Gestalt Duskblade

[Crazy Mage]

I have been asked to join a gestalt game. Most material is allowed except the Factotum class. I am starting at 8th level as a human, and I really like the idea of playing a duskblade. I rolled 18,16,11,14,17 and 10. I am making him a knightly sort of character (basically a paladin with out alignment restrictions . What I don't know is what I should choose for my second class. I was hoping to find a spell casting class that meshes well with the duskblade concept, but I am not sure what I should go with. Does any one have any good suggestions for me? Also, as a side note, does any one know of any good melee touch spells that would go well with my channel spell class feature? Any help would be appreciated.

[Red Fel]

I have been asked to join a gestalt game. Most material is allowed except the Factotum class. I am starting at 8th level as a human, and I really like the idea of playing a duskblade. I rolled 18,16,11,14,17 and 10. I am making him a knightly sort of character (basically a paladin with out alignment restrictions . What I don't know is what I should choose for my second class. I was hoping to find a spell casting class that meshes well with the duskblade concept, but I am not sure what I should go with. Does any one have any good suggestions for me? Also, as a side note, does any one know of any good melee touch spells that would go well with my channel spell class feature? Any help would be appreciated.

Duskblade is a very "active" class. That is, most of its class features are active, such as using a weapon, casting a spell, etc., instead of "passive," such as resists or saves or such.

When doing a gestalt, you should consider the balance of saves and BAB (for instance, Duskblade gets good BAB, Fort and Will saves, so you want to focus on Reflex). You should also consider the balance of "active" and "passive." For example, a class that can cast buffs provides a good passive benefit, because you can buff yourself and wade into combat. Similarly, any ToB class with access to good Counters and Boosts can use these as a passive benefit, since they require either a Swift or Immediate action, which leaves your main actions free for spells and smashing.

I would advise you not to look into classes that add blasting potential, because these will conflict with your Duskblade abilities. Instead look for classes which can provide passive benefits, such as buffs, resistances, or features that improve your mobility or evasion, better enabling you to wade into combat with your Duskblade powers. For example, one level of Barbarian with the Spirit Lion Totem variant gives you Pounce, enabling you to make a full attack on a charge. Warblade gives you a variety of Int-based passive benefits, although be advised that Maneuvers can be just as "active" as "passive," so avoid temptation. You could even take Cleric, and DMM Persist buffs before you crush your enemies and see them driven before you, and so forth.

With regard to your second question, there is an excellent Duskblade Handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/duskblade-handbook.html) which covers the more useful Duskblade spells, and provides very sound advice. One point it makes is that you can get a Bloodstone weapon, which acts as spellstoring and maximizing for your Vampiric Touch spell. This allows you to channel Vampiric Touch, one of your better spells, into your weapon and keep it there until you need it, at which point it is maximized for your convenience.

[Waker]

Red does have the right of it concerning how gestalt usually works. You do want to find a good active/passive combo. I will disagree though about the assessment that you don't want another spellcasting class to mix with Duskblade. You can go the buffing route or you could try to find a class with access to some decent touch spells.
Concept aside, what kind of role did you want to play with the character?

[The-Mage-King]

My gut is saying "Incarnate". Generally passively buffs you, is cool, and such. Fudge that Human to Azurin, and it's better.


...Might I ask why no Factotum, though?

[Crazy Mage]

Red does have the right of it concerning how gestalt usually works. You do want to find a good active/passive combo. I will disagree though about the assessment that you don't want another spellcasting class to mix with Duskblade. You can go the buffing route or you could try to find a class with access to some decent touch spells.
Concept aside, what kind of role did you want to play with the character?

I was hoping to be the main melee damage dealer, but I also wanted to remain a caster with some decent damage dealing options. Like a fighter mage that can wear armor and channel spells. That's what originally drew me to the duskblade.

[Crazy Mage]

My gut is saying "Incarnate". Generally passively buffs you, is cool, and such. Fudge that Human to Azurin, and it's better.


...Might I ask why no Factotum, though?

Our DM banned Factotum because of some craziness another player pulled off in a previous game. Out side of that, he's been pretty open to just about anything. What is the Azurin from?

[The-Mage-King]

Our DM banned Factotum because of some craziness another player pulled off in a previous game. Out side of that, he's been pretty open to just about anything. What is the Azurin from?

Magic of Incarnum, same place as the Incarnate, which is looking like the best option for you.


It's a class that gains passive buffs, like "Gain a fly speed during your turn" and "Reduce ability damage you take by x", that you can swap around the strength of on the fly.


That certainly could fit with the flavor you want. In fact, Incarnate can buff attacks pretty well, too, so you can Power Attack for more than normal.

[Urpriest]

You definitely can combine a spellcasting class with Duskblade if you want. While Duskblade seems like an active class, it can also take a passive role if your other side is a caster, since you can channel the touch spells from that caster and use Duskblade action economy tricks to get your Duskblade spell slots out. With that in mind, Wizard//Duskblade and Archivist//Duskblade are fine choices.

That said, you could also go for something that just makes you better at Duskblade-ery. Incarnate definitely can work for this, so can Swordsage or Warblade (though you have a lot of overlap in BAB and saves there). A Bard-based build might be cute, if a bit MAD. Even the humble Rogue is probably worthy of consideration, with Psychic Rogue tossing on a few buffs in exchange for less Sneak Attack.

[Grod_The_Giant]

...Might I ask why no Factotum, though?
Two words, I'm guessing: Factotum//Wizard. My main casting stat to damn near everything? Extra standard actions? Yes please!

I'll second a meldshaper of some degree, as they make great secondary combatants. Personally, I like Totemist a bit more than Incarnate-- I feel like the former has access to a lot more interesting effects. And turning yourself into a furious windmill of natural attacks combos well with full-attack channeling-- can you say full-attack arcane channeled vamperic touch with girallon arms and landshark boots?

[Waker]

...can you say full-attack arcane channeled vamperic touch with girallon arms and landshark boots?

I can, but it takes so long. I think I would just shorten it to Vamblender.

[Red Fel]

I can, but it takes so long. I think I would just shorten it to Vamblender.

Vamblender. It's catchy. I like it.

Quick, let's make that a thing!

EDIT: Hey, we're already #2 on a Google search for "Vamblender"!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Let's see... 8 attacks, each channeling for 10d6... that's 80d6 for an average of 280 damage dealt and 280 temporary hit points, all for the low, low price of one of your twenty-odd 3rd level spells (after a ring of wizardry). Plus normal blender damage-- figure you went Lion Totem Barbarian into Totem Rager... +4 insight bonus to melee damage from Cobolt Rage... figure a strength of somewhere around 30... 6 essence in each totem meld... so what, +20 damage per attack? Charge, channel, hit for 440 damage pus 280 temporary hit points.

Vamblender!

[Metahuman1]

Some other options to consider.

Anything in Tome of Battle: The Crusader is close to not needing any none physical ability scores, and most reasonable people will rule the swordsage can swap wis for int with a feat, so it minimizes MAD. And those slick maneuvers and some of the class features on some of them can be very spiffy, Metal, Evasion, Int to reflex saves, Good Reflex save progression, more skill points, Delayed Damage Pool, Int to Crit Confirmation, Int to AoO's and opposed combat maneuver checks, built in free Identify.

Dragonfire Adept: It doesn't increase MAD and the Invocations can easily be used as useful 24 hour buffs to get around spell failure, and it get's some passive buffs as class features and a few more skill points. And the Breath weapon, while you'll likely wanna drop feats into it if your gonna use it, doesn't get bogged down by using breath weapon and gives you a crowd control option for dealing with mooks/implementing a long term inconvenience on the main bad guy.

Wu Gen: The OTHER int based caster has an awesome buffs list for gishing, and if I remember right does have a couple of nice touch spells to channel.

Psion-Erudite: Ardent and Psi-warrior are spiffy and all, but these two are Int based, and come with a nice buffs and utility powers list you can draw form. Nuff said.

Binder: The dude is all about All day Passive buffs that can be changed from day to day. And those special 1 every 5 rounds ability's he get's can go a long way toward extending your spells per day. He needs a bit of Cha at low levels but as you get higher leveled and get Items to help make your packs this becomes a none issue. This gives you both power and versatility in one package.

Oh, and pact augmentation is great for paying for power attack.

Edit: Almost forgot one other good option.

Martial Rogue get's you a fighter bonus feat progression, a good reflex save (which means all saves are good.), and a metric ton of skill points with a vastly expanded list of good class skills, and a couple of good class features.

Gives you a lot of power and versatility if you invest wisely with that.

[Isheian]

Im running a Gish warmage/ duskblade to devastating effect. Trying a another that's spellthief and duskblade. Haven't run it yet so I can't say how good of a mix it is. If you want more martial focus tome of battle classes like swordsage and warblade can add amazing effects not to mention stupid amounts of damage. The fact that a 3rd level duskblade can deal 42 points of damage on a non crit attack is just crazy. Belt of battle will be your best friend, and blades of blood is a great spell when you just need to make sure something's dead.

[Techwarrior]

Even the humble Rogue is probably worthy of consideration, with Psychic Rogue tossing on a few buffs in exchange for less Sneak Attack.



Martial Rogue get's you a fighter bonus feat progression, a good reflex save (which means all saves are good.), and a metric ton of skill points with a vastly expanded list of good class skills, and a couple of good class features.

Gives you a lot of power and versatility if you invest wisely with that.

I'd like to third the suggestion of Rogue, in any of its variants. Rogue hits at minimum 2 of the Duskblade's major choke-ups (Reflex and skill points). With it's alternate class features (such as Martial Rogue for feat goodness, or the Spell Reflection and Goliath Rogue sub levels if you want to use that mithral fullplate and heavy armor).

However, try this on for size...

Arcane Channeling (Full Attack) Two Weapon Fighting (Greater) Vampiric Touch with Sneak Attack. Just at thirteenth level, after you do that once for the next hour you're probably sporting more temporary HP than a fully augmented Vigor. A duskblade's D8 hit dice are really deceptive
7d6 Sneak Attack
6d6 Vampiric Touch
1d6 short sword base weapon damage

[Metahuman1]

I'd like to third the suggestion of Rogue, in any of its variants. Rogue hits at minimum 2 of the Duskblade's major choke-ups (Reflex and skill points). With it's alternate class features (such as Martial Rogue for feat goodness, or the Spell Reflection and Goliath Rogue sub levels if you want to use that mithral fullplate and heavy armor).

However, try this on for size...

Arcane Channeling (Full Attack) Two Weapon Fighting (Greater) Vampiric Touch with Sneak Attack. Just at thirteenth level, after you do that once for the next hour you're probably sporting more temporary HP than a fully augmented Vigor. A duskblade's D8 hit dice are really deceptive
7d6 Sneak Attack
6d6 Vampiric Touch
1d6 short sword base weapon damage

I though Duskblade got a D10?

And yeah, that's nasty as long as the target isn't immune to negative energy. You didn't even factor in thinks like Str mod or picking up an obvious knowledge devotion feat.

[Crazy Mage]

Let's see... 8 attacks, each channeling for 10d6... that's 80d6 for an average of 280 damage dealt and 280 temporary hit points, all for the low, low price of one of your twenty-odd 3rd level spells (after a ring of wizardry). Plus normal blender damage-- figure you went Lion Totem Barbarian into Totem Rager... +4 insight bonus to melee damage from Cobolt Rage... figure a strength of somewhere around 30... 6 essence in each totem meld... so what, +20 damage per attack? Charge, channel, hit for 440 damage pus 280 temporary hit points.

Vamblender!

Thats insane!

[Fouredged Sword]

I would go Spellthief 1 / wizard 4 / abjurant champion 5 / ISFV 7 / archmage 3 // duskblade 20

Feats
1st - Power attack
human - Craven
3rd - Master Spellthief
6th - Planer Touchstone (CoE) for the Inquisition Domain
9th - Free from here

Ok, so you are going to focus on swift action dispel magic with +4 to the dispel check flying out of a full bab warrior who is defended by suped up abjuration spells and is packing a greatsword that tends to hit with the combust spell when it lands.

And that is at 8th level. By 20, those veils mean that it is HARD to land anything on your character, and he hits like a brick outhouse. 19/20 wizard casting, 20 bab, gains the initial +2 in all saves, not bad skill points, and Str/Int/Con stat focuse. Can cast all spells in light a mitheral brestplate.

[Urpriest]

Thats insane!

Keep in mind, that's spread over multiple targets, depending on your reading of Full Attack Channeling. Still, lots of thp.