Cheap and effective All-day Alter Self

[Graytemplar]

Ok, so I'm building a character named Mally Phunc Dshun, or M.P.D. for short.

His whole thing is his multiple personality disorder. That is, filling any party role necessary, without being entirely in control of this ability. My current intent is for him to use alter self, a morphing weapon, and the pact binding feats to take on several different personas, typically a different one every 24 hours. He is gonna get into Master of Masks PrC and pick up the Gladiator Mask ASAP, but I cannot for the life of me find a way to reasonably maintain Alter Self.

Short Version: what's the cheapest way to keep alter self up at all times on a semi-martial character?

[Beardbarian]

Changeling?

[SolioFebalas]

Changeling uses disguise self that's not even close for the benefits to alter self.

Alter Self too powerful to be cheap.
Easiest way is to buy a contineous item: 2(SL) * 3(CL) * 2000 * 1.5(10min/lvl)= 18000

[Graytemplar]

Quick and clever, lol. But I'm interested in the diversity afforded by Alter self. I specifically find the idea of turning into a human to gain the bonus racial feat extremely conducive to the whole "multiple personas" idea.

[Talya]

Lesser Fey'ri. (Cheesy, and once again relying on a race...)

Fey'ri are a +3 LA planetouched race in forgotten realms. They get alter self as an at-will spell like ability, so you could keep refreshing it whenever you wanted. Lesser Planetouched reduces the LA to +0 by removing the outsider type. Strictly legal, although the writers of Lesser Planetouched were thinking of regular +1 planetouched, not Fey'ri.

That said, they have no excuse. Fey'ri were published first, and are from the same campaign setting as Lesser Planetouched.

[Graytemplar]

I'm liking the Lesser Fey'ri, cheesy isn't terrible, and it removes any temptation to involve Reserves of Strength or similar shenanigans. The groups that I play with know me to play cheesy characters that make sure the experience is still an all-around enjoyable one. And I'll just limit it by making the character unaware that he/she can become other people, probably have a daily random die roll to determine which personality is dominant for the day.

Thanks Playground-goers! I'm still open to other ideas, but Fey'ri seems the best for now.

[Darrin]

Fleshshifter Armor (13160 GP, BoVD p. 111). +1 leather armor with alter self at will.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Dragonfire Adept 6 and pick up the Humanoid Shape invocation? Not very martial, though.

[Vaz]

Depends what you mean by "cheap"; if you're Evil, then a Slime Lord 5 can do well with it. With Disguise as a requirement (and picked up as a Class Skill permanently through the use of City Slicker, along with Forgery), as well as a Charisma based Gaze Paralysis Attack a few times a day (1/level/day, IIRC?), which fits in usually stat wise, along with a Paralyzing touch, you're cooking with gas.

(Combine with a Synad and Assume Su Ability/Greater Metamorphosis for Tsochar fun).

[FireGriver]

Just a tought, the Chameleon PrC does grant a bonus feat and it's a lot less likely to be shutted down by a DM, unlike gaining a feat via alter self into an humanoid. Also, Chameleon seems to fit your concept of filling any party role really well.
You could search then for a race with disguise self at will (Changeling has been mentioned) or some illusion spell to 'cover yourself' with it, to change appareances, altough for that one I'm not so sure wich one (Pixie i.e. has Silent Image at will, but it has a HUGE +4 to LA), so I'll let the playground come with a better option, if it even exists. :P

[Piggy Knowles]

Mountebank (Complete Scoundrel version) and Thrall of Juiblex both have unlimited alter self. The Dragon Compendium version of Mountebank ALSO has an alter self class feature, but IIRC it has a daily limit.