Psionic Rogue/Incarnate Gestalt build help

[FuzzyBoF]

Hello there all! I am building a character for an upcoming gestalt Eberron game. All books and sources are available. I already have my classes/ races and templates picked out. Mostly what i need help with is should I go ranged or melee, and picking feats. I apparently suck at optimizing. I'm not looking to make a god smasher but I do want to be... potent. My DM is running LA a little different, he is letting us spread the LA over both sides of the gestalt. So a LA+2 ends up being only a one level hit.
Here is what i have so far:
my stats are 15 16 17 18 18 18.
(i only rolled two 18s. Our lowest number changes to an 18. it was a 10. DM is VERY generous)
planning on Incarnate 20 // Psionic Rogue 20 unless you guys have a better idea.
Race is Kalashtar with the Half-Vampire template.

I have played an Incarnate before but i have very limited experience with psionics.
Thanks in advance for the help!

[Rizban]

If you've played Incarnate, then you know Chaotic is best for ranged and Lawful/Evil is best for melee.

In my opinion, ranged isn't a very potent option, unless you're shooting with spells.

Psychic Rogue 20 in gestalt is a petty solid base. I'd probably suggest not doing Incarnate 20 though. My suggestion there would be either to take something on that side to increase your rogue stuff or to do something else psionic, like psychic warrior or war mind, and go soul manifester for a level or two. That gives you more pp to play around with, since all pp goes into a common pool.

With half-vampire, you'll definitely want to go melee to get the most use out of your template.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Replace Psychic Rogue 20 with Spellthief 1/ Psion 4/ Psychic Assassin 6/ Slayer 9, get Mind Cripple from Psychic Assassin and go melee TWF. If you don't want to be evil, see if you can trade out the Death Attack class feature in exchange for ignoring the alignment and special prerequisites of Psychic Assassin.

Instead of Incarnate 20 you should mix a Psion level in whenever your other side wouldn't progress your manifesting. You'll end up something like Psion 1/ Incarnate 4/ Psion 1/ Incarnate 1/ Psion 1/ Incarnate 1/ Psion 1/ Incarnate 1/ Psion 1/ Incarnate 8, for a total of fifteen Incarnate levels over your career.

That Spellthief level will allow you to freely use Wands of any Wizard spells from the schools that class gets access to, namely Wands of Wraithstrike. You can get powers like Energy Ray and Crystal Shard to snipe when necessary, buffs, and general utility from Psion. Get a Psicrystal and keep Share Pain active on it at all times so you take half damage form all sources, its Hardness 8 will apply to every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain. Keep it in a compartment on your person so opponents never have line of sight/effect to it and cannot target it directly or hit it with area effects. Put a Healing Belt on it and it can cure you during combat when needed. You can share buffs with it such as Vigor for a nice HP cushion.

[Psyren]

One of the problems with psionics and incarnum from a skills standpoint is that powers and incarnate melds both tend to give insight bonuses. I would personally be more inclined to combine Psyrogue with Totemist - both because totemist melds give a bonus that is harder for psionics to get (competence), and because sneak attack + a bunch of natural weapons (all finessable) = a lot of pain for anybody you catch in melee. (Or ranged, if you're whipping your Manticore tail around.) You can then grab the handful of nice Incarnate melds you want like Acid Spittle and Psion's Eyes via feats.

Totemist melds are also more conducive to being sneaky and moving around, by far your most important area of focus. Worg Pelt/Kruthik Claws, Shadow Mantle and Blink Shirt will be your best friends in this kind of gestalt.

[FuzzyBoF]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I really like the feel of my 20//20 classes. I guess what I'm really after is feat selection and any ridiculous shenanigans mixing incarnum and psionics. or stuff like the psicrystal feat leech sillyness.

[Rizban]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I really like the feel of my 20//20 classes. I guess what I'm really after is feat selection and any ridiculous shenanigans mixing incarnum and psionics. or stuff like the psicrystal feat leech sillyness.

Psycarnum Infusion for max essentia in a receptacle is a given.

Midnigh Augmentation + Bestow Power to regain lost power points.
Body Fuel + Strongheart Vest to regain lost PP without taking damage.

[Fouredged Sword]

I would consider turning yourself into a more rounded setup.

Dwarf
Psionic Rogue 20 //
Incarnate 1 / Psychic Warrior 5 / Ironsoul Forgemaster 10 / Crystal Master 5

[Jeff the Green]

What race and alignment are you going to be? That has a significant bearing on what we recommend. Also, ranged or melee?

[FuzzyBoF]

Kalashtar half vamp. Probably CN. Undecided on range or melee. My stats are good enough I can do either. I'm leaning more towards ranges however.