The Ultimate Character Build Challenge

[Deepblue706]

I've long loved Gishes. The idea of combining spells and fighting is just badass. The more I ponder interesting builds, the more I begin to wonder: what new and innovative ways can one make such a character? Is there a hidden path to ultimate power using both spell and sword? I challenge you, fellow board users, to help me find the truth: to do so, we must build the Ultimate Magish.

The idea is to create a martially competent character who can effectively make use of multiple types of magic: Ultimate Magish being one path (Spontaneous + Prepared Arcane spells + a fair fighting ability), Mystic Theugish (Divine + Arcane casting + fair fighting ability) being an alternate one.

The task will undoubtedly be difficult, so those of you less versed in optimizing should stray away from this challenge - your head may very well explode.

[Dhavaer]

Duskblade/Abjurer/Ultimate Magi/Abjurant Champion sounds like a good build here. I'm not sure how many UM levels you'd want, though.

[Cybren]

This is almost as bad as your idea for Admiral Munch, the cousin of Captain Crunch.

[Deepblue706]

This is almost as bad as your idea for Admiral Munch, the cousin of Captain Crunch.

I don't care what you say, Admiral Munch was a brilliant idea!

[BardicDuelist]

Pun-Pun would work...

[KIDS]

There was something like Ninja/Cleric/Nar Demonbinder/Ur-Priest/Mystic Theurge/Abjurant Champion/Sneaky Rogue PrC build at WotC's Character Optimization boards that ended up having 8th level arcane spells, 7th level divine spells, 5d6 SA, 14 BAB and something like that...

[Zincorium]

Well, I'd say go (ex)Monk 2/bard 7/ur priest 1/sublime chord 1/fochlucan lyricist 9 progressing ur priest and sublime chord spellcasting. Speaking Druidic is kind of iffy, if you can't take it as a language with the speak language skill then you can delay sublime chord and fochlucan lyricist by a level to be an ex druid.

9th level arcane spells (from a very nice list) and 9th level arcane spells, BAB of 15, the equal of any one of the classes, if not using fractional BAB, which then goes up to 17 at 20. Wis to AC, flurry, yada yada yada.

The funny thing is that until 10th level most DMs won't even suspect anything going on with this character.

[Pestlepup]

I wonder if Admiral Munch has any relation to my archnemesis, Admiral Stonk... Cousins on the father's side, thrice removed?

But anyway, do you have any preference as to at what level the character should be an effective gish? Are we talking epic, or little less cheesy? A simple sorcerer 2 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Fighter 4 / Wizard 3 / Eldritch Knight 15 would fit the bill, I guess, but the level-count is through the roof. So I guess what I'm asking is, should the character be martially and magically competent in comparison to other characters of similar level? I'd likely try to wrangle some kinky Warlock / Spirit Shaman / Eldritch Disciple, but that's just me.

[nerulean]

Warlock/Cleric/Eldritch disciple/???

Casting and hitting stuff? Cleric. Eldritch disciple just lets you add invocations for extra boom. Maybe not technically magic per se, but effective.

[kpenguin]

Pun-Pun would work...

Pun-Pun would win almost any build challenge. Not allowing Pun-Pun is a given.

[Kurald Galain]

Perhaps this is cheating too, but how about an Archivist, since they can do both kinds of magic? Or using the Rainbow Savant (sp?) presclass to gain all cleric spells for an arcane caster?

[Deepblue706]

I wonder if Admiral Munch has any relation to my archnemesis, Admiral Stonk... Cousins on the father's side, thrice removed?

But anyway, do you have any preference as to at what level the character should be an effective gish? Are we talking epic, or little less cheesy? A simple sorcerer 2 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Fighter 4 / Wizard 3 / Eldritch Knight 15 would fit the bill, I guess, but the level-count is through the roof. So I guess what I'm asking is, should the character be martially and magically competent in comparison to other characters of similar level? I'd likely try to wrangle some kinky Warlock / Spirit Shaman / Eldritch Disciple, but that's just me.

Must be pre-epic, and hopefully competent in both types of spellcasting, and hitting things (lets say at the very least +15 BAB).

[Deepblue706]

Perhaps this is cheating too, but how about an Archivist, since they can do both kinds of magic? Or using the Rainbow Savant (sp?) presclass to gain all cleric spells for an arcane caster?

It doesn't matter if the get other types of spells - what matters is they get lots and lots of spells to cast in a day.