Gestalt to make it better

[playswithfire]

Random idea I had; gestalt game/characters where one half of the gestalt is focused on a class (prestige or base) generally considered not worth playing and the other half is designed to provide enough synergy that the otherwise useless becomes fun. For that class you'd enjoy playing if it weren't so weak.

For instance, for me, that's the Justicar, so I've been sketching out a

Goliath Unarmed Swordsage (US) 5/Shadow Sun Ninja 1/US+9//LA 1/Ranger* 6/Justicar 8

feats probably including Improved Trip and Scorpion's Grasp; trip him, attack and begin grappling thanks to Scorpion's Grasp, grapple for damage, hog tie

*applying this variant in the other direction and probably taking the non-spellcastng version from either CWar or CChamp

Shadow Sun Ninja's stuck in there to get an 8th level stance at level 15 and the Touch of the Shadow Sun is a nice plus

Anyway; that's my random thought. What sub-par class would you gestalt with what (whatever level you think makes it interesting)?

[dyslexicfaser]

Not a bad idea. I sometimes thing about what playing a monk//soulknife would be like. Then I come back to my senses and play another cleric or wizard.

[Emperor Tippy]

Mind Flayer/Illithid Savant//Monk

You can actually make a good monk.

[Rei_Jin]

I've always wanted to gestalt a monk/fighter, simply so I could build a peasant who could use a quarterstaff effectively as a weapon.

It's so very, very sad that said peasant needs to be a level 20 gestalt to be any good.

[Vexxation]

Elan Soulknife 20// Psychic Warrior 3 / Swordsage 17

Merely because I like Improved Evasion.
Focus in Shadow Hand and Desert Wind, Amp up the Mind Blade, Run around in light armor with a nice wisdom bonus. Conservatively assuming at least a 20 wisdom gives a reserve of 3 (class) + 7 (bonus) + 2 (Wild Talent) + 2 (Elan racial) for total 14 power points. Not too shabby.

As for Powers Known, Go with Expansion (Manifest before creating Mind Blade, by my ruling that would increase the blade's size to match your; your mileage may vary), Force Screen (Can't say no to a free shield bonus, right?), and a third of your choice. Take Practiced Manifester so that your Psychic Warrior powers don't end waaaay too soon.

As for other feats, it all depends on how you want to play. I say, buff up, get Large (or Huge if you wanna burn some more points), Draw the Longsword version of the Blade, then hop around the battlefield like a madman using Shadow Hand teleports with Desert Wind Strikes, the occasional Sneak Attack Shadow Hand hit, and just have fun being a lightly armored, very tall, very wise warrior whose weapon of choice is a direct manifestation of his mind.

[Frosty]

Monk/Samurai.

It's better at sucking!