Architect Gestalt?

[TowerDefense]

Hello everyone! Long-time lurker here, looking to ask a fast question:

A DM of mine is running a solo gestalt game for me using Pathfinder with third party options, with a single caveat: One half of the gestalt must be the Architect class from Gonzo, found on the Spheres of Power wiki in the Gonzo section!

I was planning on a dex/int based character to go with that (ignoring the Titan archetype) and I'm drawing a blank as to what to go with for the second half of the Gestalt. There are an absolute ton of options but the bigger issue is that the Architect is a fairly active half, demanding a lot of your actions...until you're on nothing but manmade blocks and can't use your primary class feature. I won't be making use of minions in this run (personal choice) so I won't have the option of say, just using a companion or summon when I can't rely on my turrets.

Any ideas? Lots of third party and some homebrew is available.

[StSword]

I feel the need to point out how much I love the titan archetype, but moving on :)

You've made it clear that you want to focus on the architect bit, so it sounds to me like you should get a second class that makes you better at being an architect.

The towers use your BAB, so a full BAB class sounds like the way to go.

I noticed that if you take full control an architect can make attack actions with a tower.

So how do you feel about Spheres of Might?

Berserker would give options with the Whomping Tower, barrage and sniper would be useful with an arrow tower, etc.

Now I'm wishing there was a feat to combine the customized weapons of an Armiger with an Architect's towers, that would be pretty cool.

[TowerDefense]

That actually sounds really neat, we like Spheres of Might/Power in general and I hadn't noticed that you use attack actions with the towers with direct control! But, my biggest issue with the class still isn't addressed with that; until level 7 if you're on manmade tiles you can't use your primary class feature. So I still need -something- I can use as an alternate method of fighting, preferably along with out of combat options as well :)

Conscript works well for that mechanically, it's mostly just that I've played multiple Spheres of Might characters in a row now.

[StSword]

Well that's kind of why I suggested spheres of might- the options you can use with your towers you could also use with your regular old attacks, so you have a fallback if you're in unfriendly terrain.

But now it sounds to me like what you really want is a way to cheat the limitation on towers. Well I do happen to know such an option-

The Warden class from Little Red Goblin Games. Nature paladin types whose primary ability is to change the terrain around them- bringing the forest, cave, ocean, desert, etc, with them.

So if you're stuck in unfriendly terrain, you could change it into friendly terrain.

Or you might look towards spheres of power. Namely, geomancy. It has a talent to create water, it has a talent to create plants, it has a talent to create dirt. So with geomancy you can grow your own resources.

[Serafina]

I'd personally still use Spheres of Might, but have you considered the following options with it:
- be a Battlefield Tinker (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/battlefield-tinker) Armiger. In addition to making your own custom multi-mode weapon, you can also be a good trap-finder, which is quite fitting for an architect
- have you considered using the Trap (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/trap)-Sphere? Sure, this doesn't directly enhance your Tower-attacks - but you can use Traps directly in combat (via Trap Wielder), both in melee and at range. And obviously, combining traps with towers is very stylish.
- of course, you also don't have to stick to a single class on your gestalt-side, right?


Alternatively - is material from the Creation-sphere a valid target for making a Tower?
If so, you could go with a Mageknight or Armorist, including their Martial Variants, to get some amount of caster level while still getting full BAB.
Though honestly, since "cobblestone" and "paved road" count as a resource, you might worry overly much here, and investing a lot of actions and class resources into bypassing an issue you'll bypass eventually anyway might not be the best option.

[TowerDefense]

I'd personally still use Spheres of Might, but have you considered the following options with it:
- be a Battlefield Tinker Armiger. In addition to making your own custom multi-mode weapon, you can also be a good trap-finder, which is quite fitting for an architect
- have you considered using the Trap-Sphere? Sure, this doesn't directly enhance your Tower-attacks - but you can use Traps directly in combat (via Trap Wielder), both in melee and at range. And obviously, combining traps with towers is very stylish.
- of course, you also don't have to stick to a single class on your gestalt-side, right?


Alternatively - is material from the Creation-sphere a valid target for making a Tower?
If so, you could go with a Mageknight or Armorist, including their Martial Variants, to get some amount of caster level while still getting full BAB.
Though honestly, since "cobblestone" and "paved road" count as a resource, you might worry overly much here, and investing a lot of actions and class resources into bypassing an issue you'll bypass eventually anyway might not be the best option.

You're honestly right about that - I'm overly worried I think, because in -most- cases I should be fine. The Battlefield Tinker has always appealed, honestly, so I'm gonna put that in the design doc! And nope, only one half is locked - the other half can be any combination of anything basically!

[JMS]

The Berserker Talent Shatter Earth can help make terrain usable, I think. Legendary Talent "Alter Terain" can help more.