[3.5] Gestalt Psion(Shaper)/Constructor

[Vash9177]

The next game I'm going to play in will be a gestalt game starting at level 5. I really like the Constructor class so I wanted to make Psion(Shaper) my active side but I'm not sure what to take for the other half of the gestalt.

I was considering having the other side be a Wilder, educated ACF, for wild surge, more powers know, a few free expanded knowledge's, and a lot more power points. Another idea was to do an artificer for some good buffs for the astral constructs. Also a friend said he liked the soul manifester but my knowledge of incarnum is pretty low so I really not sure how much benefit I could get out of it.

Any other ideas for the other side to make the build interesting or more powerful?

Also for the Psion I was looking to take the Shaper ACF at level 5, should I still take the Constructor Capstone or should I go back to psion so I don't lose another manifester level?

Don't have exact stats yet but my DM has agreed to let me be a Phrenic Catfolk.
Other notes
Pathfinder stuff may be allowed but it has to be approved.
Dragon mag stuff may be allowed but it has to be approved.
Theurge classes are allowed if the side it is taken on meets the entry requirements.
Prestige classes are allowed on both sides at the same time.
No fractional BAB or saves.
No Complete Psionic Astral Construct Nerf.
No Flaws but we get feats at ever odd level like in Pathfinder.

[gorfnab]

Factotum would give you Int synergy and a bunch of useful abilities especially the 8th level one that gives you extra actions.

[Rubik]

Factotum would give you Int synergy and a bunch of useful abilities especially the 8th level one that gives you extra actions.This. My favorite character ever was a gestalt factotum//shaper/constructor. You might consider adding some swordsage, incarnate, and totemist on the factotum side after you've hit 8 (or 11, whichever you would prefer as the cutoff point) but factotum 20 is still a really good deal for any gestalt psion.


Also for the Psion I was looking to take the Shaper ACF at level 5, should I still take the Constructor Capstone or should I go back to psion so I don't lose another manifester level?I just take the Linked Power feat, as well as the chronocharm of the uncaring archmage from the Magic Item Compendium. The first lets you manifest the secondary power as a free action, and it always comes online at the beginning of the next round, so you don't have to waste a whole round manifesting Astral Construct if you spend 1 pp and your psionic focus. Add in Metapower (Synchronicity + Linked Power, for preference), and you actually gain additional pp to use in manifesting Astral Construct.


Don't have exact stats yet but my DM has agreed to let me be a Phrenic Catfolk.Not the best race combo for a psion, but if that's what you want...

[Vash9177]

Factotum is pretty sweet however someone else is already planning a warblade/factotum build and we are trying to avoid using the same classes, since in our current gestalt we have 2 sorcerers, 2 hellfire warlocks, and 2 swordsages. Hard to believe that this wasn't planned but we are trying to make sure it doesn't happen again. :smallbiggrin:

The other currently planned classes are Bard/?
and possibly an archivist.

@Rubik what would you do with the incarnate and/or totemist, are there certain soulmelds that would help out a lot?

Linked power does seem really good and the race is more a story reason but at least the template bumps my INT

[Rubik]

Factotum is pretty sweet however someone else is already planning a warblade/factotum build and we are trying to avoid using the same classes, since in our current gestalt we have 2 sorcerers, 2 hellfire warlocks, and 2 swordsages. Hard to believe that this wasn't planned but we are trying to make sure it doesn't happen again. :smallbiggrin:A factotum//warblade will play MUCH differently than a factotum//shaper/constructor. You can focus on different skills and spell like abilities, and your primary abilities will be completely different. Stick with factotum, I say.


The other currently planned classes are Bard/?
and possibly an archivist.Talk to the warblade player, get a list of the skills he plans on using, and ensure that there's not much overlap (other than stuff like Concentration, of course). Suggest that he use Iaijutsu Focus, while you use oddball stuff like Lucid Dreaming.


@Rubik what would you do with the incarnate and/or totemist, are there certain soulmelds that would help out a lot?I find that psions (especially with constructor in the mix) make for amazing skillmonkeys. Take powers like Touchsight (combined with Burrowing Power to see through walls) and Time Hop (for auto-disabling doors and some traps). Use incarnate and totemist both to augment your skills (including thief gloves for boosting trapfinding), and make sure you have at least 2 levels in totemist so you have the totem bind. Take the Psionic Open Chakra power from MoI and the phase cloak soulmeld and you'll be able to scout while ethereal (which is super-special-awesome in its own special way).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

How is your group handling level adjustment with gestalt? A Phrenic Catfolk is +3 LA, so you you start at 5th level as only a Psion 2// X 2? Would you get to start as a Psion 5// LA +3/ X 2? In any case I wouldn't consider that much level adjustment worth taking. A +1 or +2 LA can be bought off (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) fairly quickly, but a +3 LA is just too much. Maybe start as a Catfolk without any templates, and start with the +1 LA already bought off for 3,000 xp. You should catch back up quickly, and you'll be better off for it.

I'd always prefer to use Warforged or some variant for a Shaper. It has amazing synergy with Psionic Repair Damage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psionicRepairDamage.htm), gets poison immunity so you can use Psionic Minor Creation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/minorCreationPsionic.htm) to make Black Lotus Extract (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#poison) risk-free, and you can get Adamantine Body to have an decent AC without investing in Inertial Armor. Also don't forget that you can share Psionic Repair Damage with your psicrystal, which is especially useful if you use the Share Pain + Vigor trick and don't forget its Hardness 8.

Here's a spectacular Psion guide (http://www.brilliantgameologists.com/boards/?topic=10238.0). Note that Personal Construct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) makes the 10th Constructor level obsolete, and Complete Psionic nerfed Astral Construct by limiting a given character to only having one created at any given time. Ectopic Adept also in Complete Psionic allows you to have two active at the same time at its 5th level.

Definitely take a Psion level with the 1st level of Constructor (and 10th if you get it) so you don't delay your manifesting at all. Artificer would be perfect as a Warforged, but otherwise use Factotum. After Constructor consider taking a psionic version of Abjurant Champion or Paragnostic Apostle. You may also be able to go Psion//Erudite, though the latter is designed as a variant of the Psion class so they may not be compatible. Archivist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20051007a&page=3) could also be useful if you want to be of more benefit to the rest of the party, plus Mass Snake's Swiftness as a 2nd level spell will be good for your Astral Construct(s).

[Rubik]

Note that Personal Construct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) makes the 10th Constructor level obsolete, and Complete Psionic nerfed Astral Construct by limiting a given character to only having one created at any given time. Ectopic Adept also in Complete Psionic allows you to have two active at the same time at its 5th level.The O.P. said that the nerf isn't being used, and ectopic adept isn't worth the air it took to metabolize the energy needed to write it. Avoid it and all the ectopic feats like the plague.


Definitely take a Psion level with the 1st level of Constructor (and 10th if you get it) so you don't delay your manifesting at all.What? That doesn't really make any sense.

I'd avoid the 10th level of constructor. It's not worth losing another manifester level if you've got Linked Power.


Artificer would be perfect as a Warforged, but otherwise use Factotum. After Constructor consider taking a psionic version of Abjurant Champion or Paragnostic Apostle. You may also be able to go Psion//Erudite, though the latter is designed as a variant of the Psion class so they may not be compatible.Actually, you can't take psion//erudite, because the erudite is a variant psion, which are explicitly barred from being gestalted together unless your DM houserules otherwise.

Artificer isn't terrible for gestalting with psion, since you can use infusions to boost your astral constructs, I suppose. I've never really considered it. Perhaps spend some effort on becoming an archer and using spell-storing dye arrows (from Pathfinder) to deliver buff spells and infusions at range?


Archivist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20051007a&page=3) could also be useful if you want to be of more benefit to the rest of the party, plus Mass Snake's Swiftness as a 2nd level spell will be good for your Astral Construct(s).Only if you use psion to abuse action economy so you can deliver both spells and powers a few times per round. Otherwise, casting classes don't get along too well with other casting classes.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

What? That doesn't really make any sense.

I'd avoid the 10th level of constructor. It's not worth losing another manifester level if you've got Linked Power.

Constructor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) doesn't give you any manifesting at its 1st level. Going something like Psion 6// Factotum 5/ Constructor 1 will allow him to take that class without missing a level of Psion manifesting. After that he can continue taking Constructor//Factotum or whatever, and have max manifesting for his character level.

[Rubik]

Constructor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) doesn't give you any manifesting at its 1st level. Going something like Psion 6// Factotum 5/ Constructor 1 will allow him to take that class without missing a level of Psion manifesting. After that he can continue taking Constructor//Factotum or whatever, and have max manifesting for his character level.Ah. Right. Only you'd have to have psion 7//factotum 6/constructor 1, I think.

Note that, if you want, you can use the Primary Contact feat (from Cityscape) to enter enter constructor one level early, so long as you enter a crafting guild -- so psion 5/constructor 1 -- and then you can retrain or psyref out the Favored and Primary Contact feats once you have the skill qualifications through normal skill points.

[Vash9177]

Hmm I will look into the archivist a bit, seems like it would make a really strong buffer.

Also does anyone have any experience with the pathfinder Aegis class? Seems like it be used for really strong passive buffs. Also has a d10 HD and a good fortitude save.

[Fouredged Sword]

Incarnate could give you an interesting feeling character. You can use the asteral vambrances to give yourself selections from the asteral construct menus. It would allow you to form equipment out of "mental energy" to go along with your minions. There is a lot of good feat synergy between psionics and incarnum. Look at the feats dealing psionic focuses.

You then can follow constructor with soul manifester.