Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 theotheogre May 12, 2008 14:59:41	Hello everyone. I'd like to request some practical optimization advice for a campaign with rather empowering house rules. Game Rules [indent] D&D 3.5, all WotC sourcebooks allowed Age of Worms adventure path, with Eberron localization Action Points are in use Full psionics-magic transparency Gestalt Plus "Theurgic" dual progression classes allowed Concurrent prestige classes on both sides of the progression allowed Starting ECL: 2 2 Flaws allowed [/indent] [u]Current Character Details[/u] (95% set-in-stone) [indent] Erudite 2 || Incarnate 2 Using the "Spells to Powers" Erudite alternate class feature. Ability Scores: 13,14,15,17,17,18 Good++ alignment Vow of Poverty character Angling for the "Saint" template in the future [/indent] [u]What I would Really Appreciate Help With:[/u] I'm wide open to suggestions when it comes to class and prestige class choices in the future. I've considered such diverse options as: dipping in Monk (with Ascetic Psion) and Swordsage for the AC boosts, going all-out for the Soul Manifester prestige class, tacking on a Totemist dip for soulmeld diversity, and straight incarnate paired with psion incarnate. Please help me end the madness and settle on a solid plan! Thanks in advance, -- Theo
#2 sinfire_titan May 12, 2008 15:23:22	Expanded Soulmeld Capacity is a must for Incarnates. The feat is too good to pass up. Also, Midnight Augmentation would help you out (unless your DM reads it the broken way, in which case you skyrocket in power). You don't really need them, but Metapsionic feats help out a lot. Soul Manifester can't be used in Gestalt. But Swordsage 2 is a good dip if you split it (Incarnate 19/Erudite 19/Swordsage 2) even though it loses a ML on both sides (better than losing the Soul Chakra or two ML on the Erudite side). Unless your DM rules that you don't get Wis to AC when unarmored, in which case Monk 1/Incarnate 19/Erudite 20 is the more optimal way to go. Because of the Erudite's unique manifesting abilities, PrCs are few and far in between if the DM doesn't allow them to advance your unique powers per day (with the Spell to Power variant, it is very reasonable to stay in Erudite to 20th). But you can use the Mind's Eye articles on Psycarnum to max out your Psicraft checks for the Spell to Power variant. Azurin as base race to get the most out of your feats. Or Warforged/Skarn. Any of those three are good for an Incarnate Erudite (You may want to consider Dragonborn Warforged, so as to keep your Exalted AC bonus).
#3 awaken_D_M_golem May 12, 2008 15:38:54	Sinfire's got it. The psi-power that lets you get Soul Binds on all the chakras except Soul and Heart, makes Soul Manifester unnecessary. Do you really need Heart and Soul binds/locations for something, or can you find another 4 levels to do something else? Alter Self (late metamorph) + Metamorphic Transfer + some specific soulmeld combo sounds like fun. That'll be your 5th + 6th level feat(s) to get 3 more MT uses. Plenty of powerpoint recharge set-ups via MoI and CPsi. Your DM OK with that? I'm not sure of any real utility to keeping Wis high for incarnum saves; Psi- is better for that. Less MAD. Just Int+Con. The Elemental Envoy is excellent at level 1, and waayyy better than a psicrystal at early levels. Get it, iirc Share Soulmeld should work with it. Sort of a big guy is with me build for a while; then dismiss it sometime between 5th and 10th level. Psicrystals with fangs and soulmelds are fun. And look what does Not have vow of poverty, your psicrystal. The Erudite Got Better thread is somewhere in Surreal's Dex. Have fun.
#4 sinfire_titan May 12, 2008 18:01:06	Sinfire's got it. The psi-power that lets you get Soul Binds on all the chakras except Soul and Heart, makes Soul Manifester unnecessary. Do you really need Heart and Soul binds/locations for something, or can you find another 4 levels to do something else? Alter Self (late metamorph) + Metamorphic Transfer + some specific soulmeld combo sounds like fun. That'll be your 5th + 6th level feat(s) to get 3 more MT uses. Plenty of powerpoint recharge set-ups via MoI and CPsi. Your DM OK with that? I'm not sure of any real utility to keeping Wis high for incarnum saves; Psi- is better for that. Less MAD. Just Int+Con. The Elemental Envoy is excellent at level 1, and waayyy better than a psicrystal at early levels. Get it, iirc Share Soulmeld should work with it. Sort of a big guy is with me build for a while; then dismiss it sometime between 5th and 10th level. Psicrystals with fangs and soulmelds are fun. And look what does Not have vow of poverty, your psicrystal. The Erudite Got Better thread is somewhere in Surreal's Dex. Have fun. I'd prefer not having to spend my unique daily powers on healing and flight, but that's just me. Oh, the Soul Crystal power and the spells Wall of Incarnum, Suppress Magic, and Soul Boon will all be a great help to your defenses on the Incarnate side. Soul Crystal alone is amazing.
#5 theotheogre May 13, 2008 12:41:12	Thanks for the tips! Those powers and spells look quite dandy, here's hoping I live long enough to obtain them. I'm going to go with Azurin for the character's race, as suggested. Soul Manifester can't be used in Gestalt. My DM has made a special house rule that allows dual-progression classes like the Soul Manifester. Also, he's ruled that the Erudite's unique powers per day increase along with powers known from prestige classes. Given that empowering ruling, do you think Soul Manifester is worth it? Maybe with something along the lines of... [indent]Incarnate 3 / Totemist 2 / Monk 1 / X 14 || Erudite 5 / Soul Manifester 10 / Y 5[/indent] What should I put in for X and Y?
#6 sinfire_titan May 13, 2008 14:29:50	Thanks for the tips! Those powers and spells look quite dandy, here's hoping I live long enough to obtain them. I'm going to go with Azurin for the character's race, as suggested. My DM has made a special house rule that allows dual-progression classes like the Soul Manifester. Also, he's ruled that the Erudite's unique powers per day increase along with powers known from prestige classes. Given that empowering ruling, do you think Soul Manifester is worth it? Maybe with something along the lines of... [indent]Incarnate 3 / Totemist 2 / Monk 1 / X 14 || Erudite 5 / Soul Manifester 10 / Y 5[/indent] What should I put in for X and Y? Incarnate 20 can get you two Chakra slots that no power or spell can grant. Totemist 2 gets you the single most unique bind there is, the Totem. But the Totem bind is more for offense-based builds and melee characters. You are a manifester first, Incarnate second (despite the fact that you have several feats to boost the Incarnate side). Soulmanifester costs you several Chakra slots which may or may not help you, in exchange for a very poor ability. If anything, I'd avoid it unless the other half of your Gestalt is the Incarnate, in which case you would be focusing more on your Meldshaping than manifesting. Monk is more for the Wis to AC, which is why I said Warforged with Swordsage instead (counters can be very helpful) as it gets you both. Becoming a Dragonborn allows you to improve your Con score while still getting the benefits of VoP. Really though, you may be better off with Items over VoP's benefits. Its great for lower-level Incarnates, but it sucks for Erudites period.