Holiday Gestalt Madness

[Naanomi]

We have a tradition of playing strange game styles over the holidays, and now that winter break has started (my game group is mostly teachers, like myself) we are going to start something new...

Story: Long ago there were three groups of Gods, but two conspired to kill the third and then divided the world among themselves. However, the life-force of the Lost Gods doesn't rest easy, and resurfaces in various forms; events which are apocalyptic and agents and churches of the two other God families are constantly on the watch for.

Our PCs will be reincarnations of those Gods, come to manifest again. We will work hard to keep our nature secret, but the powers of the world will align against us.

Logistics: five players, playing from 1-20.
All of us are Gestalt characters
~Two single classes, no other multiclassing
~We choose two Saves to be proficient in from our selected classes
~All of our stats will be as if we rolled 18 (before racial adjustments)
~All of our HP rolls (the higher of our two classes) will be maximized
~Skills are as if we started as one class, then multiclassed to another (so a Rogue/Bard would get five starting skills); selected from any available to the two classes
~Spells are as if we multiclassed in the two classes, including spells available and slots
~Extra attack doesn't stack between classes
~Only one feat/ASI at the ‘universal’ levels; but fighter/rogue bonus feats still apply

The Party so far:

~Half-Orc Acolyte Zealot-Barbarian/Champion Fighter - Templar and Temple Guardian of the current Sun God, greatly torn between his new status and his existing faith

~Fallen Aasimar Pirate Long-Death Monk/Conquest Paladin - Born on an isolated island monastery, but kidnapped as a youth by a pirate band she ultimately joined and terrorized the coast for many years; recently escaped from prison

~Tiefling Noble Gold-Dragon Sorcerer/Celestial Tomelock - Third son of a union between two royal families, has an angel of the third order guiding his ascension to divinity; plans on being 'party leader' or some sort

~Variant Human Charlatan Whisper Bard/Assassin Rogue - Once a member of a traveling acting troupe, he is now 'the grey shade', a urban legend 'defender of the common man' type... or at least he convinces people he is
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I haven't committed to an idea yet. My first thought was Svifrneblin Gloomstalker and something to pair it with... or perhaps something stranger, like a Shepard Druid/Conjurer? Cavalier/Beast Master? Arcane Archer/Monster Slayer? Cleric and something to help the Zealot rez? Kensai/College of Swords Gladiator, dual-wielding whips?

Ideas? Suggestions for the other player's plans?

[Cybren]

I will as always suggest the standard human thief//champion: The most average extraordinary person possible, and you can jump SO FAR!!!!

More seriously: what do you think of some kind of druid/diviner combination. Two types of spell-slot recovery AND the diviner spell slot rebate, you'll have all the low level slots!

[PeteNutButter]

I think it'd be a waste to combine two full casters, as I think he is saying you'd only get the slots as if you were a single full caster (warlock not withstanding).

There are all sorts of abilities that you should never have combined together that the designers hide behind level 11 for that very reason, especially the melee ones. Blade locks get +cha to damage, paladins add 1d8, rangers get volley or whirlwind, fighters get a third attack. All of these scale exceptionally well when combined, and would be very potent.

If you were intent on going full caster, definitely go with the warlock as one of the classes.

[Naanomi]

How about a Hunter Ranger/Moon Druid, looking to use the hunter special maneuvers in beastmode?

[PeteNutButter]

How about a Hunter Ranger/Moon Druid, looking to use the hunter special maneuvers in beastmode?

If it were me, I'd avoid things that you could accomplish in another game via multiclassing and go for the normally impossible builds. A ranger/druid multiclass is easy to achieve. All you'd need is dex and wisdom.

Besides wildshape will actually be kind of weak when your base stats are so boss. Even at it's strongest levels it pales in comparison to a stack of 18s and 20s. "I turn into a bear... my strength just went DOWN." lol

If you aren't trying to step on anyone's toes at all your options are ranger, druid, cleric, and wizard. Given that, ranger wizard is the only one that isn't normally easily done with multiclassing. Although the tempest cleric with lightning arrow would be tempting...

Lots of options... Maybe a necromancer wizard + ranger? An army of skeletal archers + you as an archer?

[Cybren]

I think it'd be a waste to combine two full casters, as I think he is saying you'd only get the slots as if you were a single full caster (warlock not withstanding).

There are all sorts of abilities that you should never have combined together that the designers hide behind level 11 for that very reason, especially the melee ones. Blade locks get +cha to damage, paladins add 1d8, rangers get volley or whirlwind, fighters get a third attack. All of these scale exceptionally well when combined, and would be very potent.

If you were intent on going full caster, definitely go with the warlock as one of the classes.

You only get the slots of a regular caster, but other features would stack. It's presumably why someone chose warlock/sorcerer: at low levels the warlock slots give you spell points and at high levels mystic arcanum gives you more high level slots than anyone else could get

[X3r4ph]

Empty Hand Monk / Diviner Wizard

Quivering Palm destruction.

[DarkKnightJin]

Oathbreaker / Necromancer, for all the Minion boosting?

I'd personally go for a Paladin / Bard gestalt, since you get all the goodies from 2 great standalone classes that way.

[Naanomi]

I would like to avoid stepping on too many toes... my first thought was Ancestral Guardian/Cavalier until I heard we already had a Barbarian/Fighter in the mix...

I have about 12 hours before I need to choose...

Top choices:
-Halfling Beastmaster/Cavalier
-Svirfneblin Gloom Stalker/(thief or scout)
-Lizardman Conjurer/Shepard Druid
-V Human Kensai/Swords Bard
-??? Tempest Cleric/Storm Sorcerer
-??? Arcane Archer/Monster Slayer

[Temperjoke]

I would like to avoid stepping on too many toes... my first thought was Ancestral Guardian/Cavalier until I heard we already had a Barbarian/Fighter in the mix...

I have about 12 hours before I need to choose...

Top choices:
-Halfling Beastmaster/Cavalier
-Svirfneblin Gloom Stalker/(thief or scout)
-Lizardman Conjurer/Shepard Druid
-V Human Kensai/Swords Bard
-??? Tempest Cleric/Storm Sorcerer
-??? Arcane Archer/Monster Slayer

I like the idea of a Lizardman wizard/druid combo, but I kinda like the Necromancer/Shepard combo, cause it reminds me of this character http://goblin-slayer.wikia.com/wiki/Lizard_Priest. It's not the same, but a Lizardman wouldn't have the same qualms about animating the dead in their society, although it might seem weird for a druid.

[Nidgit]

What about a Tabaxi or Wood-Elf Kensei Monk/Arcane Archer to be the most anime archer that ever bent a bow? Never ever miss, run on anything, keep your distance with your insane speed.

Hexblade/Gloomstalker could get pretty crazy too. AFB but there's a bunch of stacking modifiers that are icing on top of the invocation synergy.

[Naanomi]

Let’s... look at it as if I don’t want to replicate any classes in the party. Any of these good?

-High-Elf Bladesinger/Monster Slayer
-Hobgoblin War Wizard/War Cleric
-Hill-Dwarf Transmuter/Forge Cleric
-Lizardman Shepard Druid/Conjurer
-Svirfneblin Gloomstalker/Trickery Cleric
-Svirfneblin Gloomstalker/Illusionist
-??? Circle of Dreams Druid/Horizon Walker

[Lombra]

I don't know why you're asking for optimization, it looks like it's gonna be a very light and for fun adventure with high power PCs, play a combination that you feel you'll have fun with, I'd go with a fighter/cleric and call it "an actual paladin"

[Naanomi]

I don't know why you're asking for optimization, it looks like it's gonna be a very light and for fun adventure with high power PCs, play a combination that you feel you'll have fun with, I'd go with a fighter/cleric and call it "an actual paladin"
I’m not really looking for ‘optimization’; just bouncing conceptual ideas really; and any cool ability interactions (whether or not they are particularly powerful)

[Kane0]

So to not doubke up youre looking at ranger, cleric, druid and wizard...

War wizard / War cleric
Summoner druid / conjurer wizard
Ranger / bladesinger
Life cleric / dreams druid

[Hyde]

While it's possible to MC the Sorcadin, full Sorcadin seems like fun shenanigans.

[X3r4ph]

I mean, Mystic Immortal / Bladesinger would be pretty badass.

Artificer is also a possibility. It's a fun class that could well with most other classes. Ranger with gun artificer. Maybe beast master with pet artificer.

[Captain Bob]

FIgher (Cavalier or Arcane archer) + either Abjurer or War Wizard. You're a quasi-barbarian with spells - lots of extra health, damage resistances, shielding / temp hit points...plus maximum extra attacks, feats, and casting versatility. You have your choice of going ham with GWM/SS on a turn or casting that clutch spell that can be basically ANY spell given the breadth of the wizard list. You get a bunch of excellent reaction options, and you get to go beat people to death with a stick when you'd otherwise be tapped out of spell slots.

You're an arcane knight. Personally I've always loved the idea, and this lets you experience it to the max. And you can flavor it in interesting ways based on spell choice, weapon / fighting style. Maybe look at the unearthed arcana Eladrin race - with the seasonal shift, maybe you use totally different spell lists in addition to the behavioral changes listed - something like a Fey-Knight.

[Naanomi]

After a *lot* of back and forth, including a totally written up Hunter/Forge Cleric that was the abandoned...

I ended up with a Hobgoblin Sage War Mage/Monster Slayer that seems pretty decent so far