Ok I'll go first, I call this build "The Wrath of God" it's a melee based Favored Soul build:
Race : Aasimar (Or Human see below*) you need to be an "outsider"
Alignment : Neutral Evil
Classes Used : Favored Soul of Tiamat ACF, Barbarian, Frenzied Berserker
Important Feats : Cleave, Power Attack, Destructive Frenzy, Intimidating Frenzy, Practiced Caster, Versatile Spellcaster, Extend Spell
Important Spells : True Strike (from the Dragon Magic Favored of Tiamat ACF), Draconic Polymorph (from the Dragon Magic Favored of Tiamat ACF), Divine Power, Righteous Might, and Consumptive Field.
Important Stats : Really only CHA (for more spells per day) and CON (for more HP).
Important Items : Orange Ioun Stone (I believe that's the one that gives you +1 to caster level) and Karma Beads (I think these are the ones that give you +4 to caster level for one spell), Greatsword (you can enhance it with your spells)
The build : Favored Soul of Tiamat 12/Barbarian 1/Frenzied Berserker 5/Favored Soul of Tiamat 2.
The whole point of this build is to do as much physical damage as possible while retaining the ability to heal and buff yourself. You need to be an aasimar or any other race that counts as an "outsider" to abuse the polymorph spell to change into outsider forms. The one downside to this build is the damn exp penalty because your classes are out of whack.
Draconic Polymorph into a Titan (STR score of 43 + 8 from Draconic Polymorph), you should be able to cast spells in Titan form (they have a mouth and hands just like humans), cast Divine Power (+6 to your STR score and BAB as a 20th level fighter), cast Righteous Might (+4 to your STR score and size increase), use a 20 point power attack, then cast True Strike (+20 to hit).
Massive Carnage ensues. I don't know how to calculate the damage exactly but can anyone tell me what the damage per hit would be with a Strength score of 61, a 20 point Frenzied Berserker power attack (for every 1 point of BAB you get 3 points of damage while using a two handed weapon), and a +5 Greatsword?
*Anyone know the name of the Feat that made you count as an outsider? Because with that Feat you can go Human and forgo the exp penalty I think.
The FS has wonderful flavor (I like them as a divine Sorcerer, a mortal with a drop of divine blood, partaking of the power but unbeholden to chruch and god) but they is hampered by the fact that the Cleric does everything they do better, and do more stuff besides.
Do you know if they can gain access to the Walker in the Waste prc? If they can, I'll make a build today.
Of course they can, although you may need to dip into Contemplative (I'm not 100% sure). Or cheat like everyone else does and go Planar Touchstone--->Catalogs of Enlightenment (Thirst or Sand Domain). So yeah they can qualify easily.
The thing with Favored Souls (and Sorcerers and ESPECIALLY Spirit Shamans) you DO NOT WANT to lose caster levels. The Walker in the Waste losses 2 levels one at first and one at tenth.
IMHO it's not worth it.
Of course they can, although you may need to dip into Contemplative (I'm not 100% sure). Or cheat like everyone else does and go Planar Touchstone--->Catalogs of Enlightenment (Thirst or Sand Domain). So yeah they can qualify easily.
The thing with Favored Souls (and Sorcerers and ESPECIALLY Spirit Shamans) you DO NOT WANT to lose caster levels. The Walker in the Waste losses 2 levels one at first and one at tenth.
IMHO it's not worth it.
In a battle, flavor always wins over optimization for me. Thats not to say I completely disregard optimization but my focus when building a character has been to make them flow with juicy flavor.
And hereit is. :D
I don't even think he needed the "Hero" domain. Since you can use Miracle to mimic Giant Size(it's a 7th level Wu Jen spell).
Towards the end of the thread there's also two nice all Favored Soul builds, one for Bahamat, one for Tiamat.
Thanks Midnight, that was the one I was thinking of. But sadly I just double-checked it's not for humans
Oh well we don't need it
Here's another straight-forward build I call "Versa-Caster" -
Pick any Deity with sweet domains (Timestop, Shapechange, Disjunction, etc..) : Set, Tiamat, Ehlonna, etc.. + any PrC that grants turning undead (Sacred Exorcist if good, Death Delver if neutral or evil) and enjoy
Remember that spontaneous casters like Favored Souls actually have the option to add the spells from available domains to their spell list (though you still can't go beyond your spells known limit per level). So take that clerics!
Samples -
Good version -
Race :Human
Important Feats : Education (to meet the requirements for the Exorcist class ASAP)
Deity : Ehlonna
Build : Favored Soul 8/Sacred Exorcist 2/Contemplative 10
Select the Celerity and Animal Domains. Now you have access to DMM and Timestop and Shapechage :D Full caster level too :D
Evil version -
Race :Any
Deity : Set
Build : Favored Soul 9/Death Delver 1/Contemplative 10
Select the Skalykind and Magic Domains. You lose one caster level
but this is the only way I know of for evil Favored Souls to get access to Turn/Rebuke Undead that opens up DMM.