Help me build Gix!

[terrymcginnis]

Hello there! I am coming to you all today because I am looking for suggestions and input on how to design or at least get started in creating the character Gix from the original Magic the Gathering storylines. For those who are uncertain as to who that is here is what he looks like.

http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/arcana/1698_gix.jpg

Here's a brief bit of information about him here. (http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Gix)

Since Gix was born human I will be going with that as my base probably use Azlanti variant. This game will be using a combination of D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder stuff so yeah. Here is what I have to work with.

Start Level: 5 Gestalt Rules
Starting Stats: 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, and 13 to place where ever I want.
D&D 3.5 Flaw's Rules: Start with 2 flaws to get 2 bonus feats.
Pathfinder Traits: Start with two traits. (More if I use a feat)
Starting Gold: 10,500 gp
Alignment Constrictions: None I will most likely be going Neutral Evil.
Books Available: Any D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder books as long as they are not 3rd Party.
Bonuses: Able to have take Prestige classes on both sides if I want.
Setting: The game will be taking place in Eberron other than that I know little about the campaign itself.
Crafting rules: Pathfinder so Crafting will not cost EXP, and Craft Reserve from the Artificer class will be changed to gold instead of EXP.

I would like to have the level 5 build down and then plan out to at least level 15. So any thoughts & suggestions? I greatly appreciate your help. Also I don't expect to look like the above right away but I would like to get to something close to that eventually. :D

[A_S]

What are the abilities that most define Gix's canonical capabilities? I see some stuff in his backstory on that wiki about having played both sides of a war against each other, which suggests some diplomancy and/or proficiency with Enchantment/Illusion magic. He also apparently replaced himself over time with mechanical parts, which brings to mind the Renegade Mastermaker PrC from Magic of Eberron.

What other things do you want a character to be able to do that will help it feel like you're playing Gix? The more we know, the better we'll be able to advise.

[terrymcginnis]

What are the abilities that most define Gix's canonical capabilities? I see some stuff in his backstory on that wiki about having played both sides of a war against each other, which suggests some diplomancy and/or proficiency with Enchantment/Illusion magic. He also apparently replaced himself over time with mechanical parts, which brings to mind the Renegade Mastermaker PrC from Magic of Eberron.

What other things do you want a character to be able to do that will help it feel like you're playing Gix? The more we know, the better we'll be able to advise.

A basic run down from what I read Gix was a master of Black Magic usually things involving the mind and death but he was also incredibly good with machines his forte being to replace the parts of himself and others with mechanical enhancements lots of them having some abilities that allowed him to control/manipulate others such as ripping information directly from their minds. Obviously he had mechanically augmented physical capabilities. But as you said manipulation was his favorite go to method either through getting people to worship machines/phyrexia or through fear tactics.

[A_S]

A basic run down from what I read Gix was a master of Black Magic usually things involving the mind and death but he was also incredibly good with machines his forte being to replace the parts of himself and others with mechanical enhancements lots of them having some abilities that allowed him to control/manipulate others such as ripping information directly from their minds. Obviously he had mechanically augmented physical capabilities. But as you said manipulation was his favorite go to method either through getting people to worship machines/phyrexia or through fear tactics.
OK, so that definitely has Renegade Mastermaker written all over it to me. It's a class whose schtick is that you're a member of the house that used to make the Warforged, and you do more and more illicit flesh-replacement experiments on yourself and others until you eventually make yourself into a quasi-Warforged, gaining the Construct type (and the Living Construct subtype) as your capstone.

It gets 8/10 casting progression, which is plenty for Gestalt (just take something that advances casting on the other side on levels where it doesn't), and lots of nifty I-am-a-cyborg bonuses along the way, which are mostly good for gishing.

Since you're playing Gestalt, there's plenty of room for one or two more gimmicks in the build. You mentioned fear tactics; you could easily fit 5 levels of Dread Witch and go with something like a Fell Frighten-based fear-and-gish build.

There may also be stuff in Pathfinder sources that would work; I'm a lot more knowledgeable about 3.5 stuff.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'm going to agree that Renegade Mastermaker is the way to go on this. As a gestalt character, I'd go Wizard//Artificer 5 into that, and after it's maxed out pick up Effigy Master in CA.

[terrymcginnis]

OK, so that definitely has Renegade Mastermaker written all over it to me. It's a class whose schtick is that you're a member of the house that used to make the Warforged, and you do more and more illicit flesh-replacement experiments on yourself and others until you eventually make yourself into a quasi-Warforged, gaining the Construct type (and the Living Construct subtype) as your capstone.

It gets 8/10 casting progression, which is plenty for Gestalt (just take something that advances casting on the other side on levels where it doesn't), and lots of nifty I-am-a-cyborg bonuses along the way, which are mostly good for gishing.

Since you're playing Gestalt, there's plenty of room for one or two more gimmicks in the build. You mentioned fear tactics; you could easily fit 5 levels of Dread Witch and go with something like a Fell Frighten-based fear-and-gish build.

There may also be stuff in Pathfinder sources that would work; I'm a lot more knowledgeable about 3.5 stuff.

Yeah my original idea was to go full progression of Artificer on one side and then take Renegade Master Master on the other side with something else that would help me survive the long haul. Obviously my primary Stats would be Intelligence and Charisma lol. What book is Dread Witch in? :)


I'm going to agree that Renegade Mastermaker is the way to go on this. As a gestalt character, I'd go Wizard//Artificer 5 into that, and after it's maxed out pick up Effigy Master in CA.

So by level 15 my classes should look like this? Wizard 15 ~ Artificer 5/Renegade Mastermaker 10? :)

[A_S]

Yeah my original idea was to go full progression of Artificer on one side and then take Renegade Master Master on the other side with something else that would help me survive the long haul. Obviously my primary Stats would be Intelligence and Charisma lol. What book is Dread Witch in? :)
Heroes of Horror. It's a 4/5 Arcane advancement class that gives big bonuses to Intimidate and [fear] spells, most importantly the ability to frighten enemies that are normally immune to fear.

I hadn't thought of Effigy Master, but it's definitely a nifty option for hordes-of-robots play.

Here's what I'd come up with:

1 - Wizard 1 // Duskblade 1 - Precocious Apprentice (Scare), Iron Will (b), Extend Spell (flaw), whatever else (flaw)
2 - Wizard 2 // Human Paragon 1
3 - Wizard 3 // Dread Witch 1 - Craft Wondrous Item
4 - Dread Witch 2 // Duskblade 2
5 - Dread Witch 3 // Human Paragon 2 - Craft Magic Arms and Armor (b)
6 - Dread Witch 4 // Renegade Mastermaker 1 - Fell Frighten
7 - Renegade Mastermaker 2 // Duskblade 3
8 - Renegade Mastermaker 3 // Human Paragon 3
9 - Renegade Mastermaker 4 // Incantatrix 1 - Arcane Strike, Persistent Spell (b)
10 - Renegade Mastermaker 5 // Incantatrix 2
11 - Renegade Mastermaker 6 // Incantatrix 3
12 - Incantatrix 4 // Renegade Mastermaker 7 - Craft Construct, Fell Drain (b)
13 - Renegade Mastermaker 8 // Incantatrix 5
14 - Renegade Mastermaker 9 // Incantatrix 6
15 - Renegade Mastermaker 10 // Dread Witch 5 - Practical Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
I went with straight Wizard casting, rather than mixing it up with Artificers, and focused on gishing and fear casting. Idea is to use Incantatrix to apply Fell Drain and Fell Frighten to all your spells, so everything you do also stacks fear and negative levels on your enemies.

-----

Going dual-progression Wizard and Artificer is definitely also super cool though. If you go that route, I'd look to take advantage of the fact that you're being allowed to do PrC's on both sides and find something more interesting than Wizard 15 for that side. You could even grab Effigy Master on that side to get in on it before you're done with Renegade Mastermaker.

[terrymcginnis]

Heroes of Horror. It's a 4/5 Arcane advancement class that gives big bonuses to Intimidate and [fear] spells, most importantly the ability to frighten enemies that are normally immune to fear.

I hadn't thought of Effigy Master, but it's definitely a nifty option for hordes-of-robots play.

Here's what I'd come up with:

1 - Wizard 1 // Duskblade 1 - Precocious Apprentice (Scare), Iron Will (b), Extend Spell (flaw), whatever else (flaw)
2 - Wizard 2 // Human Paragon 1
3 - Wizard 3 // Dread Witch 1 - Craft Wondrous Item
4 - Dread Witch 2 // Duskblade 2
5 - Dread Witch 3 // Human Paragon 2 - Craft Magic Arms and Armor (b)
6 - Dread Witch 4 // Renegade Mastermaker 1 - Fell Frighten
7 - Renegade Mastermaker 2 // Duskblade 3
8 - Renegade Mastermaker 3 // Human Paragon 3
9 - Renegade Mastermaker 4 // Incantatrix 1 - Arcane Strike, Persistent Spell (b)
10 - Renegade Mastermaker 5 // Incantatrix 2
11 - Renegade Mastermaker 6 // Incantatrix 3
12 - Incantatrix 4 // Renegade Mastermaker 7 - Craft Construct, Fell Drain (b)
13 - Renegade Mastermaker 8 // Incantatrix 5
14 - Renegade Mastermaker 9 // Incantatrix 6
15 - Renegade Mastermaker 10 // Dread Witch 5 - Practical Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
I went with straight Wizard casting, rather than mixing it up with Artificers, and focused on gishing and fear casting. Idea is to use Incantatrix to apply Fell Drain and Fell Frighten to all your spells, so everything you do also stacks fear and negative levels on your enemies.

-----

Going dual-progression Wizard and Artificer is definitely also super cool though. If you go that route, I'd look to take advantage of the fact that you're being allowed to do PrC's on both sides and find something more interesting than Wizard 15 for that side. You could even grab Effigy Master on that side to get in on it before you're done with Renegade Mastermaker.

That build looks pretty cool! I am actually highly considering it. :) Though a thought just occurred to me.

Construct Exemplar: At 10th level, you have reached your version of perfection and become a living construct. Your type changes to living construct and you gain all the traits of that type (see the EBERRON Campaign Setting). You are treated as a warforged for the purpose of meeting any requirements or prerequisites. You also gain a bonus warforged feat. You can even select a warforged feat that normally requires you to be 1st level, such as Mithral Body.

Wouldn't turning myself into a Warforged potentially give me a constant possible arcane spell failure? Especially if I took one of the body feats? o.o

Edit: Never mind I just looked up the Dusk blade and figured out they ignore arcane spell failure. XD

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

So by level 15 my classes should look like this? Wizard 15 ~ Artificer 5/Renegade Mastermaker 10? :)

Artificer gets a lot more class features than Wizard, and you can take a Wizard level with Renegade Mastermaker's 1st and 7th levels to not lose any of its spellcasting. So I would make it Wizard 5/ Renegade Mastermaker 10// Artificer 5/ Wizard 1/ Artificer 5/ Wizard 1/ Artificer 3 at level 15.

[A_S]

That build looks pretty cool! I am actually highly considering it. :) Though a thought just occurred to me.

Construct Exemplar: At 10th level, you have reached your version of perfection and become a living construct. Your type changes to living construct and you gain all the traits of that type (see the EBERRON Campaign Setting). You are treated as a warforged for the purpose of meeting any requirements or prerequisites. You also gain a bonus warforged feat. You can even select a warforged feat that normally requires you to be 1st level, such as Mithral Body.

Wouldn't turning myself into a Warforged potentially give me a constant possible arcane spell failure? Especially if I took one of the body feats? o.o

Edit: Never mind I just looked up the Dusk blade and figured out they ignore arcane spell failure. XD
Duskblade's ability to ignore ASF only applies to Duskblade spells.

However, you'd only gain ASF in the first place if you took one of the body feats other than Unarmored Body. You only gain the traits of the Construct (Living Construct) type and subtype (e.g., immunity to poison); you don't gain the racial traits of Warforged (e.g., the default Warforged body, with its AC bonus, Armor Check penalty, and ASF). You are only considered a Warforged for prerequisite purposes; not for all purposes.

[terrymcginnis]

Awesome! Thank's for the input guys! :3

How does this look for starting stats at level 5?

Str: 14 (2)
Dex: 16 (3)
Con: 15 (2)
Int: 20 (5) ~Used Pathfinder human rules so got a +2 to any one stat~
Wis: 13 (1)
Cha: 18 (4) ~Put the 17 here and made it an 18 with my +1 stat up at level 4~

[A_S]

Pretty reasonable for any of the suggestions we've put forth so far. Putting such a high stat in Cha might not be the most min-maxed thing in the world, but if you're planning in investing in some social skills, it'll help you with those, and it sounded like that was part of what the character was supposed to do (be effectively manipulative).

[terrymcginnis]

Pretty reasonable for any of the suggestions we've put forth so far. Putting such a high stat in Cha might not be the most min-maxed thing in the world, but if you're planning in investing in some social skills, it'll help you with those, and it sounded like that was part of what the character was supposed to do (be effectively manipulative).

Awesome thanks again for the help! :) I am gonna try and figure out my last feat & my spell list as well as determine how I have to spend all my skill points at each level. I greatly appreciate the help and input. :3