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Tokiko Mima
2007-05-03, 12:51 PM
Hi!

I have a campaign going where I'm using the material for 'Expedition to Castle Ravenloft' but to spice it up a bit I'm making the encounters closer together and more per day, so I decided to allow Gestalt characters. My question is that Strahd is listed as a CR 15 vampire that is a 10 wizard(necromancer, prohibited schools illusion and abjuration) and I was looking to gestalt him into something more interesting and more challenging for the players.

The guy was a holy-ish warrior before he was a vampire. So I'm thinking Fallen Paladin/Corrupted Avenger for one half of his build. Is there something better and more appropriate for Strahd? He's not a Blackguard, or at least I don't think so, so that wouldn't work.

For the other side, is 10 necromancer the best "necromancer" type class, or would Dread/True Necromancer be better?

If you had to build Strahd von Zarovich (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strahd_von_Zarovich) as a level 10 Gestalt, how would you do it?

Ponce
2007-05-03, 01:35 PM
CoDzilla is a good choice, the vampire ability score spread helps in this regard.

The archivist can also work; the int-based divine spellcasting synergises with his wizard levels, but it lacks the power that would be represented in his combat skills.

Favored Soul (Complete Divine) suits him well. Good combative ability combined with innate divine spellcasting without alignment restriction. Again, the charisma boost granted from the vampire template will help in this regard.

I generally avoid PrCs like True Necromancer that grant dual spell progression in gestalt. Double spellcasting advancement on one side with a melee class on the other is a little much. Then again, you are making Strahd. Perhaps True Necromancer/Blackguard in his later levels. Blackguard isn't exactly powerful, but it suits him, and the first 5 levels are worth it, since you already have full Arcane/Divine spellcasting.

Ikkitosen
2007-05-03, 01:57 PM
Yeah, your melee build one side and dread necro the other would be cool. Wizard is more accurate though, and he was supposed to be quite clever...

Amiria
2007-05-03, 03:01 PM
Hmm, how about Warblade/Wizard(Necromancer) ? Nice Int synergy and saving throws. Level 10 means two 5th level maneuvers and one 5th level stance ! Yay !

EvilElitest
2007-05-03, 07:25 PM
What are his states in the Raven loft champain setting?
from,
EE

Tokiko Mima
2007-05-03, 07:28 PM
Would that be better than Lifedrinker from BoVD? Someone suggested it as a great PrC for vampires.

I think I definately want to give Strahd some BoVD spells. Grim Revenge? You rip off an arm of an adversary for 6d6 damage, then it animates as a wraith to attack it's former possessor? That's totally evil necromancer.

Innis Cabal
2007-05-03, 07:30 PM
honestly? Dread Necro/Wizard....know it seems redundant but thats alot of spells to be throwing around

Tokiko Mima
2007-05-03, 07:33 PM
What are his states in the Raven loft champain setting?
from,
EE

In his human form he has an 18 Str, 16 Dex, -- Con, 20 Int, 17 Wis, 16 Cha. He's also statted out for various animal forms(bat, dire bat, dire wolf, etc.) where his Str and Dex get up to 22-25. He doesn't wear any armor now that I check.. hmm..

Tokiko Mima
2007-05-03, 07:36 PM
Would it be excessive to triple gestalt him? 3 classes in one! :p

No one said killing D&D's most famous vampire would be easy!

Annarrkkii
2007-05-03, 09:22 PM
From what I know about him, he is more of a spooky mage than a necromancer, per se. There are quite a few undead goonies, granted, but necromancy was more of a fear-factor/flavor thing. I feel Archivist suits him best, and, if you want the other half to be combatative, I see no reason not to follow your fallen paladin/corrupted avenger path. However, he will be more effective, particularly if you do end up armoring him, if you consider Knight over fallen paladin, for purely mechanical reasons.

Gwenfloor
2007-05-03, 10:03 PM
The Strahd in the 3rd Edition White Wolf Ravenloft was a multi-class Fighter/Necromancer. If I were to gestalt him, I would use those two classes.

Caelestion
2007-05-04, 04:56 AM
In life, Strahd was never a paladin or a knight. He was a Russian-style warlord, presumably somewhere from Faerūn, who believed in law and order and who was very mediaeval about it.

It wasn't until the deaths of Tatiana and his brother that Strahd became the Ancient vampire we love today and Ravenloft was formed for him. In the 400 years since that happened (the Ravenloft campaign calendar uses Barovian dating), Strahd has become a powerful necromancer - dual-class Fighter 12/Mage (Nec) 16 if I recall 2nd Edition correctly.