Looking for Gestalt Help

[JadedCthulhu]

I'm looking for some help for an upcoming Gestalt game. All books and sources from 3.5 are on the table. I'm really wanting to play an acrobat type character that deals in mostly either unarmed or single sword and unarmed. We are starting at level five.

Any and all build help or suggestions would be greatly welcome.

I will have slow replies, sorry in advance.

[Krazzman]

I'm really wanting to play an acrobat type character that deals in mostly either unarmed or single sword and unarmed. We are starting at level five.

Sounds like Swordsage and something complementing. If you want to cast too I think Druid would be good. Otherwise Monk (for your Unarmed needs) is not necessarily needed if your DM allows the Swordsage variant giving scaling unarmed strikes.

Another alternative (that will probably be my defacto build for if I ever play a 3.5 gestalt game): Swordsage//Warlock with the Eldritch Claw invocation.

[Nifft]

Swordsage is a good acrobat chassis if you want mystical ninja stuff. Pairs well with Scout, Rogue, Incarnate, Totemist, Warlock, or Artificer.

Warblade // Rogue is another good one, with more physical excellence and less mystical ninja stuff -- if you want magical trickery in addition to physical prowess, maybe a Warblade // Beguiler to leverage your Int bonus on both sides.

In both cases, you probably want some maneuvers from Tiger Claw to express your acrobatic mobility; also Diamond Mind if you're about perception attacks.

As a Swordsage, you might want Shadow Hand for teleportation & more sneak attack, or you might want Desert Wind for speed + on fire.

As a Warblade, you might want Iron Heart for stuff like Steel Wind and Absolute Steel Stance.

In all cases, you probably want Weapon Finesse and you might also want Improved Unarmed Strike + Superior Unarmed Strike (a feat from ToB).

[Ualaa]

Our group has moved to Pathfinder, so it may be hard for me to separate 3.5 from Pathfinder material... I used to be familiar with 3.5, but have been playing the other system for quite a while now.

The general maxims, for Gestalt builds are a good idea to follow:
- at least one with full BAB; you can stagger levels, to be full BAB if necessary
- three good saves, especially at 1st level (if you're using fractional BAB/Saves, which was recommended in the Unearthed Arcana section that introduced Gestalt)
- one active side and one passive side.

For example, a Wizard | Cleric, has two good saves (Fort/Will) but a poor (Ref). They have 3/4 BAB, which is an improvement over the Wizard but no better than any Cleric. Both have powerful spell lists, which require being active; you cannot cast both a wizard and a cleric spell at once, until you can Quicken but at that point you cannot cast anything more per round than a straight wizard or straight cleric.

However the Ranger | Wizard (or Ranger|Cleric), has three good saves and are a full BAB class, which is an improvement over either side. Anything range touch, essentially has a +10 (over the Wizard) or +5 (over the Cleric) bonus to hit, by 20th level. The ranger passively adds favored enemy/terrain bonuses and gains bonus feats and more skills per level, and an animal compaion. Only one side is an active caster, so you're not really behind a gestalt Wizard|Cleric's casting at any point.

A couple of campaigns ago, we played Gestalt (Rappan Athuk, a deadly dungeon)... This was Pathfinder, so not exactly 3.5, but ideas none the less. Looking at the death list, my players played (the ones with fewer deaths were either smarter played, better builds, or both)... Also, you can see how many levels a build lasted (new character came in, at same level as last died at).

EK
Cleric 5 || Psychic Warrior 5
Cleric 5 || Fighter 5
Barbarian 6 || Psion 6
Tactician 11 || Paladin 8 / Warder 3
Monk 2 / Figher 9 || Warder 11
Monk 2 / Psion 11 || Warder 13
*Fighter 8 / Soulknife 4 / Magknight 2 || Stalker 6 / Dragon Fury 8
-- Final character, was not dead when campaign ended early

JJ
Oracle 5 || Paladin 5
Druid 5 || Sorcerer 2 / Barbarian 3
Oracle 6 || Vitalist 6
Aegis 8 || Alchemist 8
Oracle 6 / Agent of the Grave 5 || Summoner 11
Aegis 3 / Fighter 8 || Monk 2 / Sorcerer 1 / Inquisitor 2 / Soulknife 5 / Pathfinder Delver 1
Druid 13 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 3 / Incanter 9
*Elementalist 14 || Psion 14
-- Final character, was not dead when campaign ended early

JP
Monk 1 || Ranger 1
Cleric 2 / Fighter 1 || Rogue 3
Soulknife 4 || Fighter 3 / Rogue 1
Aegis 5 || Soulknife 5
Aegis 5 || Soulknife 5
Aegis 5 || Soulknife 5
Aegis 5 || Fighter 5
Fighter 6 || Paladin 6
Aegis 6 || Fighter 6
Aegis 6 || Soulknife 6
Ninja 6 || Slayer 5 / Inquisitor 1
Fighter 7 || Aegis 7
Psion 8 || Wizard 8
Psion 5 / Thrallherd 3 || Slayer 2 / Cryptic 6
Psion 8 || Vitalist 6 / Thrallherd 2
Psion 8 || Vitalist 6 / Thrallherd 2
Fighter 9 || Monk 1 / Aegis 2 / Sorcerer 2 / Soulknife 5
Fighter 11 || Monk 1 / Aegis 3 / Sorcerer 2 / Soulknife 5
Half Dragon 2 / Psion 9 || Half Dragon 2 / Slayer 5 / Psion 4
Psion 11 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 2 / Ranger 2 / Druid 6
Fighter 13 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 2 / Aegis 3 / Soulknife 7
Half-Dragon 2 / Aegis 9 || Half-Dragon 2 / Soulknife 1 / Fighter 8
Incanter 12 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 3 / Druid 8
Monk 2 / Magus 10 || Soulknife 4 / Rogue 1 / Fighter 2 / Aegis 3 / Duelist 2
Fighter 13 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 2 / Aegis 3 / Soulknife 7
Fighter 13 || Monk 1 / Aegis 3 / Sorcerer 2 / Soulknife 7
Psion 14 || Tactician 5 / Psion.Uncarnate 9
*Psion 14 || Tactician 5 / Psion.Uncarnate 9
-- Final character, was not dead when campaign ended early

MA
Monk 2 || Ranger 2
Monk 3 / Inquisitor 2 || Ranger 5
Fighter 4 / Rogue 1 / Sorcerer 1 || Monk 6
Monk 1 / Sorcerer 3 / Aegis 2 / Rogue 1 || Soulknife 4 / Fighter 3
Slayer 5 / Assassin 1 / ShadowDancer 2 || Wizard (Illusionist) 8
Ranger 6 / Paladin 2 || Warpriest 4 / Skald 1 / Rogue 2 / DragonDisciple 1
Barbarian 6 / Fighter 2 || Monk 2 / Oracle 1 / Aegis 1 / Soulknife 3 / Fighter 1
Monk 8 || Sorcerer 3 / Rogue 1 / Fighter 4
Fighter 8 || (Un) Rogue 1 / Soulknife 3 / Psychic Warrior 4
Fighter 9 || (Un) Rogue 1 / Soulknife 3 / Psychic Warrior 4 / Psion 1
Fighter 2 / Monk 1 / Stalker 8 || Aegis 3 / Soulknife 5 / Aegis 2 / Umbral Blade 1
Aegis 11 || Monk 1 / Soulknife 7 / Fighter 3
Paladin 2/ Elementalist 9 || Sorcerer 1 / Rogue 1 / Incanter 9
Symbiat 1 / Elementalist 10 || (Un)Monk 1 / Rogue 1 / Sorcerer 2 / Aegis 3 / Duelist 4
Gunslinger 12 || Monk 1 / Sorcerer 3 / (Un)Rogue 2 / Aegis 6
Monk 1 / Elementalist 12 || Rogue 1 / Mageknight 12
Monk 1 / Elementalist 12 || Mageknight 13
Monk 1 / Rogue 8 / Mageknight 2 || Ranger 11
*Monk 14 || Fighter 10 / Sorcerer 3 / Rogue 1
-- Final character, was not dead when campaign ended early

RP
Bard 5 || Paladin 5
Druid 5 || Rogue 5
Arcanist 5 || (Unchained) Rogue 5
Arcanist 5 || Rogue 5
Sorcerer 6 || Summoner 6
Sorcerer 6 || Summoner 6
Arcanist 8 || Fighter 1 / Slayer 7
Rogue 1 / Psychic Warrior 7 || Arcanist 1 / Druid 7
Cleric 8 || Vitalist 8
Oracle 1 / Bloodrager 7 || Fighter 8
Cleric 8 || Vitalist 1 / Shaman 7
Arcanist 11 || Rogue 1 / Aegis 2 / Ranger 8
Oracle 11 || Sorcerer 11
Monk 1 / Elementalist 10 || Incanter 11
Incanter 1 / Elementalist 10 || Vitalist 1 / Warpriest 10
Vitalist 1 / Cleric 12 || Oracle 13
*Monk 1 / Bard 13 || Vitalist 1 / Cleric 13
-- Final character, was not dead when campaign ended early

[DarkSoul]

Battle Dancer (Dragon Compendium)//Swordsage maybe. Battle Dancer has full BAB and focuses on unarmed strikes and tumble.

[Ramza00]

You can do some quite insane things if you use Bloodwind (Spell Compedium) with unarmed strikes and natural weapons.

[DarkSoul]

You can do some quite insane things if you use Bloodwind (Spell Compedium) with unarmed strikes and natural weapons.In a similar vein, I'm suddenly chuckling about an unarmed Bloodstorm Blade throwing himself all over the room. :smallbiggrin:

[JadedCthulhu]

Thank you for all the fantastic advice everyone! I'll look into them and let you know what I've come up with :D

[Rebel7284]

You can combine Unarmed Swordsage with Telflamar Shadowlord for an amazing character that can shadowpounce several times a turn using Shadow Hand maneuvers.