Favorite Gestalt pairs?

[malonkey1]

Hey guys. Never played a Gestalt game, but it seemed interesting. What are you guys' favorite pairs of classes for gestalting together? One that I liked the idea of was Incarnate/Crusader, as the fluff for them both seemed to really fit, and I've been told that it's a good idea to pair passive classes with active ones.

[Gildedragon]

cloistered cleric//monk is a fun combo in my eyes, and doesn't do too bad
I quite like binder//factotum for the 'can do a very wide number of things at any given moment' feel

[Ionbound]

Anything with LA on 1 half. Template are fuuuuuuuuun.

[heavyfuel]

One that I liked the idea of was Incarnate/Crusader

Aren't these two alignment incompatible?

Anyway, factotum//anything is almost always good. Decent HD, BAB, good Refx, loads of skill points, int synergy. Comboes especially well with Duskblade and Warblade.

[Amphetryon]

Hexblade//Dread Necromancer is a fun concept.

[malonkey1]

Aren't these two alignment incompatible?

Anyway, factotum//anything is almost always good. Decent HD, BAB, good Refx, loads of skill points, int synergy. Comboes especially well with Duskblade and Warblade.

No, I believe they're compatible. It's any alignment except neutral, and I interpreted that as "any alignment except neutral-neutral".

[CryptbornAkryea]

Swashbuckler3/DuskbladeXDread Necromancer20
A personal favorite of mine.

Ranger//Incarnate
Could be fun, too

[sideswipe]

psion 6/thrallherder 10/psion 4/// half fey template LA 2/cleric 1/ dragon shaman 1/marshal 2/psion 1/factotum 7/marshal 1/psion 1/marshal 4

i only got to play this character to level 11 but it was fun,

i know this is not a pairing but in my eyes it was.

one side full progression psion
other side was just auras and passive, swift or free action benefits.
the 2x1 level dip in psion on the passive side was to offset the levels of casting loss in thrallherder.

it was great. because half fey also gets a type of casting in its spell like abilities.

[Renen]

No, I believe they're compatible. It's any alignment except neutral, and I interpreted that as "any alignment except neutral-neutral".

Yes. Neutral means true neutral.

As for me, a fun thing to combine is Totemist on one side, warshaper on another side (with a bunch of stuff like Weretouched Master, and similar). OH THOSE NATURAL ATTACKS!

[thethird]

Artificer // Warblade. One gives me things to do during downtime, the other gives me things to do in combat.

[Taelas]

Dread Necromancer 8/Rainbow Servant 10/Sacred Exorcist 1/War Mage 1//Succubus 12/Battle Dancer 1/Paladin 4/Clr1/base class 2.

So. Much. Cha. Synergy.

Four times Turn attempts (DN1, Clr1, Sac Ex1, Pal4), channeled into pumping out DMM: Persistent spells (thanks to that lovely Rainbow capstone), Cha to AC (twice!), Cha to saves, lay on hands, Smite Evil, Cha casting, and so on.

You have to be a walking contradiction, but it actually works storywise: succubus is a Dread Necro, but around level 8 gets into a helm of opposite alignment mishap. Starts becoming a Rainbow Servant. Puts on the official White Hat by becoming a Paladin. Ups the ante further by becoming a Sacred Exorcist.

Woulda thrown Arcane Duelist 2 at the end of the second side there for another Cha to AC, but that'd be two PrCs at once, unfortunately. :smalltongue:

[Arael666]

Wizard/Archivist
Cleric/Druid

[Doc_Maynot]

Dvati Factotum//Artificer

[Azraile]

Anything with LA on 1 half. Template are fuuuuuuuuun.

Yes. This

Take advantage paticularly if you gmail is allowing lawful buy of

[Doc_Maynot]

Yes. This

Take advantage paticularly if you gmail is allowing lawful buy of

On a mobile, or similar device that autocorrects text?

[Azraile]

Lol yes and you can't turn it off......

[shadowseve]

cloistered cleric//crusader/ruby knight vindicator; if the DM will allow this. If not the cloistered cleric//crusader (ultimate favorite.)

Dragonfire adept//warblade

swordsage//cleric.

factotum//swordsage.

just to name a few.

[AvatarVecna]

Ultimate Gish
(basic concept)
Rogue (Feat Rogue) 2/Fighter 18//Wizard (Feat Wizard) 20

The Feat Wizard/Rogue refers to the Unearthed Arcana ACFs that grant those classes the Fighter Bonus feat class feature. The normal issue with these ACFs is that, since they don't give you an effective Fighter level, you can't choose the feats requiring Fighter levels. This gets around that, giving you tons of Fighter bonus feats, while also giving you a huge Fighter level so you can actually use them.

This build gives you 7 level feats (8 if human, more with flaws) and a whopping 23 bonus feats from the Fighter bonus feat list; it also gives you Fighter 18, which is required for Weapon Supremacy.
Ways to alter the basic concept:
-Add in a PrC. Normally in a gish build, casting-based PrCs kill your combat potential, while combat-based PrCs kill your casting. With this build, you can create a gish with levels in Archmage, Exotic Weapon Master, and anything else that comes to mind; consequentially, some existing gish PrCs can become useless (Eldritch Knight) or solid gold (Spellsword); if you don't feel like killing your casting with a less than full casting PrC, just take a wizard level on the other side whenever the PrC doesn't give casting.
-Build an ubercharger; add a level of pounce barbarian and use your mountain of feats to crush people.
-Build a crit-fisher; get to Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Supremacy, and Imp. Critical. Focus on dual-wielding a pair of kaorti-resin scimitars.

My personal favorite: mixing those last two.

Race: Human
2 flaws
Side A: Rogue (Feat Rogue) 2/Fighter 2/Barbarian (Lion Totem/Whirling Frenzy) 2/Fighter +14
Side B: Warblade 4/Wizard (Feat Wizard) 16
Feats:
Improved Initiative(ECL 1)
Quick Draw(Human)
Two-Weapon Fighting(Flaw)
Weapon Focus (Light Mace)(Flaw)
Combat Reflexes(Rogue (FR) 1)
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Talenta Boomerang)(Rogue (FR) 2)
Extra Rage(ECL 3)
Power Attack(Fighter 1)
Weapon Specialization (Light Mace)(Fighter 2)
Improved Bull Rush(Wizard (FW) 1)
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting(ECL 6)
Shock Trooper(Wizard (FW) 2)
Improved Critical (Light Mace)(Fighter 4)
Melee Weapon Mastery (Bludgeoning)(Wizard (FW) 4)
Leap Attack(ECL 9)
Greater Weapon Focus (Light Mace)(Fighter 6)
Improved Unarmed Strike(Wizard (FW) 6)
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting(ECL 12)
Superior Unarmed Strike(Fighter 8)
Versatile Unarmed Strike(Wizard (FW) 8)
Greater Weapon Specialization (Light Mace)(Fighter 10)
Crushing Strike(Wizard (FW) 10)
Extend Spell(ECL 15)
Boomerang Daze(Fighter 12)
Brutal Strike(Wizard (FW) 12)
Extend Rage(ECL 18)
Combat Expertise(Fighter 14)
Improved Trip(Wizard (FW) 14)
Weapon Supremacy (Light Mace)(Fighter 16)
Power Critical (Light Mace)(Wizard (FW) 16)
Assumed items:
Belt of Giant's Strength +6
(2) Kaorti Resin Scimitar +6 (+3 enhancement/Aptitude (+1)/Wounding(+2))

Warblade counts as a Fighter of (Warblade lvl-2), which stacks with actual Fighter levels, giving this character effective Fighter level 18 at ECL 20. The idea here is to dual-wield twin kaorti resin +1 scimitars of aptitude. The aptitude weapon enchantment makes an aptitude weapon count as any weapon for the purposes of feats that specify a single weapon (Weapon Focus and the like are the prime example, but by RAW Lightning Mace also counts).

Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike, and Versatile Unarmed Strike allow you to count your kaorti resin blade as a bludgeoning weapon for the purposes of Crushing Strike and Melee Weapon Mastery (Bludgeoning), since aptitude only applies to weapon-specific feats, not damage type-specific feats. They also eventually upgrade your base damage.

Note: this build only actually requires 13 Str, 19 Dex, and 13 Int, although it improves a lot if you also have Int 18 (for Wizard/Warblade stuff). Assuming 32 point-buy, let's have starting stats of 14/16/12/16/10/8, with level bumps going into Dex at 4, 8, and 12, and Int at 16 and 20. Final stats (including assumed items) are 20/19/12/18/10/8

At 20th level, you have BAB 20, a few maneuvers, 8th level spells, whirling frenzy rage, and a centipedes' worth of feats. Attack bonus on a Hasted Whirling Frenzy Leap Attack Charge Pounce (assuming weapons as described above) is +32/+32/+32/+32/+27/+27/+22/+22/+17; each attack does 2d6+56 damage, 1 point of Con damage, gets a critical threat on a 15-20, and does quadruple damage on a critical (not including Con damage).

Furthermore, all critical threats have a +8 to the confirmation roll.

Furthermore, every time they get a critical threat, they get an additional attack at the same attack bonus.

Furthermore, every attack that hits gives a cumulative +1 to every other attack roll made this round, with no upper limit on that bonus.

Oh yeah, you have 8th level spells to gish with. Githcraft Mithril armor with Thistledown, Leafweave, and the Twilight enchantment takes 35% off the arcane spell failure chance, so have fun!

And the best part: no matter where you start in this build, you're effective, and you can have fun being a DPR machine with spells.

[Jeff the Green]

I'm fond of Monster//Class combos. I usually use homebrew monster classes, but things like Succubus//Sorcerer, Pixie//Warlock, and Dragon//Crusader are all fun even with the standard stuff.

[Kennisiou]

TWF Gestalts are a blast to play.

Sneak attack rogue/swashbuckler/swordsage/cloistered cleric mash-up on the other side (probably doing the whole "one level dip shuffle" in prestige classes and various base classes to get higher sneak attack damage) and ranger/scout/barbarian swift hunter on the other. Grab improved skirmish, swift hunter, daring outlaw, craven, and shadow blade and watch the d6s stack up alongside the numerical bonus damage (why yes, I do like adding dex and int to my damage and having +30d6 on top of that on a ton of attacks). For added fun grab hunger domain from your one level of cloistered cleric for a bite attack and get weapon proficiency with crescent knives from dragon magazine if they're allowed. They make every attack into two attacks. You can dual wield them. There's a weapon enhancement in ToB that I forget the name of that lets them count as any and all weapons for the purpose of feats, which lets you get +dex to damage with them. Brutal.

[TypoNinja]

I'm fond of Monster//Class combos. I usually use homebrew monster classes, but things like Succubus//Sorcerer, Pixie//Warlock, and Dragon//Crusader are all fun even with the standard stuff.

Gotta second this. Gestalt is a great chance to play a strange race/monster that would normally be too many RHD/LA, and still have class levels too.

[FidgetySquirrel]

Paladin/Cleric. Why? Because it gives me a core paladin who is a believable destroyer of all things evil.

[AvatarVecna]

Now for some fun ideas:

Ranger//Scout
-Abuse Swift Hunter
-Throw in some Fighter levels, some Rogue (Feat Rogue) levels, and 2 levels of Barbarian (Whirling Frenzy/Lion Totem). Build another pounce monster, this time with less crit fishing and more skirmish. This time, you don't need a huge Dex to dual-wield, because Ranger.

Cloistered Cleric//Specialist Wizard
-Master a particular branch of magic.
--Bonus points if you go Anthropomorphic animal for you race, take Leadership, and pretend that you're your apprentice's familiar.

CE Sorcerer 6/Wild Mage 10/Fatespinner 4//Paladin of Slaughter 2/Battle Dancer 6/Blackguard 2/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Wanderer 1/Fleshwarper 7
-All the power of dual casting! Held together and directed by the same mentality holding together and directing the Joker.
--It's pretty Cha SAD, powerful, and just plain fun to play!

[AvatarVecna]

There's a weapon enhancement in ToB that I forget the name of that lets them count as any and all weapons for the purpose of feats, which lets you get +dex to damage with them. Brutal.

The Aptitude weapon enchantment. See my first post in this thread (#18) to see it abused beyond decency.

[bekeleven]

Depends on if you can qualify for prestiges cross-track.

Warlock is a fun passive gestalt side, since it just gives you abilities that can be used off-combat or without taking actions (fly speed). Makes a decent balance to most classes.

If you want a warlock primary, and you can prestige cross-side, consider Warlock 20 // Anything 7/Enlightened Spirit 10/Hellfire Warlock 10. If you can't prestige cross-side, consider going Warlock 17/HFW 3//Skirmisher 20. Build a swift hunter base then mix prestiges to taste and you can get +8D6 or higher skirmish damage easy onto your blasts. Not quite as fun as the 20D6 blasts from the first build, but gives you AC too.

If you have access to Dragon, a clawlock gestalt can get 30+ dice to unarmed attacks without much op-fu.

[Vhaidara]

Psion/Psion Uncarnate//Incarnate. Just for the name.

Bard//Barbarian. Using this in a 3.P gestalt, so I grabbed an archetype that lets me Inspire Rage and use sonic attacks. Oh and warforged. I am a metal rock star.

[weckar]

Anything with LA on 1 half. Template are fuuuuuuuuun.
Pretty sure LA goes on BOTH sides.

Anyway, I kinda like Cavalier gestalts in PF. Because Horsies.

[Pex]

Barbarian/Druid

Rage while in wild shape. Be an animal with rabies.

[A.A.King]

Bard 20 // Barbarian 20

All good saves, full bab, d12 hitdie and casting in armor (take "Battle Caster" to make that armor Medium Armor).

OR, a bit more complex

Bard 20 // Barbarian 4 / War Chanter 3 / Bear Warrior 5 / War Chanter +7 (10) / Barbarian +1 (5)

War Chanter is a great melee class. Inspire Reckless basically allows you to do what everybody takes Shock Trooper for

[iceman10058]

Bard/Paladin

i like the cha synergy plus its a great combo to boost the party and fight. it also makes the character super flexible and able to tackle some challenges solo

[CrazyYanmega]

Druid/Dragonfire Adept.

Wildshape into something non-obtrusive, like a mouse or a sparrow. Then BREATHE FIRE!

[Pluto!]

Duskblade // Archivist with Knowledge Devotion. Huge melee numbers and even bigger channeled touch effects from the Cleric spell list.

Also Warblade/Eternal Blade // Nomad, for another way to crush melee with Intelligence.

[HunterOfJello]

I would really like to play a Druid//Swordsage who runs around using maneuvers while in Wild Shape form. I think that could be awesome.

[morkendi]

The trick is finding pairings where class abilities work together to get real power. Things like wizard//cleric wile versitile, all it does is really give you more options. On your turn, you are doing only 1 thing. In gestalt, you can really take advantage of things like warlock// ranger/scout with swift hunter or warlock//rogue. Psions do good at on side as you can do things to break action economy.

[RFLS]

Pretty sure LA goes on BOTH sides.

Anyway, I kinda like Cavalier gestalts in PF. Because Horsies.

It's a dm call. There are no hard and fast rules where gestalt is described.


The trick is finding pairings where class abilities work together to get real power. Things like wizard//cleric wile versitile, all it does is really give you more options. On your turn, you are doing only 1 thing. In gestalt, you can really take advantage of things like warlock// ranger/scout with swift hunter or warlock//rogue. Psions do good at on side as you can do things to break action economy.

Hmm. I'd quite like to play a dvati psion//warblade. One of them is the psion and the other is the warblade. Abuse the action economy.

[malonkey1]

Bard/Paladin

i like the cha synergy plus its a great combo to boost the party and fight. it also makes the character super flexible and able to tackle some challenges solo

The two are incompatible alignments, aren't they?

[Psyren]

Totemist//DFA is one of my favorites - helpful to the party, never runs out of resources, and strong against most encounters without being overpowering. It is also nearly Con-SAD.

Lurk//Factotum can be one scary assassin.

Warlock//Binder is always fun for a foolhardy, "stare-into-the-abyss" type.

[Troacctid]

The two are incompatible alignments, aren't they?

Paladin of Freedom is chaotic good.

[137beth]

Malconvoker//Crusader. Summon stuff, then use maneuvers which buff allies.

[Auramis]

I'm partial to Knight or Crusader with Cleric or Favored Soul. It gets you the flavor of playing a paladin without actually playing a paladin.

[Valluman]

Wizard/Archivist. You aren't the most durable member of a party, but you become a waking library of knowledge and spells. You're a healer, a controller, a buffer, a debuffer, and just about anything else you meld your spell pool to, with the exception of a fighter, but you could always summon in creatures for that or buff your party's own.

EDIT: Apply PRCs as desired.

[Doc_Maynot]

Wizard/Archivist. You aren't the most durable member of a party, but you become a waking library of knowledge and spells. You're a healer, a controller, a buffer, a debuffer, and just about anything else you meld you spell pool to, with the exception of a fighter, but you could always summon in creatures for that.

One dip in sacred Exorcist and three feats and you are a fighter in terms of BAB.

[Psyren]

Paladin of Freedom is chaotic good.

Or they mean Pathfinder where the Bard can be LG.

[Vorandril]

Cleric/Duskblade. Baatezu Traits and a flight speed. Using a halberd.

Only works when your DM lets you reflavor the Duskblade as a possible divine caster. Yeah, you break a little bit by being able to access a purely arcane list, but it's for amazing fun, not optimization. =D

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have a gigglefit.

[Taelas]

Depends on if you can qualify for prestiges cross-track.
The only reason we keep track of "sides" is to make it easier on ourselves. Each level in gestalt is an amalgamation of two classes; there are no "tracks" to "cross".


Pretty sure LA goes on BOTH sides.

Level adjustment is treated as levels in a class in all respects (one which provides no benefits). Why would it not be treated as such in gestalt? Forcing it on both sides essentially makes taking any race with LA utterly useless. Gestalt under normal circumstances is the only variant where balancing monster races actually works.

[morkendi]

One of my favorite gestalt builds i played was fighter/dervish// cobra strike monk/ ur-priest. I took able learner to help with skills and versitile unarmed strike to make my unarmed stikes count as slashing. Full bab able to full move while flurry with full cleric casting and buffs. Was fun.

[LordHenry]

I'm currently running a Hexblade 4 // Monk 1/Sorcerer 3 with the Ascetic Mage feat. Really nice and flavourful and got great CHA synergy.

[iceman10058]

The two are incompatible alignments, aren't they?

sorry, in my group, as a house rule, paladins simply match their diety's alignment and bard has no alignment restriction, so for me its core bard and paladin, but paladin of freedom works too

[FreakyCheeseMan]

I would really like to play a Druid//Swordsage who runs around using maneuvers while in Wild Shape form. I think that could be awesome.

I've got a friend building that right now! And yeah, it sounds sweet.

For me... this may be an odd one, but I think ToB Mix/Fighter. By swapping around between ToB classes - mostly swordsage - you can get all of their best tricks, because is you take Swordsage 10/Crusader 2, you qualify for better stances and maneuvers for the crusader levels. Additionally, if you get all three, then you can take Martial Study to learn maneuvers usually only available to one class, as part of another class - so, Strike of Righteous Vitality as a swordsage that can use it every other round, if he wants.

You can put so much awesome into 20 levels that way, that all you want leftover is BAB and a bunch of feats, cause there are some great fighter bonus feats in ToB. I think the character I made this way is the scariest one I've ever built, mages included.

[AvatarVecna]

The two are incompatible alignments, aren't they?

There's ways around it.

1) Paladins of Freedom/Slaughter (UA ACFs) have to be Chaotic, allowing multiclassing with bards.

2) The Devoted Performer feat makes bard/paladins great, although it can't be taken by evil paladins (it requires smite evil). It allows a bard to gain bard levels despite being lawful.

3) The Ordered Chaos feat might allow it, but if it does, it's through questionable RAI.

4) A flexible DM won't mind a player stretching the alignment rules, provided they didn't abuse them.

There's plenty of bard concepts that are decidedly lawful (which is why, in Pathfinder, they have no alignment restriction): a classical composer with a passionate interest in musical theory, a court bard, a noble with a talent for performing...the list goes on.

[Pluto!]

Level adjustment is treated as levels in a class in all respects (one which provides no benefits). Why would it not be treated as such in gestalt? Forcing it on both sides essentially makes taking any race with LA utterly useless. Gestalt under normal circumstances is the only variant where balancing monster races actually works.
The argument is that a gestalt Class A 5//Class B 5 is strictly weaker than a nongestalt Class A 5/Class B 5, which would be an ECL 10 character, while gestalt Class A 5//LA 5 functionally IS nongestalt Class A 5/LA 5, or an ECL 10 character.

[Jeff the Green]

The argument is that a gestalt Class A 5//Class B 5 is strictly weaker than a nongestalt Class A 5/Class B 5, which would be an ECL 10 character, while gestalt Class A 5//LA 5 functionally IS nongestalt Class A 5/LA 5, or an ECL 10 character.

You've got the implied assumption that class 5/LA 5 is equivalent to class 10, which, while assumed by the designers, isn't even remotely true.

[Ellowryn]

You've got the implied assumption that class 5/LA 5 is equivalent to class 10, which, while assumed by the designers, isn't even remotely true.

While that may be True, unfortunately it is Fact that class 5/LA 5 = class 10. Its that whole truth-is-subjective thing. Just about every player i've ever heard talk about LA agrees but still those are the rules as written. As to class 5//class 5 = class 10 even the designers admit it falls below that but above class 5//class 5 = class 5. Where exactly it falls depends on what gets combined and how well it meshes.

[Jeff the Green]

Yes, by RAW a Class 5/LA 5 has an ECL of 10. However, there is no RAW about how LA works in gestalt. There are two options, and one (it goes on one side) is more often used because it's the only way to play a lot of interesting monsters and results in better balance.

[The Ravensong]

I'm a big fan of Warlock/Unarmed Swordsage... With the proper item loadout it really doesn't even need a prestige class, but Hellfire Warlock and Enlightened Spirit will boost you a bit more.
For stats, I typically dump my lowest score into strength and focus on Dex, Wis, Con, and Cha in that order.
My build focuses on a finessed eldritch glaive using stances, boosts, and counters from swordsage (Since you can't use strikes with eldritch glaive) and upping my damage with gloves of eldritch admixture and a warlock's scepter (having multiple copies of either is good, but may subject you to dm lightning).
For those moments when you absolutely, positively, MUST use one of the strike abilities, you can channel hideous blow through your fist or your scepter to give your damage another boost.
One of my absolute favorite things about this build is it lets me feel like a firebender from Avatar.
I'm currently running a villain with this build (no prc) against my party, and at level 10, if he decides to nova out all his items and use a boost he can do two touch attacks that each deal 15d6+10 damage... though, I've already storylined why he won't just reach out and 30d6+20 murder the party.

As far as level adjustments go, I personally have told my party that the level adjustment will apply to both sides, and that racial hit dice will apply to only one.

[Jeff the Green]

I'm a big fan of Warlock/Unarmed Swordsage... With the proper item loadout it really doesn't even need a prestige class, but Hellfire Warlock and Enlightened Spirit will boost you a bit more.
For stats, I typically dump my lowest score into strength and focus on Dex, Wis, Con, and Cha in that order.
My build focuses on a finessed eldritch glaive using stances, boosts, and counters from swordsage (Since you can't use strikes with eldritch glaive) and upping my damage with gloves of eldritch admixture and a warlock's scepter (having multiple copies of either is good, but may subject you to dm lightning).
For those moments when you absolutely, positively, MUST use one of the strike abilities, you can channel hideous blow through your fist or your scepter to give your damage another boost.
One of my absolute favorite things about this build is it lets me feel like a firebender from Avatar.
I'm currently running a villain with this build (no prc) against my party, and at level 10, if he decides to nova out all his items and use a boost he can do two touch attacks that each deal 15d6+10 damage... though, I've already storylined why he won't just reach out and 30d6+20 murder the party.

It works really well with Eldritch claws, since you can use them with strikes. Also, Tiger Claw likes claws.

[The Ravensong]

It works really well with Eldritch claws, since you can use them with strikes. Also, Tiger Claw likes claws.
I'm going to plug my ears and pretend you didn't remind me of that. Even without nova-ing he's still almost too optimized for my party and I trying to cater to their play style. But I totally agree, Eldritch Claws is a much better choice than Hideous Blow. I'm just trying not to murder my party... again. But hey, Warlocks are underpowered, Right?

[Kazyan]

There are two options, and one (it goes on one side) is more often used because it's the only way to play a lot of interesting monsters and results in better balance.

I've rarely seen anyone actually go for any monsters that are neither Charisma engines nor Phaerimms. Dragons and Vampire Lords also come to mind. What interesting monsters?

[TypoNinja]

I'm going to plug my ears and pretend you didn't remind me of that. Even without nova-ing he's still almost too optimized for my party and I trying to cater to their play style. But I totally agree, Eldritch Claws is a much better choice than Hideous Blow. I'm just trying not to murder my party... again. But hey, Warlocks are underpowered, Right?

Well, elderitch Glaive gives you a polearm with reach, that you are allowed to full attack with for just a little bit more silly.

For a lot more silly, take a few feats and start TWFing with either end of the Glaive. Combine with a full BAB class for more attatcks sooner.

By the time you hit high enough level to start taking Hellfire warlock you'll be looking to borrow d6's from table mates, after Hellfire Warlock you pretty much have to resort to a dice roller app on your phone.

[Jeff the Green]

I've rarely seen anyone actually go for any monsters that are neither Charisma engines nor Phaerimms. Dragons and Vampire Lords also come to mind. What interesting monsters?

I listed a couple back a while ago. Pixies are fun, as are nymphs and dryads (use livewood for that; I homebrewed a class to focus on it at one point). Illithids at high levels. Templated monstrosities. Gloura. Lantern archons. Dragons, as you said. Miscellaneous lowish LA races like drow. Ixitxachitl. Those bear things in Frostburn. In my current gestalt game I'm playing a spellweaver, someone else is a tarrasque, another is an entropic reaper, another a karsite, and one... elf. Greenbound anything.

[ChaosArchon]

Psion//Paladin of Tyranny... you can be a sith :smallbiggrin:

[Taelas]

I've rarely seen anyone actually go for any monsters that are neither Charisma engines nor Phaerimms. Dragons and Vampire Lords also come to mind. What interesting monsters?

Trolls. Ettin. Ogre mages. Lycanthropes of every stripe. Ghosts and other intelligent undead. (Regular vampires, for instance, not just vampire lords.) Celestials and fiends.

Template-stacking's also a thing.

[Vhaidara]

I'm actually in a monstrous gestalt. We used the Brilliant Gameologists monster classes, so I'm playing a half-troll monster of legend titanic flail snail//telepath/thrallherd. I am a mountain. I have a village on my back.

[Shinken]

I'm going to plug my ears and pretend you didn't remind me of that. Even without nova-ing he's still almost too optimized for my party and I trying to cater to their play style. But I totally agree, Eldritch Claws is a much better choice than Hideous Blow. I'm just trying not to murder my party... again. But hey, Warlocks are underpowered, Right?

Also, Hideous Blow can't be used with strikes.

[NotScaryBats]

I love Gravetouched Ghouls. Something like Cleric 5 // GTG 2/Barbarian1/Fighter2 is a solid level 5 character.

[Solarix]

Mine is Fighter//Cleric , which makes me feel more paladinish than ever :P

Wizard//Archivist or Monk//Druid are fun to play with also.

[TypoNinja]

Trolls. Ettin. Ogre mages. Lycanthropes of every stripe. Ghosts and other intelligent undead. (Regular vampires, for instance, not just vampire lords.) Celestials and fiends.

Template-stacking's also a thing.

Anything with a fun theme that's generally considered a bad choice mechanically. Lycanthropes of all stripes as you indicated, are a great theme/concept, but most are poor choices due to lots of HRD and LA. With Gestalt Caster Lycanthropes become possible.

Succubi are a very iconic evil creature, and come with piles of stat boosts and spell likes, but again their best option for self improvement, casting, is hindered by high LA/RHD.

Really any monstrous race at all with a caster on the other side will produce something you can't normally play and won't usually see.

Play an Ettin, but with a twist, each head is each side of your gestalt, give them distinct personalities. They can aruge about what their actions are going to be (think the three headed knight in Monty Python.)

Rakshasas (or any other similar) get spell casting, and it specifically stacks with class level granted spellcasting. Many outsiders also gain casting, some even have more caster levels than HD. Any outsider at all + class levels on the other side is a decent choice. Outsider HD giving you all good saves and lots of skill points, and the best BAB.