Mega-Blasting help

[Melamoto]

I need help on making a high blaster caster. The game will be Gestalt, and I got pretty good rolls (Enough to handle multiple primary casting stats) so I figured I could have multiple blasting classes, for the purposes of having a large arsenal of spells. Basically, an Omnicaster type, except focusing on having huge numbers of potent blasting spells each day, as opposed to just having lots of casting potential. And yes, I am set on blasting for this idea.

What classes would be useful for this, and how can I make the most of having so many spells I probably couldn't use them all in a day if I tried? We're starting at level 1, but I can work up towards whatever ideas you give.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I need help on making a high blaster caster. The game will be Gestalt, and I got pretty good rolls (Enough to handle multiple primary casting stats) so I figured I could have multiple blasting classes, for the purposes of having a large arsenal of spells. Basically, an Omnicaster type, except focusing on having huge numbers of potent blasting spells each day, as opposed to just having lots of casting potential. And yes, I am set on blasting for this idea.

What classes would be useful for this, and how can I make the most of having so many spells I probably couldn't use them all in a day if I tried? We're starting at level 1, but I can work up towards whatever ideas you give.

I would suggest going warmage x/rainbow servent//wilder


This way you would have warmage blasting all cleric spells and psion blasting...

though i think more effectivly would be some thing like
warmage x/rainbow servent//Duskblade
or soemthing with full bab. Duskblade and hexblade fit this well.

[Melamoto]

Why full BAB? I can understand it would be useful for touch attacks, but it's not worth giving up a better blasting class.

Warmage and Rainbow Servant seems a bit...cheesy. But I guess it could do.

[Catch]

Another thought: Wizard 9 / Warmage 1 / Ultimate Magus 10 // Sorcerer 20

Wizard caster level: 20
Warmage caster level: 15
Sorcerer caster level: 24

This way, you have full Sorcerer casting to give you a big pile o' spell slots, and since Warmage has all the good direct damage spells, it frees up some spell choices for you. Additionally, with Ultimate Magus, you can sacrifice Warmage spell slots to apply metamagic to your Wizard or Sorcerer spells.

Now, in a gestalt game, your HP, Fort/Ref saves and BAB will be crap compared to other players, but you have incredible spellcasting potential. To compensate, you could gish the Sorcerer side of things.

Fighter 2/ Sorcerer 4/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Eldritch Knight 8 is pretty standard, and gives 9th level spells, +18 BAB and decent armor selection.

Synergizing with Sorcerer, Paladin 2/ Sorcerer 4/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 8 gives you Cha to saves, +16 BAB, decent armor and the ability to qualify for Divine feats (like Divine Shield, for on-the-spot AC boosts.)

If your DM doesn't allow dual-progression classes (like Mystic Theruge, Ultimate Magus, etc), try Gishing one side and going straight Wizard on the other. It'll make you a little more durable.

[woodenbandman]

How about Spirit Shaman/Sacred Exorcist/Contemplative//Sorceror/Sand Shaper/Wyrm Wizard?

Get dragon themed blasts like Wings of Flurry, and have excellent druid blasts that have secondary effects, plus you can use Divine Metamagic on them. Also better saves and good HD/BAB. Get a lot of spells added to your list with Sand Shaper.

[PinkysBrain]

Catch, dual progression classes are generally not allowed in gestalt.

[Catch]

Catch, dual progression classes are generally not allowed in gestalt.

Generally, yes. I've seen it done often enough, and many DMs don't mind, as long as you're not doing it on both sides. Especially so when you're sacrificing the increased average HP, saves and BAB of a "normal" gestalt character.

[woodenbandman]

Another idea is Wilder/Anarchic Initiate//Psion. Wild Surge with your psion powers. Be a kineticist for pure blasting, though you might choose something else for versatility. Do make sure to pick up Energy Stun.

[Melamoto]

Another thought: Wizard 9 / Warmage 1 / Ultimate Magus 10 // Sorcerer 20

Wizard caster level: 20
Warmage caster level: 15
Sorcerer caster level: 24

How does that work?

Wizard casting should be 16 (9 from class, 7 from Ultimate Magus)
Warmage casting should be 11 (1 from class, 10 from Ultimate Magus)
Sorcerer casting should just be 20

How did you get those numbers?

[Siosilvar]

Generally, yes. I've seen it done often enough, and many DMs don't mind, as long as you're not doing it on both sides. Especially so when you're sacrificing the increased average HP, saves and BAB of a "normal" gestalt character.

Can I introduce you to a Wiz 3/MT 10//Clr 3/Warblade 10? Two 13th level casting and maneuvers at 11.5th level. This at 13th level. Also, 72 HP before Constitution on average.

A "normal" Wizard 13//Cleric 13 has no maneuvers, 62 HP, and a lower BAB (+9 vs. +12).

You're not really sacrificing anything.


EDIT to be partially useful to the OP:

I find that a maximised Orb of Acid does much more damage on average than a Disintegrate, and is the same level (with Arcane Thesis or some other metamagic cost reducer).

[Catch]

How does that work?

Wizard casting should be 16 (9 from class, 7 from Ultimate Magus)
Warmage casting should be 11 (1 from class, 10 from Ultimate Magus)
Sorcerer casting should just be 20

How did you get those numbers?

Ultimate Magus gives +4 to Arcane CL over 10 levels.

[Melamoto]

Ultimate Magus gives +4 to Arcane CL over 10 levels.

I guess, but I assumed you meant that you could cast as a Wizard/Sorcerer/Warmage of that level, not that you had a CL of that level.

[ZeroNumerous]

I guess, but I assumed you meant that you could cast as a Wizard/Sorcerer/Warmage of that level, not that you had a CL of that level.

He does specify "caster level".

Though the appropriate build is Warmage 1/Wizard 4/Ultimate Magus 10/Wizard+5//Sorcerer 20.

Take Practiced Spellcaster(Warmage) and you get spells as a Wizard 17/Warmage 10/Sorcerer 20. With a CL of Wizard 21/Warmage 18/Sorcerer 24.

[ex cathedra]

Blasting, in my opinion, is best done by the following:

Psions.
Psionic blasting powers, in all honestly, are practically just better. With the least effort invested, a psion will very likely be the best blaster class. Also, psions are helpfully Int-based.

Metamagic-mitigating Wizards/Sorcerers.
Arcane Thesis, Incantatrix, Halruan Elder, Practical Metamagic, Easy Metamagic, Metamagic School Focus...
however you do it, mitigating metamagic costs can turn the two primary arcane casters into devastating blasters (not that they need it, by any means). I'm actually very fond of Sorcerer for this role, but both of them do it quite well. The Orb series of conjuration spells convey metamagic especially well.

[ericgrau]

Wizard, sorcerer, archmage (2 levels), metamagic, any of the other PrCs others suggested and then go to town. Fire out boosted, energy substituted, shaped fireballs. Use wizard for your fixed high power stuff, sorc for when you want to vary the power (or also use high power). And if another build concept doesn't give area damage, don't bother with it.

If you have other spells you want to mix in all the time, I'd suggest putting them on your sorcerer list. That way you can fire off a haste, or spend that spell slot on a fireball, on the fly, as the situation requires. Your choice. The wizard levels could prep your situational spells as needed if you know you're going to be facing a certain kind of dungeon before you enter it, or if not just pump your list full of nothing but blast spells.

[sofawall]

Incantatrix is all you need.

[KellKheraptis]

Since it's gesault, it's important to find a way to deal unresistable damage. Throw in a level of Sanctified One of Kord for fire damage becoming divine damage. And if you really wanna be a hoser and always have some kind of blasting available, work in some ToB Desert Wind. Incantatrix + Circle Magic = super high dice totals, since you can conceivably be packing CL 40 or more, and if you can get Greater Consumptive Field, the sky's the limit. Other than that, try adding most of this and above to the build called King of Combustion, only use a different spell (though Combust with all this tacked on will be absolutely monsterous).

[Bayar]

Artificier 20 // Psionic artificier 20 (or spell-to-power Erudite).IMO, this would be the blastiest gestalt combo possible.

[RagnaroksChosen]

Since it's gesault, it's important to find a way to deal unresistable damage. Throw in a level of Sanctified One of Kord for fire damage becoming divine damage. And if you really wanna be a hoser and always have some kind of blasting available, work in some ToB Desert Wind. Incantatrix + Circle Magic = super high dice totals, since you can conceivably be packing CL 40 or more, and if you can get Greater Consumptive Field, the sky's the limit. Other than that, try adding most of this and above to the build called King of Combustion, only use a different spell (though Combust with all this tacked on will be absolutely monsterous).

This made me think how does something like master spell thief work with gestalt?

Does it stack all Caster levels or just one side?

[Haven]

I'd definitely suggest making at least one side, maybe both, psions. Augmenting is amazing and because of the way the psionic system works, you get your full pool of power points to both sides. Also: Schism.

I wonder if your DM would let you take Psion//Psion with two different specialties. Probably not.

Maybe you could go Psion//Psychic Warrior for a little more survivability and loads of tasty bonus feats.

[Wings of Peace]

You want Tainted spellcasting if you can get it. Period. Either from Tainted Scholor or Tainted Sorcerer. The sheer amount by which it will let you boost your dcs as well as abuse meta-magics is simply ungodly.

You will also want a class that can deal lots of damage. Personally I recommend Arcanists of Psionicists. Nothing wrong with psionics but higher blasting power casts me more power points. With meta-magic abuse a powerful blasting spell will still only cost you one slot ever, and if built well with things like Incantatrix and Arcane Thesis you will not even need to raise your spells levels.

Which brings us to another point. You only need at best three aoe spells. Two if you dip Archmage for Shaping. You need an orb spell (Force or Sonic) as they do not allow SR and will hit most things. You will also need an aoe spell for mobs (Arch-Mage will let you shape so that you don't kill your allies). That will let you handle most anything.

Remember, if it takes more than one or if you're group is a less optimized Gestalt group two rounds to drop something with blasting then you're wasting efficiency and should consider possibly playing a pseudo Batman role until your group and yourself have leveled up enough for your build to really blossom into its blasting stage.

[ericgrau]

Since it's gesault, it's important to find a way to deal unresistable damage. Throw in a level of Sanctified One of Kord for fire damage becoming divine damage. And if you really wanna be a hoser and always have some kind of blasting available, work in some ToB Desert Wind. Incantatrix + Circle Magic = super high dice totals, since you can conceivably be packing CL 40 or more, and if you can get Greater Consumptive Field, the sky's the limit. Other than that, try adding most of this and above to the build called King of Combustion, only use a different spell (though Combust with all this tacked on will be absolutely monsterous).

A level of archmage also covers energy resistance with energy substitution. And he doesn't need more pre-reqs if he's already taking a level of archmage to shape his area spells.

[crazedloon]

so warlock 12/binder 1/ hellfire warlock3/Legacy champ 4 // wizard 3/eldritch theurge 10/wizard 7

Nothing says blasting like a full attack hellfire glave imbued with a blasting spell of your choice,
try a disintegration spell cl 20 (without items) means you are doing 40d6 damage
and 4 attacks (after scroll of divine power) each doing 24d6 damage (12d6 for warlock level 22 and 12d6 for helfire warlock 3 legacy champ 4)
for a total of 136d6 damage
add a quickened spell like ability and you get 4 more attacks for an additional 96d6 for a grand total of 232d6. (averaging 812 damage) and the expenditure of 1 feat and 1 spell