Help? Have level or two to spare in a gestalt build. Thinking of dipping for psionics

[Windrammer]

I'm making a flavorful gestalt character (semi-tripping warblade with reach weapon) and I have one spare level in the build I want to dip somewhere. I'm thinking of dipping into Psionics, but I know far too little of Psionics to know how to best handle this, so I was hoping you guys could give some pointers as to what my options are. As it stands I would just dip in psion and put the psychic enhancement on the weapon. Or suggest something cooler than psionics.

The only thing to keep in mind is that I'm expecting this to just end up as an NPC. This is less optimization and more making something viable and thematically pleasing.

For the curious - one side is warblade all the way, the other is fighter 4, elemental warrior 4, kensai 10.
I only took Elemental Warrior to 4 for RP reasons, but I'm open to scrapping that and/or some of the Kensai.


The full build, as it stands, for those who care (edited in a couple psychic warrior levels in lieu of fighter levels to see how it looks. Thanks Whambamsam!)

http://i.imgur.com/YSiG5R8.png

[WhamBamSam]

A PsyWar dip leading into Psionic Weapon->Deep Impact+Psionic Meditation goes nicely with the Nightmare Blade maneuvers, since it allows you to really load up on Power Attack, thanks to how easy touch attacks are to land.

Speaking of, you'll probably want Power Attack somewhere in that build. Apart from anything else, you're taking Cleave, which you don't qualify for without it.

If you want something simpler, you could just dip PsyWar for regular Fighter feats. Just having a PP pool means you can gain Psionic Focus, which you can then expend to take 15 on a Concentration check, such as those required for various Diamond Mind maneuvers.

[Windrammer]

A PsyWar dip leading into Psionic Weapon->Deep Impact+Psionic Meditation goes nicely with the Nightmare Blade maneuvers, since it allows you to really load up on Power Attack, thanks to how easy touch attacks are to land.

Speaking of, you'll probably want Power Attack somewhere in that build. Apart from anything else, you're taking Cleave, which you don't qualify for without it.

If you want something simpler, you could just dip PsyWar for regular Fighter feats. Just having a PP pool means you can gain Psionic Focus, which you can then expend to take 15 on a Concentration check, such as those required for various Diamond Mind maneuvers.

Noted!
And Power Attack is actually in there, as something granted by a flaw, along with Shorten Grip. I just stupidly cropped it out.

Anyways, thanks again for the suggestions. That was even juicier than I was expecting. I can cut out two levels of fighter and take Psychic Warrior instead. More power points!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Considering Warblade qualifies you for everything that requires Fighter levels and I don't see Dungeoncrasher, you should absolutely replace the Fighter levels with Feat Rogue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) or maybe even Psychic Warrior (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psychicWarrior.htm). If you get Feat Rogue 2+, replace Evasion with Spell Reflection in CM and keep Wall of Blades readied. Psychic Warrior can use Soulbound Weapon (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) to get an improved version of Call Weaponry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/callWeaponry.htm) that makes it actually playable, though I wouldn't gestalt it with Warblade mostly due to base saves.

Consider throwing in some kind of spellcasting. Get a level of Sorcerer or Wizard or Spellthief or Suel Arcanamach, and use (Wand of) Wraithstrike (in a wand chamber on your weapon). Sorcerer also enables you to use (Wand of) Wings of Cover, among other spells. Wizard (Conjurer) would get you Abrupt Jaunt in PH2.

If you're going to use psionics, you want enough levels to get Share Pain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/sharePain.htm) and a high enough manifester level (Practiced Manifester is +4) to keep it active all day. Get Psicrystal Affinity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#psicrystalAffinity), get a Nimble or Resolved Psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals), and keep Share Pain on it at all times. You'll take half damage from all sources, and the Psicrystal's Hardness 8 reduces every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain by that much, regardless of the original attack's damage type. Put a Healing Belt from MIC on the Psicrystal and it can activate that to heal you during combat when needed. Keep the Psicrystal 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. When you manifest other powers such as Body Adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bodyAdjustment.htm) and Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) you can share them with the Psicrystal. Note that psionic powers never have any somatic, verbal, or material components, so as long as you can take mental actions you can use Psionic Freedom of Movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/freedomofMovementPsionic.htm) or similar.

I would honestly just change it to Warblade 20// Psion 20 (or Psion 5/ Psionic Paragnostic Apostle 5/ Psionic Abjurant Champion 5/ Arch Psion (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20021122b) 5), considering you can do so much with high level buffs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?358732-I-need-a-lot-of-easily-playable-builds#4).

[Windrammer]

Considering Warblade qualifies you for everything that requires Fighter levels and I don't see Dungeoncrasher, you should absolutely replace the Fighter levels with Feat Rogue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) or maybe even Psychic Warrior (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psychicWarrior.htm). If you get Feat Rogue 2+, replace Evasion with Spell Reflection in CM and keep Wall of Blades readied. Psychic Warrior can use Soulbound Weapon (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) to get an improved version of Call Weaponry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/callWeaponry.htm) that makes it actually playable, though I wouldn't gestalt it with Warblade mostly due to base saves.

Consider throwing in some kind of spellcasting. Get a level of Sorcerer or Wizard or Spellthief or Suel Arcanamach, and use (Wand of) Wraithstrike (in a wand chamber on your weapon). Sorcerer also enables you to use (Wand of) Wings of Cover, among other spells. Wizard (Conjurer) would get you Abrupt Jaunt in PH2.

If you're going to use psionics, you want enough levels to get Share Pain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/sharePain.htm) and a high enough manifester level (Practiced Manifester is +4) to keep it active all day. Get Psicrystal Affinity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#psicrystalAffinity), get a Nimble or Resolved Psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals), and keep Share Pain on it at all times. You'll take half damage from all sources, and the Psicrystal's Hardness 8 reduces every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain by that much, regardless of the original attack's damage type. Put a Healing Belt from MIC on the Psicrystal and it can activate that to heal you during combat when needed. Keep the Psicrystal 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. When you manifest other powers such as Body Adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bodyAdjustment.htm) and Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) you can share them with the Psicrystal. Note that psionic powers never have any somatic, verbal, or material components, so as long as you can take mental actions you can use Psionic Freedom of Movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/freedomofMovementPsionic.htm) or similar.

I would honestly just change it to Warblade 20// Psion 20 (or Psion 5/ Psionic Paragnostic Apostle 5/ Psionic Abjurant Champion 5/ Arch Psion (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20021122b) 5), considering you can do so much with high level buffs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?358732-I-need-a-lot-of-easily-playable-builds#4).

I appreciate the advice but I think you've dramatically misunderstood the concept here. This isn't an attempt at the best warblade-based gestalt build. It's an NPC. This is a build with a specific theme in mind, and I've accomplished what I needed in that regard. Elemental Warrior is INTEGRAL to this build, themewise. I just have a few levels to spare, and I am most certainly NOT going to spend them on a spellcaster, because that's thematically incongruent and slightly uncool. I considered it for only taking spells that make sense with the elemental warrior theme but it doesn't work out.

But the Feat Rogue was a great suggestion, thank you for that.

[Troacctid]

If you're willing to spare five levels instead of one, War Mind has excellent synergy with maneuvers. It allows you to use a strike against two targets simultaneously.

[Windrammer]

If you're willing to spare five levels instead of one, War Mind has excellent synergy with maneuvers. It allows you to use a strike against two targets simultaneously.

Sweeping Strike (Ex)
At 5th level, a war mind gains the ability to make great, sweeping swings with a melee weapon. On each melee attack a war mind makes, he can choose squares he threatens that are adjacent to each other, and his attacks apply to creatures in those two squares equally. A war mind can use this ability on any attack, even an attack of opportunity or a cleave attempt.

Oooh that's really tempting, but it's more than the build can give. I'm definitely going to use this should I make a more optimal gestalt warblade/psionic as a PC.