Gish using Barbarian?

[danielxcutter]

Is it possible? By gish I mean +16 BAB or higher and 9th level spells. And it would help if there's a way to cast while raging. Annoyingly, Rightous Wrath doesn't work that way.

No, I am not looking for Runescarred Berserker or Rage Mage, unless you can hit the benchmark by using the latter.

[Venger]

Is it possible? By gish I mean +16 BAB or higher and 9th level spells. And it would help if there's a way to cast while raging. Annoyingly, Rightous Wrath doesn't work that way.

No, I am not looking for Runescarred Berserker or Rage Mage, unless you can hit the benchmark by using the latter.

those are the only ways to cast spells while raging. runescarred berserker grants 5ths via unique progression, and rage mage loses 5 caster levels, so neither will let you accomplish your goals.

[flappeercraft]

Dragonwrought Loredrake Spellhoarding Earth Kobold Barbarian 1/Wizard 6/Rage Mage 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Swiftblade 4 works.

[Darrin]

Most basic Gish stubs use a dip of Fighter or Paladin. Replacing that dip with Barbarian doesn't change too much.

Barb 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Something 7

Barb 2/Sorcerer 4/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 8

Barb 2/Bard 7/Eldritch Knight 1/Sublime Chord 2/EK +8

[Psyren]

something something Ur-Priest+Divine Power?

[Venger]

or just a standard sacrilegious fist

[flappeercraft]

Most basic Gish stubs use a dip of Fighter or Paladin. Replacing that dip with Barbarian doesn't change too much.

Barb 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Something 7

Barb 2/Sorcerer 4/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 8

Barb 2/Bard 7/Eldritch Knight 1/Sublime Chord 2/EK +8

You need heavy armor proficiency for Spellsword so changing fighter with barbarian makes you need to take a feat to replace that

[Thurbane]

those are the only ways to cast spells while raging. runescarred berserker grants 5ths via unique progression, and rage mage loses 5 caster levels, so neither will let you accomplish your goals.

You only need 1 level in Rage Mage through, to be able to cast spells while raging. Barbarian 1/Wizard 6/Rage Mage 2/Abjurant Champion 5/Eldritch Knight 6, for instance, get's BAB +16, 9ths and ability to cast while raging. There's probably far better builds using Rage Mage as well.

[danielxcutter]

You only need 1 level in Rage Mage through, to be able to cast spells while raging. Barbarian 1/Wizard 6/Rage Mage 2/Abjurant Champion 5/Eldritch Knight 6, for instance, get's BAB +16, 9ths and ability to cast while raging. There's probably far better builds using Rage Mage as well.

Yeah, this is good enough for answering the question of "is this possible at all". Now it's time for step 2: how the heck do we optimize this up to the lower stratosphere?

[Rebel7284]

If some cheese is allowed:

Venerable Dragonwraught Kobold
Barbarian 2/Duskblade 3/Fighter 1/Champion of Gwynharwyf 10/Eldrich Master 4/x1

Relevant feats:
Alternative Spell Source
Dark Chaos Shuffle your feats into Improved Spell Capacity.

Eldrich Master gives you access to the wizard spell list.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Barbarian 1/ Wizard 6/ Rage Mage 1 or 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Eldritch Knight or Knight Phantom 7 or 6
+16 BAB, 17/20 spellcasting, any race, no cheese.

Hopefully you can take Extra Rage and it applies to both rage types (like Extra Turning applies to every turn/rebuke ability you may have). You can pick up Extend Rage via the Otyugh Hole without spending a feat on it. You also have the option to trade Rage for Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ), and Fast Movement for Pounce. Get Fighter feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) at Wizard 1 and 5.


Psionic Gish: Small size base creature, custom Lycanthrope (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lycanthrope.htm) (+3 LA, bought off (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm)) based on a Badger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/badger.htm) (1 HD). That gets unlimited daily uses of a rage that does not limit your actions in any way. You need to be in badger form to use that (and can't cast spells with verbal or somatic components) but that does not hinder your ability to manifest psionic powers.

Animal 1/ (Fast Movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger)) Ranger 1/ Psion 6/ Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm) 9 or 7/ Psionic Abjurant Champion 3 or 5.
+16 BAB, 17/20 manifesting, but Psionic Abjurant Champion isn't exactly RAW.

Animal 1/ (Fast Movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger)) Ranger 1/ Ardent 4/ Slayer 9/ Sanctified Mind 5.
Ardent gets a new level of powers based on its manifester level, so with Practiced Manifester you get 9th level powers at 17th level. So that's effectively +18 BAB and 20th level manifesting, better hp/level, and you can capitalize on the Wis bonus from Lycanthrope. Not to mention unlimited daily uses of Rage, and you're a small fuzzy animal. Be sure to use Substitute Powers (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a).

Any of those would be improved with fractional BAB, especially since you could include a Psionic Mindbender dip for telepathy so you can communicate in badger form.

[Dagroth]

Could you go through Savage Bard/Sublime Chord (or whatever it is that gets 9's for a Bard?)

[Darrin]

You need heavy armor proficiency for Spellsword so changing fighter with barbarian makes you need to take a feat to replace that

Huh. Apparently I never noticed that Barbarian doesn't get heavy armor proficiency. Ok, well, good to know. That does set you back a feat.


Could you go through Savage Bard/Sublime Chord (or whatever it is that gets 9's for a Bard?)

Yes. If you're not using early-entry tricks, then you can take up to three non-Bard levels before Sublime Chord and still get 3rd level spells.

Spirit Lion Totem + Wolf Totem Barbarian 2/Savage Bard 7/Eldritch Knight 1/Sublime Chord 2/EK +8

Or if you want to go the initiator route:

Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Bard 7/Crusader 1/Jade Phoenix Mage 1/Sublime Chord 1/JPM +9

[Eldariel]

There's of course the Barbarian 1/Bard 4/Rage Mage 5/Sublime Chord 2/Rage Mage 3/Abjurant Champion 5, which gets the only worthwhile ability of Rage Mage, the free Quicken per Rage. Though even that's not very good, and of course you need to qualify via. some trickery since Bard 4/Rage Mage 5 is still 1 level away from the 3rd level spells required for Sublime Chord. This build works pretty well otherwise, gaining +16 BAB and 9th level spells, albeit via. spontaneous casting making spells known an issue. So that's the easiest option I can think of if you want a lot of levels of Rage Mage and still hit the basic benchmark. Of course, single level dips are trivial.

[Godskook]

Barb 2/Sorcerer 4/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 8

Knowledge is *TIGHT* in Sorcadin. I don't think you can afford to lose both Paladin levels.

[Twurps]

Knowledge is *TIGHT* in Sorcadin. I don't think you can afford to lose both Paladin levels.

take knowledge devotion for know. planes as class skill, and know. religion 7 ranks is just doable cross class by lvl12 to enter Sacred exorcist. Not the best way to spend your skill points of course, maybe human with able learner, but that's 2 wasted feats...