adding more to it's flavor while mixing well with it. I don't really want a class that will just constantly outshine the DFA aspect, unless it does so out of flavor as well.

Right now I'm really considering a pathfinder sorcerer with the dragonic bloodline.

That's why I suggested the Artificer, because you can use it to craft all sorts of goodies for your DFA, while making the DFA still the focus. For example, staves of Metabreath spells. The only way Artificer will outshine DFA is if you consistently use scrolls and wands to blast rather than your breath. But if you augment your breath, well then, who's to say you aren't a dragon?

If you go Sorcerer, I promise that the DFA will be outshone, because especially at higher levels there's no reason to throw around a 10d6 breath weapon when you can freely shoot out Disintegrate or Orb of X.

As far as Metabreath Feats go, I'm not a fan of the Power Surge feat to get a recharge time, but what I DO like is either getting a separate breath weapon by using Dragonborn or Draconic Graft: Metabolic Fire, which do have recharge times, taking the Metabreath Feats, and then applying them to your DFA breath weapon. It says you need a breath weapon with recharge time expressed in rounds, check. You can apply this feat to your breath weapon, check. It doesn't say "You may apply this feat only to a breath weapon with a recharge time expressed in rounds." Be aware that recharge times apply to ALL breath weapons, not just the one you fired. No using your Dragonborn breath as a nuke, stacked with Metabreath feats, and then strafing with your DFA breath.

[Darth Stabber]

Do most people feel this way about power surge? I'm still iffy about it because it only gives your breath weapon a recharge time when you want to use it on your breath weapon, since it's not always active. Also, I'm looking for a class that blends well with the Dragonfire Adept, adding more to it's flavor while mixing well with it. I don't really want a class that will just constantly outshine the DFA aspect, unless it does so out of flavor as well.

Right now I'm really considering a pathfinder sorcerer with the dragonic bloodline.

Barbarian: con synergy, plus when raging your breathweapon is even better, plus it can give you pounce, so go into totemist, then totem rager. You'll mop the floor with all who oppose you, pounce, claw, claw, claw, claw, bite, and then next round burn what remains.

Crusader: cha synergy, maneuvers, d10 hit die, covers your fort save, buffs your will save, and with the breath weapon you have something interesting to do while you wait for a desired maneuver to ready itself.

And I saved the best for last.

Dragon shaman: sounds fishy, but hear me out. Good fort, cool passives, and a breath weapon that legitimately qualifies for metabreath feats without tricks. Despite the flavor overlap, there is little redundancy (other than the breath weapons which is actually a boon with metabreath). It's my 3rd favorite "passive half" class in gestalt (after totemist and incarnate). Auras are fairly strong at low levels, and some of them keep utility at high levels. Plus you and your party have free healing up to half, taking some of the burden off your healer.