Gestalt Warlock

[Dr. Cliché]

I'm looking for suggestions for a good class (or classes) to use alongside a Warlock on a Gestalt character (Lv11).

I'm aware of the Binder + Hellfire Warlock, but I played a binder as my last class, so I'm looking for something different.

Any suggestions?

[Waker]

That is dependent on what it is that you want the character to accomplish. What kind of role do you want to play? And if possible, tell us what the rest of your party is along with the material allowed by the DM.

[gorfnab]

Totemist: Eldritch Claws + Unarmed Strike/Superior Unarmed Strike + Beast Strike
Hexblade: Dark Companion ACF for debuffing
Bard: Cha synergy
Cha synergy stuff (Paladin of Freedom, Marhsal, Crusader, etc...) + Enlightend Spirit PrC
Dread Necromancer: Cha synergy + undead minions
Rogue + Telflammar Shadowlord + Swordsage: Shadowpouncing

[Dr. Cliché]

That is dependent on what it is that you want the character to accomplish. What kind of role do you want to play? And if possible, tell us what the rest of your party is along with the material allowed by the DM.

Well, there are two other characters - a monk/fighter/kensai, and a Sorcerer/wizard/high magus.

I imagine the DM will be fine with most classes, but I'll probably need permission to use a template.

Honestly, I didn't have a specific role in mind - I was just looking for ideas. I guess ranged damage and perhaps some utility/support abilities; but I'm open to any suggestions, really.

Although, looking at my party, some healing might be useful (though, if my DM allows it, I could always take Leadership and hire a cleric to follow us around :smallwink:).

[Grod_The_Giant]

Warlock//Scout? Since Eldrich Blast is a standard action, you can just move, Improved Skirmish, and stack the damage.

Incarnate goes with everything.

Something like Cleric, perhaps? Or perhaps Paladin of Despair into Ur-Priest, for more evil power.

[Waker]

If ranged damage and utility/support is what you want, Bard is probably the best choice. Good skill points, decent array of spells and inspire courage can boost everyone's damage. Maybe mix in a bit of Crusader for more HPs, BAB, Fort and some maneuvers.

[Jallorn]

Warlock//Scout? Since Eldrich Blast is a standard action, you can just move, Improved Skirmish, and stack the damage.

Incarnate goes with everything.

Something like Cleric, perhaps? Or perhaps Paladin of Despair into Ur-Priest, for more evil power.

I'll second this with the suggestion of the Shadow Template from Tome of Magic and shot on the run. Run from shadow to shadow, getting lots of damage on the enemy and hiding for total concealment. Then doing that on the ceiling with Fell Flight.

[Kane0]

I second scout, for all the d6's!

Make sure to make good use of UMD for healing, especially wands of lessor vigor/CLW.

A dragonfire inspiration bard might also be a good option.

[Kennisiou]

Factotum for more standard actions and iaijutsu focus + eldritch blast weapon attack shenanigans. You get ridiculous D6s on your weapon attacks and you can keep spending inspiration points to move and do it again.

[DustyBottoms]

+1 to scout or bard, both complement the warlock superbly.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Scout also gets you the skill points, which your party can also use.

To be more specific, since people seem to like the idea, Scout 3/Ranger 17//Binder 1/Warlock 8/Hellfire Warlock 3/Legacy Champion (progressing Hellfire Warlock) 8.

Final damage, by my calculation, is 8d6 Eldrich Blast + 7d6 Skirmish + 18d6 Hellfire-- a total of 33d6, for an average damage of 115.5. (You can get a few more d6's with items, I think). Which is... still pretty mediocre by 20th level standards, but you can couple it to negative levels and throw it out in cones and chains, so that's something.

If you can't use Legacy Champion, go for two levels of Chameleon instead (or in addition to, if you'd like). A floating bonus feat is great on the Warlock, since you can pick up Extra Invocation to switch your loadout around every day. And if you have to take 4 extra Warlock levels, you can grab a floating crafting feat and be a decent artificer.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Warlock 20// Anything 5/ Enlightened Spirit 10/ Anything 5
Everything Enlightened Spirit gives you is different from anything Warlock gives you, including the bonus dice to Eldritch Blast. Everything it gives you is useful, it improves your damage, it saves you an invocation on flight, and its Greater shape invocation at the 5th level actually gives you access to greater invocations at Warlock 10. Since you would otherwise have spent a lesser invocation on Fell Flight, it ends up being a net gain of one greater invocation.

For that other class, Mystic Ranger with the Wild Shape variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) is probably ideal. That gets you Ranger saves, BAB, skills, and HP, fast movement, wild shape for utility and general usefulness, 2nd level spells at 4th level and 5th level spells by 20th. You can even get Sword of the Arcane Order and prepare Wizard spells in your Ranger spell slots. A Frostblood Half-Orc gets Endurance as a bonus feat, and when you get Endurance from Ranger (4th with Mystic Ranger) you can pick any feat you qualify for instead, i.e. Sword of the Arcane Order. Combine Frostblood Half-Orc with Desert Half-Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs) (tundras are technically deserts) for no Cha penalty. Use the Half-Humans variant in Races of Destiny p150 to get Magical Training for a spellbook, which you can add more spells to per Rules Compendium and you can prepare those spells in your Ranger slots via Sword of the Arcane Order.

[jedipilot24]

Warlock 20// Anything 5/ Enlightened Spirit 10/ Anything 5
Everything Enlightened Spirit gives you is different from anything Warlock gives you, including the bonus dice to Eldritch Blast. Everything it gives you is useful, it improves your damage, it saves you an invocation on flight, and its Greater shape invocation at the 5th level actually gives you access to greater invocations at Warlock 10. Since you would otherwise have spent a lesser invocation on Fell Flight, it ends up being a net gain of one greater invocation.

For that other class, Mystic Ranger with the Wild Shape variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) is probably ideal. That gets you Ranger saves, BAB, skills, and HP, fast movement, wild shape for utility and general usefulness, 2nd level spells at 4th level and 5th level spells by 20th. You can even get Sword of the Arcane Order and prepare Wizard spells in your Ranger spell slots. A Frostblood Half-Orc gets Endurance as a bonus feat, and when you get Endurance from Ranger (4th with Mystic Ranger) you can pick any feat you qualify for instead, i.e. Sword of the Arcane Order. Combine Frostblood Half-Orc with Desert Half-Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs) (tundras are technically deserts) for no Cha penalty. Use the Half-Humans variant in Races of Destiny p150 to get Magical Training for a spellbook, which you can add more spells to per Rules Compendium and you can prepare those spells in your Ranger slots via Sword of the Arcane Order.

Magical Training and Sword of the Arcane Order are both Faerun material and Mystic Ranger is Dragon Magazine material; a more generic option is
Warlock 20//Scout 5/Enlightened Spirit 10/Chameleon 2/Hellfire Warlock 3.
Though it may seem like an oxymoron to have an Enlightened Spirit using Hellfire, the Hellfire Warlock has no alignment restriction so its entirely possible. You can fluff it similar to the Malconvoker, namely using evil against itself.
Just for giggles, if you're allowed psionics and have the feats to spare, go for Psionic Shot and Greater Psionic Shot for even more damage.
Also don't forget Mortalbane, which is practically a class feature for a Warlock.
Deal with the ability damage from Hellfire by taking Leadership and getting a Cleric cohort to play healbot for you.

[Socratov]

Warlock 12/Chameleon 2/ Hellfire Warlock 2/Warlock 6//Artificer 20

Congratulations, no matter what it is, you can make it, abuse it, supercharge it, nitro it and recharge it.

Use your creationary powers to rule the world/save the world/save the cheerleader/teach airbenders/Destroy the one ring/beat Loki (strike through what is not your goal)

P.S. You won't need binder becuase the supercharge ability of HFW does not require Con sacrifice and thus you won't need binder.

[Jgosse]

Warlock/barbarian both for power and personality would seem to fit together nicely. Hideous blow full power attack on a great axe.

[Prime32]

Totemist: Eldritch Claws + Unarmed Strike/Superior Unarmed Strike + Beast StrikeIf you're going the Eldritch Claws route, it's better to use warblade for the Tiger Claw maneuvers (or unarmed swordsage, but that gives you worse hp and BAB).

[DMVerdandi]

Warlock 20//Factotum 1 / Divination Wizard (Spell point variant)5/Geometer 3/Alienist 10

Get a couple aureon's spellshards.(Honestly you can craft them yourself on the cheap)
Each spell will cost you one page, no costs to scribe, and each spellshard holds 500 pages. You don't have to scribe divination spells, so it becomes trivial to get all spells necessary.

By the endgame, you have got yourself a devotee of Nyarlathotep.
Understanding the cosmic space gods wills is maddeningly sweet.

[dspeyer]

Well, there are two other characters - a monk/fighter/kensai, and a Sorcerer/wizard/high magus.

Short on skills and healing. Two things that are hard to put together.

Cloistered cleric? Still a lousy class list, and no real synergy with warlock.

Rogue is an option. Great skills, sneak attack works with eldritch blast (especially with Walk Unseen). No healing, but at least warlock has good UMD.

Wildshape Ranger could work. Good skills. A little healing. Being an animal goes all day like warlock powers and probably helps you get in good shots. Full BAB is nice too. You'll probably want Master of Many Forms, which gives up a few skills and the spellcasting for lots more shapeshifting, but basically the same analysis applies.

Bard is possible. Good skills, decent healing, all-around useful but no real synergy.

Druid is possible. Decent skills, good healing, same wildshape benefits as WS ranger. Definite risk of the changing from a warlock who happens to be a druid into a druid who happens to be a warlock. Maybe take MoMF just to prevent that. Consider taking your first level in a more skillful class and Able Learner to shore up the skills a bit.

Factotum is always fun, though its power level depends a lot on how much cheese you're willing to swallow. Great skills and some healing. Not much synergy, but there's some sneak attack, and the extra actions thing goes well with anything.

[Psyren]

I'd go with Incarnate for the hell of it, especially if you can get the Strongheart Vest + Hellfire Warlock combo approved.