ehhh...gestalt?or rather the what?

[kemmotar]

Every now and then i happen to hear the word gestalt...and i keep wondering what the hell it is...i figured its kind alike an epic levels game but i keep getting the idea that that's not all at all...anyone care explaining?

[Azerian Kelimon]

A gestalt is a gaming variant in which each player plays a PC that advances two classes simultaneously. When you lack PC's, or are looking for an obscenely powergamed game, it's ideal for you.

[imperialspectre]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...Characters.htm

Instead of advancing by a single character class, a character has two classes, picking the best attack bonus, HD, and save bonuses of each, and getting their class abilities. One can multiclass on either "side," so one could have a fighter 2/paladin 2//cleric 4, meaning fighter/paladin multiclass on one side, cleric on the other.

[OzymandiasVolt]

I would replace "obscenely power-gamed" with "much more versatile". Because all PCs and quite possibly major villains are gestalt in such a game. It is indeed more open to abuse than a normal game, but a normal game is open to abuse in the first place, so clearly it all comes down to having players that aren't jerks and a DM that is aware of his environment.

((Also, Telepath + Bard = ))

[TheSteelRat]

Regarding the abuse of gestalt, Wizard highly advises against allowing prestige classes that act as combinations or similar mechanics in this version. Mystic Theurge is basically a Wizard / Cleric Gestalt, except you delay access to your highest spell level by 3 levels. Same with Eldritch Knight, etc. Classes like Assassin or Archmage though are okay, because they focus on a single previous class that they enhance.

It's not generally stated, but I'd assume this advisory also applies to the spree of feats lately that allow stacking of class-effects between two character classes (Daring Outlaw, etc.) though any other bonuses they might have would apply (changing Wis to Cha-based AC for Monk with Ascetic Mage)

[Fax Celestis]

Also, it allows for quite a few character concepts that weren't previously viable to now become feasible and realistic--and in some cases, very strong.

Take, for instance, a favorite character of mine: an awakened squirrel knight who rides a bald eagle and specializes in defensive fighting. In regular play, I'd have to be something like a Ranger 4/Knight 3/Scout 4 to get what I wanted, a very weak mix with little going for it.

In Gestalt, however, I can be a Knight 5//Ranger 4/Scout 1, which is a much stronger build with the same flavor, and also is feasible at a much lower level.

[Dairun Cates]

Also, it allows for quite a few character concepts that weren't previously viable to now become feasible and realistic--and in some cases, very strong.

Yeah. A good example was the Barbarian/Rogue I played once. Sucky stats made him weaker than he should of been, but even then, gestalt makes the silly idea of a big bulky raging barbarian sneak attacking not only plausible and funny, but actually quite potent.

[Spectre3541]

Most fun gestalt character I've ever made was a Scout 5/Dervish 10// Bard 10/Invisible Blade 5. "I sing and tumble and cut you up really bad." that was a fun time.

[Temp]

Not entirely on topic, but the topic's been resolved...

I've been wanting to gestalt a Warblade//Factotum. Would it be the most powerful combination? Not by any means (beside Intelligence synergy). What would be so nice about it, then? The gestalt seems to scream "Western Fantasy Protagonist."

[Satyr]

I prefer Gestalt games, not because of the additional power (we normally use evil grim and gritty rules, which makes the life of PC's very ugly and penalizes studity heavily), but because it's so much more versatile. In normal games, the narrow choice of classes reduces the different types of characters to a handfull of regularly repeating stereotypes. This becomes rather dull after two or three years. The gestalt rules makes charakters that much more versatile and therefore interesting, and therefore I strongly recommend them.

[kemmotar]

Are there any ready gestalt campaigns or quests i can look at?Also i someone had mentioned a dawn caste solar exalt...which i have never encountered in any books yet(in "normal" D&D that is)...was it just a different setting and they were playing gestalt or are there specific books that can be used?

[Jack_Simth]

You don't generally get ready-made gestalt campaigns; it's not all that different from regular play, you've just got a different set of abilities that usually make your character a little stronger (guidelines suggest about +1 or +2 CR on the opponents).

I'm looking for players for my gestalt campaign right now, if you're interested.

[Caduceus]

The dawn caste solar exalt isn't from DnD. It's from Exalted. The dawn caste of solar exalted is a warrior caste. Zenith is the priest kings. Twilight is the mages. Night is the stealthy caste. Eclipse is the diplomats. There are other types of exalted, like the lunar exalted, sidereal exalted, and the Dragon-blooded exalted, but I don't know much about them.

[skywalker]

A party I was in once got raped in successive sessions by druids and then monks. When we started a gestalt campaign with that DM, the other player played a monk/druid. I think I played a fighter/ranger. We were restricted to core only, tho.