Gestalt Question

[LordAshenshield]

What class works best with the Sha'ir class from the Dragon Mags?

The Sha'ir (http://dndtools.eu/classes/shair/) is a good casting class with loads of fluff but what works best with it to even it out and so forth.

Sha'ir has a d4 and a 2+Int for Skills
Poor Bab and Good Will Saves.

So would something like a martial class work best with it?

In the same vein what works best for the Spirit Shaman?
d8 HD 4+Int skills
3/4 BAB and Good Fort and Will Saves.

Which is better (Consider spell lists)
And what works best with them to offset them to make them overall better.

[Chronos]

Both are Cha-based casters, so classes that give you bonuses for good Cha are a good choice. Battle Dancer, from the same book as Sha'ir, give Cha to AC, for instance, and Paladin gives it to all saves (unfortunately they have incompatible alignment requirements, so you can't easily dip both). You could also take class levels (such as some racial paragon classes) or LA to boost Cha.

[Dread_Head]

Look at the X stat to Y bonus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732) thread and dip lots of classes that add your main casting stat to various things.

Otherwise Factotum, MoI and ToB classes are often recomended for the passive benefits they add to your build. I'm also a big fan of Wildshape Ranger in gestalt for casters as it boosts Fort & Reflex saves, BAB and skills for most casters and gives the incredibly useful Wild Shape ability

[Fouredged Sword]

I like a Sha'ir warlock, or Sha'ir dragonfire adept. Also Sha'ir can work well on a marshal / fighter / Abjurant Champion / Something build.

Really, I would be tempted to go

Sha'ir 20
//
Marshal 4 / Paladin 2 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Monk 2 / Rogue 2 / Something 5

With the monk / sorcerer feat (that you don't need sorcerer for) you get Cha to AC, Cha to saves, Cha to cha, silly AC spells, ray reflection Rogue ACF trading evasion because you have it from monk.

Requires lawful good.

[HereBeMonsters]

Or just put them together they seem to compliment each other well.

Or OA Shaman would be nice.

[Nettlekid]

Seconding Warlock. Not only because of the Cha-synergy, but because the "I-can-do-these-all-the-time-but-they-aren't-very-strong" nature of Invocations works perfectly alongside the delayed calling of your spells. In the middle of a fight that you don't have the right spell prepared for? Leap behind cover and send your Gen out to fetch that perfect spell. Take cover and fire Eldritch Blasts for a while. Use Walk Unseen and then Flee the Scene to keep your foes guessing, on their toes. Run run run...and then the Gen comes back with the firepower you need. You are your own reinforcements. I think that works well.

[Waker]

Dread Head has the right of it. You generally want to mix an active class with a passive one. The question I put to you is, what do you want these characters to accomplish?

[Nettlekid]

Dread Head has the right of it. You generally want to mix an active class with a passive one. The question I put to you is, what do you want these characters to accomplish?

The weird thing about Sha'ir is that it's active sometimes, and then not even passive other times. Hopefully you have the foresight to have called spells you need well in advance, and can get others quickly, but if not then Sha'ir basically does nothing for you. For that reason I think that unlike most active classes, another active class to fill in the Sha'ir's waiting gaps might suit it.

You could go Psion to just Time Hop through those waiting periods. Enemy have you cornered and you're lacking the right spell? Send the Gen, and Time Hop or Mass Time Hop (depending on if you need rounds or hours), so that you return as the Gen does and get the spell you need. Sure, the enemy may have had about 10 hours to prepare as well, but odds are they had already been prepared and you just ruined whatever they had been planning. And can do so again immediately.

[Fouredged Sword]

Casters are weird. If you focus on buffs you are a passive class. If you focus on combat spells you are an active class. If you slap quicken on EVERYTHING, you mesh well with an active class that doesn't use swift actions. Really you just have to pick and choose HOW you are going to play your caster.

[Kennisiou]

Sha'ir is one of the classes that kind of violates the "Active/passive" rules. It actually mixes fairly well with other "active" classes since it's only active when it's not busy having its gen fetch spells. Because of this, while it does mix nicely with "passive" classes like Paladin and Battledancer, it actually often appreciates "active" classes as well. Crusader//Sha'ir is actually something I've seen played in a group I was in. It did the usual martial adept//caster thing I see where the caster side generally was there for buffs and out of combat utility while the martial side would get buffed up by the caster and then go in and beat face. It helps nicely with fixing the whole problem with not doing anything while sending the gen out -- while the gen is out you're still a party face capable of outputting significant damage and healing all at once. Warlock combines nicely with Sha'ir as well (especially if you add in the fact that you can UMD scrolls of spells you want familiarity with so you can retrieve them).