Cheese Gestalted, advice.

[Kizara]

Soo.... my 9th-level cleric of Zarus just survived a TPK (cause she had way more hp then the rest of them) when my then-8th-level party went after a frost worm.

So, my DM has decided to allow me to continue her as a solo character for a time, with all the party's treasure and to make her gestalt to allow her more options in a solo character. So, yea, I had a powergasim.

So... :) here's my character, what should I take on my other side? Pretty 'open book'.

Stats:
18,10,18,15,20,18

Domains: Strength, War
Feats: Quicken Spell, DMM (Quicken), Power Attack, Extra Turning (not sure on my 9th-level feat yet).

So, I got a DMM (quicken) cleric with like x3 her WDL who is about to get some 'gestaltness' from divine inspiration, any reccomendations?

I was thinking wizard.

[Proven_Paradox]

Firstly; your situation and character are absurd.

Next; wizard probably wouldn't be a good choice unless you can do something about arcane spell failure from armor. You've got absurdly high charisma and wisdom in your mental stats, so perhaps something that synergies with that. If you're lawful good, paladin might be a good choice--a lot of charisma-based abilities, wisdom based spell casting, and the only thing important for a fighter type you're lacking--full BAB.

If you have the Tome of Battle, you might look into crusader or warblade. Crusader doesn't have as much charisma synergy as paladin, but you do upgrade to d10 HD, full BAB, and a lot of maneuvers and class features that make you better at surviving. If random maneuver granting leaves a bad taste in your mouth, try Warblade; full BAB, d12 HD, and maneuvers. I personally would prefer to have access to Devoted Spirit stuff, since it would allow you to heal yourself without taking time out from taking damage, but it's all a judgement call.

Lastly; this is still absurd. I personally would look forward to a save or die DC WTF soon.

[Kizara]

Firstly; your situation and character are absurd.

Next; wizard probably wouldn't be a good choice unless you can do something about arcane spell failure from armor. You've got absurdly high charisma and wisdom in your mental stats, so perhaps something that synergies with that. If you're lawful good, paladin might be a good choice--a lot of charisma-based abilities, wisdom based spell casting, and the only thing important for a fighter type you're lacking--full BAB.

If you have the Tome of Battle, you might look into crusader or warblade. Crusader doesn't have as much charisma synergy as paladin, but you do upgrade to d10 HD, full BAB, and a lot of maneuvers and class features that make you better at surviving. If random maneuver granting leaves a bad taste in your mouth, try Warblade; full BAB, d12 HD, and maneuvers. I personally would prefer to have access to Devoted Spirit stuff, since it would allow you to heal yourself without taking time out from taking damage, but it's all a judgement call.

Lastly; this is still absurd. I personally would look forward to a save or die DC WTF soon.

Care to elaborate on why it's absurd? Do you feel all solo campaigns are absurd, or just my character? Yes, DDM cheese is absurd, but I already agreed with that.
If you like, I can detail the circumstances that the rest of my party died, but it basically amounts to that I had the hp to survive the worm's death throes and they didn't.

As for the ideas:

1) Good call on wizard. I would consider duskblade instead, but I'm already using my swift action most rounds regardless and they don't get the spells I was most looking at arcane casting for (fly, haste, battlefield control).

2) She is LE, so at least 3 levels in paladin of tyranny would work fine. Still leaves alot of room. I guess I could always go 3 PoT + 3 hexblade, but that's only 6 levels.

3) I have access to ToB, but I have a vhemenant hatred for it.

[Kristoss]

I would take at least four levels in PoT for the seven extra turns per day. As for what feats to take when it comes to DMM cheese extra turning is alway valuable.
As far as gestaulting goes choosing classes with lots of passive abilities is recommended. I would for example pick up some levels in barbarian cast a quickened Righteous Might and then rage for rest of encounter.

[Ashes]

Why didn't the other players roll up new characters after they died? Or is this a solo campaign? I'd say you should go for the three paladin levels as well, maybe splash some fighter, and then look for a prc that is great, but maybe lacks a few caster levels to make up for it. You get the caster levels from your cleric side anyway.

[Kizara]

Why didn't the other players roll up new characters after they died? Or is this a solo campaign? I'd say you should go for the three paladin levels as well, maybe splash some fighter, and then look for a prc that is great, but maybe lacks a few caster levels to make up for it. You get the caster levels from your cleric side anyway.

The main group is starting a new campaign, which I am DMing. The original campaign's DM and I are best friends, so we meet at a seperate time to 1on1 RP in addition to the normal night.

What feats should I take with that 2 fighter though? I don't even have much of an idea for my 9th-level feat aside from Leadership.

You kind of get the shaft for divine PrCs as an evil cleric, and aside from contemplative 1 at level 11 I didn't have any plans. Good point though.

[Kizara]

I would take at least four levels in PoT for the seven extra turns per day. As for what feats to take when it comes to DMM cheese extra turning is alway valuable.
As far as gestaulting goes choosing classes with lots of passive abilities is recommended. I would for example pick up some levels in barbarian cast a quickened Righteous Might and then rage for rest of encounter.

I'm pretty sure that PoT turning doesn't work like that: you add it to your cleric levels, you don't get a whole new set of turns.

And more extra turning (the feat) is not needed, as I am finding that 3/day quickening is doing me generally. I don't have to quicken every round most fights, and sometimes that action is better used on Blade of Blood.

Barbarian doesn't work because of the alignment problem, but otherwise that would be a reasonable idea.

[Chronicled]

Are psionics allowed? Psychic Warrior would mesh really well with the high wisdom (since you don't want ToB's well-meshing Swordsage). It still has medium BAB, but Divine Power takes care of that.

You'd have up to 3rd level powers, so you could pick up some versatility-boosting powers like: Burst, Expansion (letting you become Huge instead of just Large), Compression, Force Screen, Precognition/Prescience (insight bonuses are hard to come by), Skate; Concealing Amorpha, Lion's Charge, Hustle, Wall Walker, Levitate; Dimension Slide, Greater Concealing Amorpha, Ectoplasmic Form. You'd also get a bunch of bonus feats that can be used for either psionic or fighter feat choices.

The biggest cheese would be druid, but I don't think that meshes with your character concept very well.

Picking up a crafting feat or 2 would be good to convert the party's stuff you can't use into stuff that you can.

[Duke of URL]

A couple of more off-the-wall suggestions...

1) Warlock -- synergy with high CHA, one feat (Battle caster) will let you use mithril full plate armor with no ASF. Option to focus on either long-term buffs or nasty save effects (allowing you to keep your clerical slots open for buffs or healing), UMD is now a class skill

2) Artificer -- As noted above, take party members' items and convert them into things you can use, UMD is now a class skill

3) Marshal -- Auras effect you, too, and minor auras are all keyed off of CHA modifier; pair with at least two levels of Paladin of Tyranny

[Ganurath]

Fluff: Ranger, with nonhuman humanoids as favored enemies.

Cheese: Favored Soul, for two sets of divine spellcasting lists. For in game explanation, it's a blessing from Zarus for proving the superiority of humans by enduring the ordeal that slew your (presumably nonhuman) comrades.

[JaxGaret]

Favored Soul, for two sets of divine spellcasting lists. For in game explanation, it's a blessing from Zarus for proving the superiority of humans by enduring the ordeal that slew your (presumably nonhuman) comrades.

I was actually going to suggest that. It would probably be the easiest choice in terms of overall character maintenance, fairly powerful, and makes sense for the character.

A similar choice would be to select Sorcerer, with the same flavor. Your Charisma synergy actually makes that about as good an option as Wizard, plus you have much less bookkeeping.

Crusader would be an awesome gestalt option. A Crusader/Cleric is pretty much the ultimate holy warrior, and also makes perfect flavor sense as a divine blessing.

[Chronicled]

Hexblade would make a nice option for passive boosts. You'd get a d10, full BAB, Mettle (with your saves, this is huge), Charisma to saves vs spells, all martial weapons, a less than stellar curse ability (situationally very useful, and free action use), some very minor new spell selection (geared off Cha), and your choice of a familiar (a familiar with full BAB and a LOT of HP... take the Improved Familiar feat for one that can really help in combat) or a Dark Companion (PHB2) that debuffs enemies. It's also thematically appropriate.

Also, I'd suggest the Leadership feat for your 9th level one. It's amazing how much better two party members are than one. Have the cohort be a wizard (perhaps even a gestalt), and you have the battlefield control.

Edit: I have to disagree with the Favored Soul idea. It would give you almost no passive boosts, and having a few standard buffs on demand isn't worth what other classes could give you.

If you really like the wizard spells idea, you could go with Psion; they get to manifest in armor, and have a variety of useful powers. You could get Flight (and teleportation later) if you chose the Nomad discipline. You wouldn't have an overabundance of power points, but it'd be enough for some more versatility. You'd probably be better off with some passive boosts (a Hexblade/Pally/Monk/Blackguard mix for lots of Cha/Wis boosts, for instance; toss on an Eagle's Splendor as a pre-fight buff, and you're nigh-untouchable by spells).

[Draz74]

Monk 1 / Wizard 8 would be fine. The Monk will make it so you're not hurting too bad by shedding your armor.

If you go with some combination of Ranger/Hexblade/Paladin of Tyranny/etc. stuff, though, two more classes to consider adding to the mix are Knight and Blackguard.

[Kizara]

I'd like to thank you all for the ideas.

Some responses:

1) Favored soul. Great RP and easy to justify, but adds basically nothing at all to the character. Amusedly, this character was originally intended as a favored soul, but I went cleric instead because it wasn't complete garbage (like fav soul is).

2) Warlock. Here's a good idea, lots of options for some neat abilities and could add some cool aspects to my RP. Thanks for the input.

3) Ranger. Good idea, adds a dimension that the character is otherwise solely lacking. Even just a 1 level dip (at first level) for track, fav enemy and some skills.

4) Crusader. Ironically one of her companions WAS a crusader: of Erthynl (or however you spell that). I'll CONSIDER it, and I do not doubt it would be really powerful. Let's see if my powerhungryness can outweigh my vhemenant distaste for ToB.

5) Psionics. Well not often used, I believe this is also an option. Good points made with Psychic Warrior and/or psion. Thanks for the input.

6) Artificer/craft feats. Ehh, a valid idea I suppose, but not really in character at all and I was just intending on selling it all and buying a periphat of wis +6 or something.

Right now I'm leaning toward my '2nd side' to look like:
Rgr 1/PoT 3/Hex 3/? maybe psychic warrior? Is that class useful in small levels?

EDIT: Check your inbox chronicled.

[CASTLEMIKE]

I like dipping in Gestalt so Factotum - 3, Marshal -1 (Motivate Aura Wisdom or Intelligence), Warblade - 3 (Factotum Synergy), Crusader -1 or Dragon Shaman -1 (Fast Healing - 1 aura when under 50% of hit points but you have a lot of gear). Depending on your alignment a dip into the Nar Demonbinder PRC with Flaws to buy the two feats.

Going Psion or Erudite (Spells to Power variant) with the Slayer PRC could be interesting.

[Rachel Lorelei]

Crusader is pretty much perfect, and there are few good reasons to dislike ToB. Get over it! You get a great offense, and full BAB basically lets you replace Divine Power/Quickened Divine Favor with some other buff (Recitation?)/Quickened Divine Favor.

If you take Paladin of Tyranny/Hexblade, take Hexblade 4 for the Dark Companion substitution feature. That's -4 to saves for people you melee. Add in Binder levels for the vestige Focalor and you can make that -6, with -4 of that to AB/AC, too (I think).

If you take Psychic Warrior, take it straight up. You get combat feats and useful powers. Take Expanded Knowledge(any first-level swift-action power, although Dimension Hop from the Complete Psionic is the best) and Linked Power so that you can buff quickly without using more of your standard actions than Cleric already uses. Alternatively, check out the Ardent, a WIS-based manifester in the Complete Psionic. If you take the Ardent, pick up Expanded Knowledge(Schism), take the mantle that gives Dimension Hop, and take Linked Power.

[Kizara]

Crusader is pretty much perfect, and there are few good reasons to dislike ToB. Get over it! You get a great offense, and full BAB basically lets you replace Divine Power/Quickened Divine Favor with some other buff (Recitation?)/Quickened Divine Favor.

Noted. Although even with full bab, divine power is only outmatched by righteous might as a buff choice, and is still the next best choice (+6 str, +9 hp).

If you take Paladin of Tyranny/Hexblade, take Hexblade 4 for the Dark Companion substitution feature. That's -4 to saves for people you melee. Add in Binder levels for the vestige Focalor and you can make that -6, with -4 of that to AB/AC, too (I think).

Good call, although the dark companion only gives -2 AC/Saves. I might go for the familiar if I don't take leadership, but I probably will.

If you take Psychic Warrior, take it straight up. You get combat feats and useful powers. Take Expanded Knowledge(any first-level swift-action power, although Dimension Hop from the Complete Psionic is the best) and Linked Power so that you can buff quickly without using more of your standard actions than Cleric already uses. Alternatively, check out the Ardent, a WIS-based manifester in the Complete Psionic. If you take the Ardent, pick up Expanded Knowledge(Schism), take the mantle that gives Dimension Hop, and take Linked Power.

Thanks for the psionics advice, the detailed build advice is very helpful since I am quite unfamiliar with them.

[Rachel Lorelei]

Noted. Although even with full bab, divine power is only outmatched by righteous might as a buff choice, and is still the next best choice (+6 str, +9 hp).
Divinely Quickened Righteous Might + normal Divine Favor, then.

Divine Power shouldn't be giving you +6 STR, since with your newfound wealth, you should be buying a Belt of Giant Strength +6 (or at least +4).

Good call, although the dark companion only gives -2 AC/Saves. I might go for the familiar if I don't take leadership, but I probably will.

The Dark Companion is quite superior to the familiar... although you could probably work something out with straight Hexblade, Improved Familiar (Winter Wolf), and sharing buffs (like Righteous Might).

Thanks for the psionics advice, the detailed build advice is very helpful since I am quite unfamiliar with them.

The key to an effective Psychic Warrior is cutting down your buff time as much as possible (and, of course, good combat feats). This is especially the case when you've got another class's spellcasting making demands on your standard action. Linking buffs to swift-action 1-PP powers gets you the buffs a round later, but with only a swift action expended (sometimes a swift action for two buffs, i.e. swift-action version of Offensive Prescience and link Expansion or Force Screen or augmented Vigor). Watch your Psionic Focus, though--you expend it to use Linked Power. Psionic Meditation will let you get it back as a move action.

[NobleSavage]

What about Knight? Provides the full BAB, d12 HD and makes use of Cha, at least to some extent. Abilities allow you to compel enemies to fight you, which would be useful in a solo adventure. That said, a couple of your abilities are best used in conjunction with allies. If I didn't go this direction I'd look at Pally or Psychic Warrior, and Marshal is always nice for a level or two dip.

[Kizara]

What about Knight? Provides the full BAB, d12 HD and makes use of Cha, at least to some extent. Abilities allow you to compel enemies to fight you, which would be useful in a solo adventure. That said, a couple of your abilities are best used in conjunction with allies. If I didn't go this direction I'd look at Pally or Psychic Warrior, and Marshal is always nice for a level or two dip.

1) BAB is a very minor boon with Quickened Divine Power whenever I want it.

2) The ability to make people focus on me is not useful if there are no other combatants anyways.

3) Mounted combat is minorly useful, and shield ward or ally-protection abilities are useless to me.

Marshal is a decent idea tho.
......

Rachel: I intend on spending my wealth on cha and wis boosters first, followed by something that grants general utility, like Boots of Speed or Wings of Flying.

Thanks again for the psionics advice.

[Kizara]

Ok, after some further thought I've hammered out a build, at least part of one. Problem with gestalt is you 'run out' of good classes to take awfully fast...

Side 1 (original) Cleric 10/contemplative 2/cleric 8
I mean, its cleric.

Side 2 (new): Rgr 2 (convince DM to let me have endurance instead of combat style)/PoT 3/hex 4/marsh 1/ftr 2/hex 1/heirophant 5/blackguard 2

Feats (current) Power attack, Quicken spell, DMM (quicken spell), Extra Turning.

Feats (new): Leadership (9th-level), cleave (ftr 1), Improved Sunder(ftr 2), spell penetration (hex), Combat Brute (12th-level),

I have my 15th and 18th level feats to account for, in addition to 3 more metamagic feats from heirophant levels.

It goes to show you how crap heirophant is that even on the 'other side' of a gestalt and nothing better to do, its still not decent.

[Kristoss]

Is your group using multiclass XP penalties? If I calculated correctly you will have 60% penalty from the non cleric side of your gestault character.

[Kizara]

Is your group using multiclass XP penalties? If I calculated correctly you will have 60% penalty from the non cleric side of your gestault character.

Good point, we generally don't bother. Honestly didn't even think about it. Wroth asking though I guess.

[Jalil]

If you're looking for a massive passive side for gish, try this:

Monk(or rogue) 2/PoT 2/Hex 3/Blackguard 2

that gives cha to saves 3 times, as well as evasion and mettle. Without lifting a finger, you become basically immune to spells. Fits neatly into 9 levels also.

Note: This also gets by without xp penalties, in case your DM does use it.

[Kizara]

If you're looking for a massive passive side for gish, try this:

Monk(or rogue) 2/PoT 2/Hex 3/Blackguard 2

that gives cha to saves 3 times, as well as evasion and mettle. Without lifting a finger, you become basically immune to spells. Fits neatly into 9 levels also.

Note: This also gets by without xp penalties, in case your DM does use it.

The 4th hexblade was for a couple spells and the dark companion. And because I literally have nothing better to do with my levels. If you have a better idea for that 'odd level', I'm very open. I'd do barbarian but its completely against character and I can't make the alignment.

Good call on rogue though, it's not like I'm dying for BAB anyways...

Any ideas on my last 2 feats, or metamagic feats?

[icthius]

Gestalt Cleric/Wizard for 3 levels, then Gestalt Mystic Theurge/Warblade

[Kizara]

Gestalt Cleric/Wizard for 3 levels, then Gestalt Mystic Theurge/Warblade

I'm not remaking my whole character, and certinally am not completely changing the concept.

If you read my OP, the idea is to incorporate gestaltness into an already powerful build and then go from there.

Nonetheless, thank you for your input.