Swashbuckling Necromancer

[FocusWolf413]

I have had a ton of character ideas lately, but I don't know how to put any of them together.

My newest idea is a pirate captain who is a necromancer. The following rules apply:

All pathfinder, DSP, and 3.5 materials are allowed, except dragon magazine.
Full gestalt.
He MUST be mostly human. Tiefling, aasimar, half elf, human, all human subraces, and anything else that's human enough works.
He needs to be able to animate dead, or do an equivalent.
He needs to be able to hold his own in melee combat. Full BAB is preferred, but medium can work.
He should have good dex.
I despise the Pathfinder swashbuckler class. No. Just no.

Thanks to all who help.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Dread necromancer would definitely be good on one side. It gives you all the necromancer goodness while letting you cast in light armor, which you will probably be wearing for that swashbuckler feel.

[nedz]

Just a rough sketch of a build here

Dread Necromancer 5 / Dread Witch 5 / Dread Necromancer +10 // Swashbuckler 1 / Hexblade 3 / Dread Pirate 10 / X 6

This is a fear based build so you want to pick up some feats from the fear handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8759).

LHS is Cha based and had 19 levels of DN casting.
RHS is more complex and you might run into issues with taking PrCs on both sides at the same time; you can just shuffle the levels if you like.
Swashbuckler 1 - free Weapon Finesse (Pre-req for Dread Pirate), BAB
Hexblade 3 - Mettle, BAB

You could exchange Dread Pirate for Scarlet Corsair - they are very similar.

[FocusWolf413]

Dread necromancer would definitely be good on one side. It gives you all the necromancer goodness while letting you cast in light armor, which you will probably be wearing for that swashbuckler feel.

The problem with that is I don't get animate dead until 8th level. The entire point of this is to have a ridiculous amount of undead minions. At mid levels, however, it's simply incredible.


Just a rough sketch of a build here

Dread Necromancer 5 / Dread Witch 5 / Dread Necromancer +10 // Swashbuckler 1 / Hexblade 3 / Dread Pirate 10 / X 6

This is a fear based build so you want to pick up some feats from the fear handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8759).

LHS is Cha based and had 19 levels of DN casting.
RHS is more complex and you might run into issues with taking PrCs on both sides at the same time; you can just shuffle the levels if you like.
Swashbuckler 1 - free Weapon Finesse (Pre-req for Dread Pirate), BAB
Hexblade 3 - Mettle, BAB

You could exchange Dread Pirate for Scarlet Corsair - they are very similar.

On second thought, DN is looking pretty good. I take that back.
I think I would replace swashbuckler with Unchained Rogue 3 and just delay everything else on that side a bit.

[Arutema]

For gestalt, how about Oracle (Bones Mystery) // Antipaladin (Maybe Knight of the Sepulcher archetype?) That'd give you Cha synergy on both sides of the gestalt. Be human, take weapon finesse and focus at 1st, slashing/fencing grace at 3rd.

Or just Oracle of Bones (again) // Fighter, to get all those pesky feats required for Dex-based combat as early as you can.

[ZamielVanWeber]

The problem with that is I don't get animate dead until 8th level. The entire point of this is to have a ridiculous amount of undead minions. At mid levels, however, it's simply incredible.

2 things:
1) A ridiculous amount of undead minions is typically a bad plan; they accomplish little by themselves and dramatically slow down combat. A few big, nasty, minions is typically a better deal.
2) Dread Necromancer gives a sizable boost to the total HD of minions you can control and upgrades them all. It is a very effective way of getting cool undead minions.

[atemu1234]

Bard / Dirgesinger may be fun. Silverbrow Human for DFI.

[FocusWolf413]

2 things:
1) A ridiculous amount of undead minions is typically a bad plan; they accomplish little by themselves and dramatically slow down combat. A few big, nasty, minions is typically a better deal.
2) Dread Necromancer gives a sizable boost to the total HD of minions you can control and upgrades them all. It is a very effective way of getting cool undead minions.

But I can't really get any until 8th besides that familiar.

[DrMotives]

But I can't really get any until 8th besides that familiar.

Clerics get animate dead at level 5, warlocks at level 6. Death Masters ( base class from Dragon Compendium) can animate dead at level 3, in addition to having their undead companion.

[daremetoidareyo]

Ghostwalk has this free +10 to intimidate checks available at first level. You just need to have died "gruesomely." Thing is, as a ghost, you have to advance class levels as an eidolon. That usually nixes mix and matching that other things. But you're gestalt, bro. Throw your necromancy on the other side and whip them bad guys to death. For another big easy bonus, consider taking human heritage and joining the Land of Honor affiliation in PHB2. Affiliation scores between 11 and 30 net you racial intimidate bonii between +2 to +6.

I'm currently working on a thayan slaver fear build that capitalizes on its ability to make people who fail opposed intimidation checks take 1 wisdom damage for every check. The idea is to make a dude who kills others through intimidation based wisdom damage.

[Deophaun]

I've been toying with a Dread Necro 20 // Oracle 15 + Dread Witch 5 build that might be able to pull it off. Early on, if undead hordes are your thing, you would use the Dread Necro's turns to power DMM:Fell Animate on offensive Oracle spells. Later, you would want to retrain/psychic reformation/DCS your feats to DMM:Persist a blade of pain and fear (or divine power if you want to go the boring route). Take the Lore mystery for Sidestep Secret and combine Lore Keeper with Knowledge Devotion and you get a nice Charisma SAD character that feels swashbuckler-ish in melee. (If you go the blade of pain and fear route, don't forget an Eternal Wand of true casting so you never have to worry about SR).

It doesn't do everything you want right off the bat, but it won't be underpowered.

[xyianth]

Full disclosure: I am not very familiar with Pathfinder stuff, so I'll stick to 3.5 content only. I will be assuming that the normal gestalt rules are in place, namely that you can only take 1 prestige class level each level and that you shouldn't advance things from one side with classes taken on the other side.

My recommendation is to be Silverbrow Human for the dragonblood subtype.

stat priority: dex>con/cha>wis/int>str
build(side 1): warlock 5/binder 1/warlock +7/chameleon 2/hellfire warlock 2/mindbender 1/hellfire warlock +1/paragnostic apostle 1
build(side 2): swashbuckler 1/sneak attack hit and run zhentarium soldier 4/scarlet corsair 6/thayan slaver 2/sneak attack hit and run zhentarium soldier +5/swordsage 2
feats: able learner[1], dreadful wrath[h], combat reflexes[3], imperious command[6], craven[9], staggering strike[12], dragonfire strike[15], mindsight[18]
invocations:

eldritch glaive: your pirate cutlass
baleful utterance: great for damaging parts of enemy ships
spiderwalk: for walking along ropes and clinging to ship masts
the dead walk: animate dead - (get this via extra invocation from chameleon)
brimstone blast: pre-req, fire can be useful sometimes
charm: pre-req, pirates should be charming right?
curse of despair: your pirate’s curse
chilling tentacles: unleash the kraken
vitriolic blast: more damage, bypass SR
nightmares made real: AoE entangle + greater invisibility for you and allies
dark foresight: supernatural pirate instincts
maneuvers(* = readied): shadow stride, mountain hammer, cloak of deception*, moment of perfect mind*, moment of alacrity*, rabid wolf strike, sudden leap*
stances(* = primary): stance of clarity, assassin's stance*
items: greater chasuble of fell power, rogue’s vest, fearsome armor, bracers of the hunter, gloves of dexterity +6, +5 dexterity tome, intimidate boosters
bind naberius for ability damage mitigation

enjoy 18d6 eldritch glaive with 12d6+20+dex sneak attack, swift action 30’ demoralize that cowers, free action feint, 100’ mindsight, and the ability to make virtually every magic item in the game
you can demoralize as a swift, move, and/or standard action; each demoralize cowers then shakes all within 30'; any successful demoralize deals 1 wisdom damage
you end up with a BAB of +18 (+19 with fractional BAB rules)

Admittedly, it is a little light on the necromancer aspect, but animate dead at-will during downtime should be sufficient to acquire an undead pirate crew. You can also create scrolls of any spell in the game, so animate dread warrior can help get you undead officers for your crew as well.

[FocusWolf413]

Clerics get animate dead at level 5, warlocks at level 6. Death Masters ( base class from Dragon Compendium) can animate dead at level 3, in addition to having their undead companion.

I was commenting on DN. It wasnkt a general comment.


Full disclosure: I am not very familiar with Pathfinder stuff, so I'll stick to 3.5 content only. I will be assuming that the normal gestalt rules are in place, namely that you can only take 1 prestige class level each level and that you shouldn't advance things from one side with classes taken on the other side.

My recommendation is to be Silverbrow Human for the dragonblood subtype.

stat priority: dex>con/cha>wis/int>str
build(side 1): warlock 5/binder 1/warlock +7/chameleon 2/hellfire warlock 2/mindbender 1/hellfire warlock +1/paragnostic apostle 1
build(side 2): swashbuckler 1/sneak attack hit and run zhentarium soldier 4/scarlet corsair 6/thayan slaver 2/sneak attack hit and run zhentarium soldier +5/swordsage 2
feats: able learner[1], dreadful wrath[h], combat reflexes[3], imperious command[6], craven[9], staggering strike[12], dragonfire strike[15], mindsight[18]
invocations:

eldritch glaive: your pirate cutlass
baleful utterance: great for damaging parts of enemy ships
spiderwalk: for walking along ropes and clinging to ship masts
the dead walk: animate dead - (get this via extra invocation from chameleon)
brimstone blast: pre-req, fire can be useful sometimes
charm: pre-req, pirates should be charming right?
curse of despair: your pirate’s curse
chilling tentacles: unleash the kraken
vitriolic blast: more damage, bypass SR
nightmares made real: AoE entangle + greater invisibility for you and allies
dark foresight: supernatural pirate instincts
maneuvers(* = readied): shadow stride, mountain hammer, cloak of deception*, moment of perfect mind*, moment of alacrity*, rabid wolf strike, sudden leap*
stances(* = primary): stance of clarity, assassin's stance*
items: greater chasuble of fell power, rogue’s vest, fearsome armor, bracers of the hunter, gloves of dexterity +6, +5 dexterity tome, intimidate boosters
bind naberius for ability damage mitigation

enjoy 18d6 eldritch glaive with 12d6+20+dex sneak attack, swift action 30’ demoralize that cowers, free action feint, 100’ mindsight, and the ability to make virtually every magic item in the game
you can demoralize as a swift, move, and/or standard action; each demoralize cowers then shakes all within 30'; any successful demoralize deals 1 wisdom damage
you end up with a BAB of +18 (+19 with fractional BAB rules)

Admittedly, it is a little light on the necromancer aspect, but animate dead at-will during downtime should be sufficient to acquire an undead pirate crew. You can also create scrolls of any spell in the game, so animate dread warrior can help get you undead officers for your crew as well.

I like this a lot more, although it took an unexpected route. I'd probably modify it a bit to make it more elegant, but that's not a big deal.
Where does it get dex to damage? Why is Silverbrow Human better in this case?

[xyianth]

I like this a lot more, although it took an unexpected route. I'd probably modify it a bit to make it more elegant, but that's not a big deal.
Where does it get dex to damage? Why is Silverbrow Human better in this case?

Dex to damage is from the hit and run fighter variant from drow of the underdark, it only applies on sneak attacks though. Silverbrow human gets you the dragonblood subtype, which qualifies you for the dragonfire strike feat. This boosts your sneak attack and allows you to convert it to energy damage, which can help bypass certain immunities. Since the build doesn't require too many skills besides intimidate, the loss of the bonus skill point isn't that big of a loss. Feel free to modify it as you like, I'm sure there is a more optimal order to things than what I posted.

[Taveena]

I mean my thought is somethin' like a Privateer Warlord/Oracle or Sorcerer/Battle Templar or Bladecaster. Or Privateer Stalker/Cleric/Battle Templar. Privateer gives you FULL PIRATE FLAVOR, and the caster side raises the dead.

I'd recommend grabbing the Unquiet Grave discipline with one of the many swapping methods, so that you can have necromantic initiation AND necromantic spells. Twofer!

[Andezzar]

that you shouldn't advance things from one side with classes taken on the other side.Where is that rule?

[xyianth]

Where is that rule?

Huh, apparently nowhere but my brain. Sorry about that. I don't usually build/play gestalt so I may have been acting on a houserule. Just ignore that part.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I would recommend incorporating dread necromancer 8/horned harbinger 2 on one side, and adding consumptive field (via advanced learning) with incantatrix 3 persistomancy as well, plus perhaps circle magic (the circle magic classes don't like pirates, fluff-wise, although privateering for Thay could work). That way, enemies at negative health are automatically killed, and increase your strength and caster level, while not harming your undead crew at all. In addition, you get a caster level of 60, as long as you have people to contribute spell slots, such as decently high-levelled undead casters under your control.

Horned Harbinger is from Faiths & Pantheons. It adds your charisma modifier to your caster level for animate dead, and grants that as SLA 1/day. You also get permanent deathwatch, the Death domain, rebuke undead and a crown of bone horns (double damage on a charge, and finessable, because it's a natural weapon).

If Dragonlance is allowed, get Sea Mage, from Towers of High Sorcery. Lots of fun, cast enervation from the rigging or deck, nobody's the wiser where you are.

[FocusWolf413]

I would recommend incorporating dread necromancer 8/horned harbinger 2 on one side, and adding consumptive field (via advanced learning) with incantatrix 3 persistomancy as well, plus perhaps circle magic (the circle magic classes don't like pirates, fluff-wise, although privateering for Thay could work). That way, enemies at negative health are automatically killed, and increase your strength and caster level, while not harming your undead crew at all. In addition, you get a caster level of 60, as long as you have people to contribute spell slots, such as decently high-levelled undead casters under your control.

Horned Harbinger is from Faiths & Pantheons. It adds your charisma modifier to your caster level for animate dead, and grants that as SLA 1/day. You also get permanent deathwatch, the Death domain, rebuke undead and a crown of bone horns (double damage on a charge, and finessable, because it's a natural weapon).

If Dragonlance is allowed, get Sea Mage, from Towers of High Sorcery. Lots of fun, cast enervation from the rigging or deck, nobody's the wiser where you are.

I usually appreciate TO stuff, but I'm actually going to play the necropirate eventually.

I'll use Horned Harbinger.

[Abithrios]

I mean my thought is somethin' like a Privateer Warlord/Oracle or Sorcerer/Battle Templar or Bladecaster. Or Privateer Stalker/Cleric/Battle Templar. Privateer gives you FULL PIRATE FLAVOR, and the caster side raises the dead.

I'd recommend grabbing the Unquiet Grave discipline with one of the many swapping methods, so that you can have necromantic initiation AND necromantic spells. Twofer!

I am surprised it took so long for someone to mention warlord or stalker. Using traits/traditions to change disciplines could get you the curse based ones could get you a darker flavor if you want that. Scarlet throne seems swashbucklerish.