PsiWar/Totemist build

[torrasque666]

I had a realization today. For a psionic theruge incarnum build, totemist is probably the most efficient class to use. You don't get any chakra unlocks wasted (only requires binding to one meld while the PrC unlocks the rest) and it got me thinking about making one using totemist and psiwar. Psions aren't exactly the beefiest chassis to work from for a melee build.

So i'm coming here looking for advice. Most any 3.5 sources are allowed, though I detest Dragon Magazine and Forgotten Realms.

Looking for advice for feats, race selection (templates?), and class dips.

Stats were rolled as 18, 16, 16, 14, 13, 10

[torrasque666]

Anyone? Anyone at all?

[Xaotiq1]

What role in melee are you looking to fill? Are you ubercharging, lockdown?

[Pluto!]

I know BA is far from the end-all be-all of combat classes, especially natural weapons users, but I don't think half BA goes well without some bigger numerical boosts than you're getting with these classes - at least until Metamorphosis becomes an option.

What could actually work very well for a Totemist/Psychic Warrior might be dipping 2 levels Totemist before going full Psychic Warrior (or PsyWar 8/Slayer 10). This would give you a couple soulmelds and the all-important Totem bind. Then Psionic Open Chakra would facilitate further deeper totem binds, and actually do it at a reasonable rate. You wouldn't miss out much from the lost essentia (unless you're going deep in a grappling build) due to the redundancy between essentia rewards and the PsyWar's native powers.

The natural course for a build like this would probably be a variant King of Smack styled natural weapons user. The necessary powers for that sort of build are Expansion, Metamorphosis, Claws of the Vampire and Hustle, and the most critical feats are Linked Power, Psionic Meditation, Multiattack, Rapid Strike and Improved Rapid Strike. With the Incarnum element added, you could also tie in Midnight Augmentation and possibly Psycarnum Infusion for simulated essentia.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Psion is actually a lot better for a psionic gish type character. Totemist 2/ Psion 3/ Soul Manifester (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a) 10/ Psionic Abjurant Champion 5 is a pretty build, if you don't mind the BAB loss (natural weapons don't get iterative attacks anyway). You can get a Psicrystal and keep Share Pain active on it so you take half damage from every source of damage, and the Psicrystal's Hardness 8 reduces every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain by that much. Keep it in a compartment on your person so opponents don't have line of sight/effect to it and can't target it directly or hit it with area effects. Give it a Healing Belt that it can use on you during combat when needed. You can share buffs and beneficial powers with it, such as Vigor and Body Adjustment (or Psionic Repair Damage if you're Warforged).

I was actually going to build this exact character a while back, but opted for a Beguiler instead due to party needs. Adamantine Body doesn't have any drawbacks for either class, you can get the Quick trait (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) to fix the speed reduction, and your speed is reduced by the feat, not because of being armored, so you can still use Tumble (trade Ride for it as a class skill (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a)). Warforged have a natural slam attack that adds 1.5x Str to damage, which is useful if you're using a shield, or it's just an extra attack with all the rest of them. There are feats you can get to gain additional natural weapons (Jaws of Death, Dragon Tail if you become Dragonborn which has negligible drawbacks on a Warforged with the right interpretation, Deepspawn, etc.), and be sure to get Multiattack. In the game I was going to play that character we were allowed to take two flaws, plus characters had tons of opportunities to gain additional feats for story/setting reasons.


If you prefer Psychic Warrior powers, I would recommend using War Mind (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/warMind.htm) instead. You could go Totemist 5 into War Mind if you get Knowledge Devotion at 3rd to make Knowledge: Psionics a class skill, and Totemist gets enough of the right Knowledge skills and enough skill points to actually make that a useful feat anyway. Don't forget to take Practiced Manifester, and consider including Sanctified Mind from Heroes of Horror to finish out the build, War Mind doesn't gain additional powers or base power points beyond its 10th level but you can still have a higher manifester level for bonus power points, durations, and augmenting powers.

If you just want to use Wis and a tankier chassis, Ardent with Substitute Powers (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) is a superb choice for a multiclass character as long as you have Practiced Manifester, due to how the highest level powers you can choose is determined for that class.

[torrasque666]

What role in melee are you looking to fill? Are you ubercharging, lockdown?
I don't focus on particular roles as I go more for a theme instead. yeah yeah, "flavor is mutable blah blah blah" but flavor can't make manufactured weapons into natural weapons and that's what I want to do, a metric crapton of natural weapons, in as many ways that I don't have to repeatedly expend daily resources to keep up all day(Power points, spell slots, etc), augmented by psionics to hit like a truck.

I was mostly going for the PsyWar because I know that they have a decent amount of buffing powers, medium BAB (and I'd like to keep it as high as possible, using only published classes, not psionic variants of caster classes, so no abjurant champion[abjuration isn't even a thing with psionics, the closest is a few metacreativity powers]) and taking Expanded Knowledge for Metamorphasis.

[Xaotiq1]

Well, I'd say start with a Dragonborn (Dragon Magic) Warforged (ECS), or Elan (XPH). If you go Warforged, you can take Jaws of Death and Dragonborn can get you a tail attack. Girallon Arms and the Form of Doom will be of assistance.

Feats like Multi-attack, Bonus Essentia, and Shape Soulmeld can help you make the most of your attacks.