Which classes do you like to Gestalt with Spheres (USoP & Might) characters?

[Ualaa]

I'm looking to build a bunch of NPCs for an upcoming game.
Just looking for combinations that you find fun.

Preferably Class A (x20 levels) & Class B (x20 levels), although I'll build them in Hero Lab and save a copy at each level. Archetypes are fine, as we've played (at least single-classed) most of the Sphere classes.

The players have access to anything (first party) from Pathfinder 1e, anything from Spheres of Might, Champions of the Spheres, Ultimate Spheres of Power and Path of War, Path of War: Expanded and Ultimate Psionics.

All my players optimize.

My adventure has single class stuff, and I'll likely do an improv template for most stuff.
But key NPCs, I'd like to have builds.

Just looking for inspiration.


Heals:
(Sphere) Druid || (Epoch Warrior) Soulknife / Sage
(Doctor) Scholar || (Broadcast Blade) Mageknight

Hybrid Builds:
(Shadowed Fist) Striker || (Mirrored Soul) Summoner

Melee/Damage:
Conscript || (Runic Knight) Magus
Striker || (Empathic Duelist) Eliciter

Ranged/Damage:
(Drifting Lotus) Monk || (Runic Knight) Magus

Tank:
(Paragon) Sentinel || (Martial Controller) Mageknight
(Zen Archer) Monk || (Wardmage) Mageknight

[QuadraticGish]

Honestly, I find that Prodigy goes well with just about everything. One combination I personally like is Prodigy||Mystic Scion Magus. If the Voltaic is on the table, then you could toss in Spark of Inspiration to get a nice selection of boosts and counters on top of that.

[Rynjin]

The Ironbound Sword Samurai 20//Any Fighter 1/Whatever 19 combo is always good for a lark.

Ironbound essentially lets you gestalt Fighter in one class, stacking levels for all class features. Toss on Soldier and Runesinger or something, then swap to Armiger or whatever seems neat after Fighter 1. Obviously, take the Spheres archetype for Samurai as well. It stacks.

Become ungovernable. Or at least an effective tristalt.

[thethird]

Radiant (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Radiant) (Soulchemist (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Soulchemist)/Lifebinder (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Lifebinder)/Collectivist (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Collectivist))// Pretty much anything that benefits from a collective.

20 magic talents + 10 combat talents + all good saves + essence + one of the best collectives.

My favorite other side is Zealot (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Zealot) (Excruciator (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Excruciator))

Use your magic talents to grab the veilweaving sphere and get Dark heart (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Heart) and Barrier of blood (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Barrier_of_Blood). Use combat talents to grab a delayed damage pool. Every round you take damage from dark heart it gets turned into temporary hp and then into healing from barrier of blood. It also generates temporary essence from your Excruciator levels. If you take damage over what your barrier of blood would heal then move it to the delayed damage pool.

Another interesting veil to grab is: Dahlia's Psionic Halo (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Dahlia%27s_Psionic_Halo) as you already have some power points from zealot and that would get you another place to expend them.

Maneuvers wise grab some radiant dawn maneuvers and consider taking some sleeping goddess maneuvers (if you want more pp).

This ultimately gets you 20 lvls of full bab, with good saves, full maneuver progression, high caster, proficient martial spheres progression, some essence, and up to 6th lvl powers, while mostly being a healer and a support character.

[Ramza00]

This would be mean, but religious fanatics who summon Angels, Devils, or Cats

Monster Tactician Inquisitor as a Summoner, trading out “Judgements” for extra bodies.
Soldier of the Gods plus Spheres Inquisitor is a 15 / 15 combat and magic talent over 20 levels (6/6 at level 8) which trades out most everything else yet you still have 1 Domain or Inquisition plus Wis to Initative.

Then whatever you want on the other side, whether conscript, incanter, bard, etc. A character who throws bodies at the problem and they can be quite powerful due to War sphere giving your casting ability modifier to both offense and defense. :smallamused:

[Ualaa]

Thanks for you input.
So far, I've got:

Moving to first post.
Thanks for suggestions.

[gbecchi]

Another interesting veil to grab is: Dahlia's Psionic Halo as you already have some power points from zealot and that would get you another place to expend them.

Pardon the ignorance, but how does that veil work exactly? I understood the concept, but how is one able to put 11 essence into a veil? Isn't the max like 4 without any feats (which, in turn, only seem increase the max by 1)?

[Ramza00]

Pardon the ignorance, but how does that veil work exactly? I understood the concept, but how is one able to put 11 essence into a veil? Isn't the max like 4 without any feats (which, in turn, only seem increase the max by 1)?

+4 from 18 HD
+3 from classes usually levels 3, 9, and 15
+1 from Feat
+3 from Item, Akashic Catalysts
== 11 total just limiting ourselves to Akashic Mysteries which is the first book from Dreamscarred and not the people who expanded it further.

+1 from Essence Infusion Psionic Power, a psionic wand of it you can buy for 750 gp
+2 from the Dark Heart Veil
These 2 things and several other things I forgot can expand it further but it is not in the Akashic Mysteries book.

[Cortillaen]

I'm a big fan of DSP's Soulknife, which combines well with Zealot to give an absolute plethora of possibilities. You could spend ages putting dozens of very different versions of this pairing together, but it's also entirely possible to just grab whatever catches your eye and end up solid. Figure out whatever role you want the character to fill, then just scan through and pick the Zealot Mission, martial Disciplines, and Soulknife Blade Skills that look like they play to that role. The archetypes for Soulknife add even more options, like Gifted Blade for 4-level Psionic "casting", Armored Blade to just not need armor in addition to weapons, Deadly Fist to make Monks sad, Fearl Heart to be a werething, Psychic Armory for a throwing build that actually works, Soulbolt for a more traditional ranged build, War Soul if you need more Disciplines or want to mix with a non-initiator, and more. Combined with Zealot or another initiator, you can easily build powerhouse melee combatants, defenders, archers, buffers, debuffers, and even decent battlefield controllers.

Assuming you're not using the High Psionics rules, Gifted Blade would be my go-to Soulknife archetype. The Gifted Blade list is full of good buffing powers, so it naturally complements the active options from the Disciplines. Blade Skills have some really fun picks for all builds, too: Swift action teleport in Medium range at 10th level is one of my favorites, costing only the Blade Skill itself (Ghost Step) and 1 feat for Dimensional Agility.

[Ramza00]

I'm a big fan of DSP's Soulknife, which combines well with Zealot to give an absolute plethora of possibilities. You could spend ages putting dozens of very different versions of this pairing together, but it's also entirely possible to just grab whatever catches your eye and end up solid. Figure out whatever role you want the character to fill, then just scan through and pick the Zealot Mission, martial Disciplines, and Soulknife Blade Skills that look like they play to that role. The archetypes for Soulknife add even more options, like Gifted Blade for 4-level Psionic "casting", Armored Blade to just not need armor in addition to weapons, Deadly Fist to make Monks sad, Fearl Heart to be a werething, Psychic Armory for a throwing build that actually works, Soulbolt for a more traditional ranged build, War Soul if you need more Disciplines or want to mix with a non-initiator, and more. Combined with Zealot or another initiator, you can easily build powerhouse melee combatants, defenders, archers, buffers, debuffers, and even decent battlefield controllers.

Assuming you're not using the High Psionics rules, Gifted Blade would be my go-to Soulknife archetype. The Gifted Blade list is full of good buffing powers, so it naturally complements the active options from the Disciplines. Blade Skills have some really fun picks for all builds, too: Swift action teleport in Medium range at 10th level is one of my favorites, costing only the Blade Skill itself (Ghost Step) and 1 feat for Dimensional Agility.

There are many soulknife / zealot options but for simplicity sake one of the best options is the simple option of Soulknife 1, Augmented Blade Archetype, then Zealot on the other side, and whatever else you want for the 19 levels. With the feat Zealous Blade Zealot and Soulknife levels stack for the level of your mind blade, and for your blades skills you can grab if you take the feat extra blade skill. Extra Blade Skill being a Psionic Feat so Zealot can grab it via Convictions and does not need to use your HD feats. And with the 4th level Soulknife Improved Psicrystal Augment Blade Skill your mindblade is +1 enhancement higher and can grab any weapon enhancement not just the decent list soulknife already gives you.

[Cortillaen]

There are many soulknife / zealot options but for simplicity sake one of the best options is the simple option of Soulknife 1, Augmented Blade Archetype, then Zealot on the other side, and whatever else you want for the 19 levels. With the feat Zealous Blade Zealot and Soulknife levels stack for the level of your mind blade, and for your blades skills you can grab if you take the feat extra blade skill. Extra Blade Skill being a Psionic Feat so Zealot can grab it via Convictions and does not need to use your HD feats. And with the 4th level Soulknife Improved Psicrystal Augment Blade Skill your mindblade is +1 enhancement higher and can grab any weapon enhancement not just the decent list soulknife already gives you.
Not sure I'd call that the "simple option". :smallbiggrin: I was avoiding mention of any multiclassing options, but Soulknife has an absurd amount, not to mention some of the PrCs like Awakened Blade. Anyway, I think you'd have to take at least 3 Soulknife levels for Zealous Blade to work (and I would personally limit how it works in gestalt as well) since you don't actually have the Blade Skill or Enhanced Mind Blade class features until 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

[Ramza00]

Not sure I'd call that the "simple option". :smallbiggrin: I was avoiding mention of any multiclassing options, but Soulknife has an absurd amount, not to mention some of the PrCs like Awakened Blade. Anyway, I think you'd have to take at least 3 Soulknife levels for Zealous Blade to work (and I would personally limit how it works in gestalt as well) since you don't actually have the Blade Skill or Enhanced Mind Blade class features until 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

1 level, 1 feat, and an optional second feat is simple in my head for it is a “dip”

But as for your last bit. Augmented Blade qualifies at 1 due to

At 1st level, the augmented blade gains the Psicrystal Affinity blade skill. This replaces the throw mind blade class feature. You get this at level 1 Augmented Blade.
Psicrystal Augment […lots of text…] This replaces the Form Mind Blade and Enhanced Mind Blade class features, but counts as Form Mind Blade and Enhanced Mind Blade for prerequisites or requirements. You get this at level 1 Augmented Blade.

Thus you can take the Extra Blade Skill since you do not get just the Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat, no you get the blade skill which gives you the bonus feat as well and then modifies it further.
And you can take Zealous Blade at HD 03 or any time later for Augmented Blade Soulknife 1, and Zealot 1 (for the Zeal +1) is all you need for this multiclass feat Zealous Blade.

It is really good in other words.

—————

I am thinking Radiant (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Radiant) (Lifebinder (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Lifebinder)/Collectivist (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Collectivist)) is quite good as a multi class dip of 2, 3, or 4 levels.

It is a High Caster. With a combat or magic talent every level past level two (the first level you get the divine and life talent) and since you get Vivification (Regeneration) you can invest 1 or more essence to give 1 or more Allies fast healing equal to the number of essence invested. Thus free healing every round in or out of combat, healing due to the Collectivist Radiant you can reallocate for free on the fly to anyone in your collective due to Collective plus Collective Healing. And when you do not neeed fast healing one can remove the essence even though Life Binder gives you the essence to fuel it.

But you also get other Radiant Goodies. All 3 good saves but also

Level 1 means you get Int, Wis, or Cha to Fort Saves and Hit points plus Con to For Saves and Hit Points. You get both and they stack so your caster is a tank now (throw on the Guardian Delayed Damage Pool for more tank-iness)
Level 2 gives you the Vivification I mentioned earlier
Level 3 gives you telepathy
Level 4 gives you another point of essence and a second Vivification if anything strikes your fancy plus Veils of Life or Unwilling Participant as a bonus feat.

Then you should multi class out into something that is a better BAB plus Combat Talents, or another Higher Caster that has more magic talents per level or a High Caster with Flexible Talents.

Thanks thethird for pointing this out!

[Wildstag]

I would Gestalt a Striker with a Fighter (or Brawler), pump up on maneuvers for any form, and go into the build with a Transformation (Animalistic), and just go beast-mode on someone.