[3.5] gestalt help

[The Rabbler]

My DM decided that he'd like our next campaign to be gestalt. He also decided to split up our group into two groups (one with the most experienced and the other with the least experienced). He then decided to place me in the latter group to make sure the party doesn't get themselves killed. I have now been tasked with making a character that will make absolutely sure that the group will survive.

To do all of this, I was planning on making a kobold wizard/cleric made out of redonkulous amounts of cheese focusing on mass buffing and battlefield control. If I have the option, I'd also like to do some debuffing, but I don't know if I'd have enough spells.

I was thinking something along the lines of:
venerable desert/arctic kobold (dragonwrought with draconic templates and possibly dragonborn)
first half: wizard 5/war weaver 5/incantatrix 3/initiate of the 7-fold veil 7
second half: archivist 20

So, what I need help with is what templates are worthwhile placing on a dragonwrought kobold (besides loredrake) and if there'd be a better cleric build than straight cleric for my needs. any help is appreciated.

[Keld Denar]

I'd suggest changing Cleric to Archivist. Archivists get bonus spells based off Int, so as long as you aren't casting too many attack spells off your Archivist side, you'll be a lot more Int SAD. It also gets you access to some very nice Druid buffs like Barkskin.

Good metamagic would be stuff like Chain Spell to make sure that your buffs are applied to all party members.

[Jack_Simth]

If you're starting at a high enough level that it's possible to do so, drop Wizard. Really, you won't have enough combat actions to pull it off.

There's actually an almost-guaranteed recovery build I can give you, if you're starting at 20th:

Side A: Gloura (Underdark: 7 RHD, +2 LA)/Half-Dragon(LA+3)/Ghost(LA+5)/Paladin-2/Pious Templar (Complete Divine)-1
Side B: Favored Soul-10/Contemplative-9/Favored Soul+1

Make sure to get a Monk's Belt and a Ring of Evasion.

For feats, grab Improved Unarmed Strike, Ascetic Mage (Belt qualifies you), Ghostly Grasp (Libris Mortis), and whatever else appeals. If you're also needing to take the trapfinding role, pick up Summon Elemental (Complete Mage), Magic Sensitive (Complete Mage), and one of the direct-damage reserve feats from Complete Mage.

Vow of Poverty isn't out of place - for the ability to use XP instead of expensive material components.

You get:
Charisma to saves, twice. Charisma to AC, twice. Evasion, Mettle. The ability to come back from the dead under your own power. Full Divine Spellcasting.

[The Rabbler]

I'd suggest changing Cleric to Archivist. Archivists get bonus spells based off Int, so as long as you aren't casting too many attack spells off your Archivist side, you'll be a lot more Int SAD. It also gets you access to some very nice Druid buffs like Barkskin.

Good metamagic would be stuff like Chain Spell to make sure that your buffs are applied to all party members.

I was planning on having war weaver apply all of my buffs to the teammates, using cleric (or archivist) to give me any buffs that I might be lacking while also giving me things that I can use to defend my teammates actively. I'd basically be playing the extremely powerful DMPC that lets the rest of the party run wild while not doing anything particularly flashy itself. excepting that I wouldn't be a DMPC.

EDIT: where's archivist again? it seems worthy of research.

If you're starting at a high enough level that it's possible to do so, drop Wizard. Really, you won't have enough combat actions to pull it off.

There's actually an almost-guaranteed recovery build I can give you, if you're starting at 20th:

Side A: Gloura (Underdark: 7 RHD, +2 LA)/Half-Dragon(LA+3)/Ghost(LA+5)/Paladin-2/Pious Templar (Complete Divine)-1
Side B: Favored Soul-10/Contemplative-9/Favored Soul+1

Make sure to get a Monk's Belt and a Ring of Evasion.

For feats, grab Improved Unarmed Strike, Ascetic Mage (Belt qualifies you), Ghostly Grasp (Libris Mortis), and whatever else appeals. If you're also needing to take the trapfinding role, pick up Summon Elemental (Complete Mage), Magic Sensitive (Complete Mage), and one of the direct-damage reserve feats from Complete Mage.

Vow of Poverty isn't out of place - for the ability to use XP instead of expensive material components.

You get:
Charisma to saves, twice. Charisma to AC, twice. Evasion, Mettle. The ability to come back from the dead under your own power. Full Divine Spellcasting.

while this does look interesting, we're starting at level 4 and I'm looking more for something that would buff and defend my teammates rather than make myself unkillable. thanks for the idea though, I may just have to use that on another of my possible characters.

[Keld Denar]

EDIT: where's archivist again? it seems worthy of research.

Heroes of Horror. Excellent book, btw, also home of the Dread Necromancer.

[The Rabbler]

mmmmmm the archivist looks very interesting. I think I'll be changing cleric to archivist.

unrelatedly: As I am being a kobold, should I change wizard to sorcerer? I do enjoy having all of the options that a wizard gives me, but would a sorcerer do more (especially with greater draconic rite and loredrake) for a buffing BFC build?

[Urpriest]

mmmmmm the archivist looks very interesting. I think I'll be changing cleric to archivist.

unrelatedly: As I am being a kobold, should I change wizard to sorcerer? I do enjoy having all of the options that a wizard gives me, but would a sorcerer do more (especially with greater draconic rite and loredrake) for a buffing BFC build?

Since loredrake to my understanding is NPC-only anyway, if you're exploiting it already you might as well combine it with spellhoarding and remain a wizard.

[JKTrickster]

I just want to point out that action economy is a very valid concern; perhaps you should find some room for factotum which synergies amazingly well with Wizard or Archivist and provides extra standard actions at level 8.

I personally feel either or of Wizard or Archivist will be more than enough. Especially since you're starting at level 4, assuming you are a Focused Specialist Conjurer or even Transmuter, you should be able to cast 1-3 defining spells per combat as necessary.

[Dusk Eclipse]

If you don't have readily access to HoH, do not fear for the Archivist's secretss have been revealed to the masses here.

I think a (cloistered) cleric dip, for Kobold Domain and possibly others (I like Celerity [SC] for the speed boost) and to trade the Knowledge Domain for Knowledge devotion which synergices incredibly well with the Dark Knowledge Class feature of Archivist.

[The Rabbler]

I'd like to remind the playground that i don't plan on using this character for anything but lots of powerful, day-long buffs and making sure that when the s**t is starting to hit the fan, I have a doggie-bag and scooper ready and waiting. I don't plan on needing to break the action economy.

Now that I think about it, though, it doesn't seem that the dragon templates really do much for this build, if anything. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not they would be worthwhile to keep?

Also: a cloistered cleric dip does sound useful. I believe that I'll do it. Thanks for the suggestion.