A Core Gish Guide? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

A Core Gish Guide?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
sakaki22
Apr 18, 2008 3:21:26 I love Gish characters. With the right flavors, I could play them forever. But whenever the word "Gish" comes up on the forums, the words that come to mind are spellsword, abjurant champion, twilight mithral armor, and "BAB +19 and 9th level spells or gfto".

I want to see some builds every player can use. No off sourcebooks, no potential rule abuses. No taking prestige classes for their first level flavorlessly. I want to see a compiled guide to building arcane gishes of multiple flavors (Paladin 2/Sorcerer 8/Eldritch Knight 10 and Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10 may both be solid, but what if I want Rogue, or Monk? Or something with arcane and divine spellcasting?), and the best feat/spell/equipment choices, without leaving the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, or the Monster Manual.

Has anybody attempted this before?
#2
akal-saris
Apr 18, 2008 5:29:56 I made a core-only gish a few months ago in a game that died before all of the characters had even met each other.

It's not terribly original, but I went for a dwarven fighter/transmuter, loaded up on heavy armor and large shields, and cast verbal-only spells like blur and true strike, heading for eldritch knight. Though if non-core had been allowed, I could have gotten a lot of other nice verbal-only spells in there too, and a better prestige class :P

A monk gish might work with a cleric or druid in core, with wisdom synergy and natural spell. But I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot...core isn't really designed for many gish builds.
#3
robbypants
Apr 18, 2008 15:31:42
I want to see some builds every player can use. No off sourcebooks, no potential rule abuses. No taking prestige classes for their first level flavorlessly. I want to see a compiled guide to building arcane gishes of multiple flavors (Paladin 2/Sorcerer 8/Eldritch Knight 10 and Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10 may both be solid, but what if I want Rogue, or Monk? Or something with arcane and divine spellcasting?), and the best feat/spell/equipment choices, without leaving the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, or the Monster Manual.

I guess if I had to do core only, I'd go with Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10, and specialize in Transmutation. You'd have an okay BAB, but sadly it'd only be +15. I guess one more level of fighter at the expense of one level of wizard would get you to +16 and you'd keep your 9th level spells.

Still, your HP would be pretty weak, which would make melee pretty dangerous. If you could seriously boost your Con, you might be able to get some good miliage out of Polymorph and Shapechange.
#4
archerpwr
Apr 18, 2008 16:22:54 Core only?
Arcane:
Human Ranger 1/ Wiz 6/ EK 10/ Loremaster 2/ Fighter 1
Divine:
Cleric or Druid 20

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 sakaki22 Apr 18, 2008 3:21:26	I love Gish characters. With the right flavors, I could play them forever. But whenever the word "Gish" comes up on the forums, the words that come to mind are spellsword, abjurant champion, twilight mithral armor, and "BAB +19 and 9th level spells or gfto". I want to see some builds every player can use. No off sourcebooks, no potential rule abuses. No taking prestige classes for their first level flavorlessly. I want to see a compiled guide to building arcane gishes of multiple flavors (Paladin 2/Sorcerer 8/Eldritch Knight 10 and Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10 may both be solid, but what if I want Rogue, or Monk? Or something with arcane and divine spellcasting?), and the best feat/spell/equipment choices, without leaving the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, or the Monster Manual. Has anybody attempted this before?
#2 akal-saris Apr 18, 2008 5:29:56	I made a core-only gish a few months ago in a game that died before all of the characters had even met each other. It's not terribly original, but I went for a dwarven fighter/transmuter, loaded up on heavy armor and large shields, and cast verbal-only spells like blur and true strike, heading for eldritch knight. Though if non-core had been allowed, I could have gotten a lot of other nice verbal-only spells in there too, and a better prestige class :P A monk gish might work with a cleric or druid in core, with wisdom synergy and natural spell. But I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot...core isn't really designed for many gish builds.
#3 robbypants Apr 18, 2008 15:31:42	I want to see some builds every player can use. No off sourcebooks, no potential rule abuses. No taking prestige classes for their first level flavorlessly. I want to see a compiled guide to building arcane gishes of multiple flavors (Paladin 2/Sorcerer 8/Eldritch Knight 10 and Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10 may both be solid, but what if I want Rogue, or Monk? Or something with arcane and divine spellcasting?), and the best feat/spell/equipment choices, without leaving the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, or the Monster Manual. I guess if I had to do core only, I'd go with Fighter 1/Wizard 9/Eldritch Knight 10, and specialize in Transmutation. You'd have an okay BAB, but sadly it'd only be +15. I guess one more level of fighter at the expense of one level of wizard would get you to +16 and you'd keep your 9th level spells. Still, your HP would be pretty weak, which would make melee pretty dangerous. If you could seriously boost your Con, you might be able to get some good miliage out of Polymorph and Shapechange.
#4 archerpwr Apr 18, 2008 16:22:54	Core only? Arcane: Human Ranger 1/ Wiz 6/ EK 10/ Loremaster 2/ Fighter 1 Divine: Cleric or Druid 20