Gestalt Totemist/Swordsage in odd-magic campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Gestalt Totemist/Swordsage in odd-magic campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
neo_leviathan
Apr 03, 2011 21:57:32 Hey all. Just wondering how well this concept could do. On the surface it seems like there could be some handy synergy with getting natural weapons etc from Totemist and the various "Unarmed" manouvers to make a pretty nasty scout/skirmisher, but I don't have all that much experience with Incarnum or ToB

Rules:
Gestalt
Lvl 1-10
32 Point Buy
"No Cheese" filter in place (ie, anything that is obviously rorty is banned, no matter how legal)
Any books & Dragon magazine deals allowed, subject to GM approval
No Arcane or Divine casters allowed
Tier 1 & 2 classes cannot Gestalt with anything above Tier 4, other than that go nuts.

Setting
Us PCs are the vat-grown experriments of a big-bad, ruler of an Evil empire under siege by the Forces of Good.
We were created to be his "Trump Card" after the detonation of a magical bomb, and since Good has triumphed and taken over, the bomb has been dropped and we've been activated.
The Bomb means that this entire kingdom is now a quasi-dead magic zone for both Arcane & Divine magic, magic items still work, as does Incarnum, Psionics etc, but actual spellcasters can't do squat.
We'll be going around doing various tasks for our Overlord (unknown what those will be, but we can anticipate everything from kidnapping to theft, espionage, and hunting down and killing Good's missionaries), during this we'll no doubt end up at times in the areas where Magic still functions, but for the most part we're acting in the dead zone.

The Idea so Far
Race: I'm thinking either Azurin (extra feat) or Duskling (extra Con and Speed that can go to absurd levels, since I haven't seen anything limiting the amount of essentia you can put into the speed boost)

Does anyone have any advice on how to make this work? Obviously I'll want to fit in Expanded Soulmeld Capacity, Bonus Essentia, Adaptive Style & Weapon Finesse at various points, but as I said, I have minimal real experience with either of these classes.
#2
New-Shadow
Apr 03, 2011 23:57:01 If up close and personal fighting is your thing, you could try Dragonslayer from Draconomicon (p. 127) to have less complications with unfamiliar stuff. While it requires some rather...iffy feats to enter, it gives you quite a bit of stuff (immunity to fear, DR/-, resistance to all non-force energies, etc.). Best of all, it boosts spellcasting, even though spellcasting is not required to enter the class. If your DM gives you permission, you can use it to boost either of the classes "casting" (though it's only going to be every odd level sadly). All in all, it depends on how you wish to play your character, particularly their combat style.

Too bad Serpent Slayer needs arcane or divine casting to enter, immunity to poison after 3 levels of the class sounds like something that'd be right up your characters' ally.
#3
neo_leviathan
Apr 04, 2011 0:00:48 Oh I have no problem with startying with something unfamiliar
It's more of a "before I start digging through all the sources in ludicrous fashion, can this combo actually be made to work and are there some tips/tricks". Once I start reading through the books properly I'll pick it up, but at the moment I'm unsure if I'm going Totemist/Swordsage or Crusader/Incarnate, so finding out from the experts a few bits and pieces of info before I start researching & narrowing down choices will greatly help.
#4
KrootRebellion
Apr 04, 2011 2:52:46 I have one small, but very usefull hint to go with any melee Totemists.

Go at least 2 lvls Totemist and learn to totem bind Girallon's Arms. yeah, kind of awesome to have 4 arms!!
Ofc you shouldn't use the automatic claw attack (1d4) you gain from this, but equip some kind of weapon/unarmed damage with that and you are all set.

you could also have 2 bows, or using a 2handed weapon with 4 hands, adding some insane str bonus to your damage (per the savage species rules for using a weapon with more than 2 hands) IICR it lets you add + .5 x str. mod. pr. extra hand. (so 4 hands would be str mod x 2.5)

Oh sooo many applycations for having 2 extra hands.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 neo_leviathan Apr 03, 2011 21:57:32	Hey all. Just wondering how well this concept could do. On the surface it seems like there could be some handy synergy with getting natural weapons etc from Totemist and the various "Unarmed" manouvers to make a pretty nasty scout/skirmisher, but I don't have all that much experience with Incarnum or ToB Rules: Gestalt Lvl 1-10 32 Point Buy "No Cheese" filter in place (ie, anything that is obviously rorty is banned, no matter how legal) Any books & Dragon magazine deals allowed, subject to GM approval No Arcane or Divine casters allowed Tier 1 & 2 classes cannot Gestalt with anything above Tier 4, other than that go nuts. Setting Us PCs are the vat-grown experriments of a big-bad, ruler of an Evil empire under siege by the Forces of Good. We were created to be his "Trump Card" after the detonation of a magical bomb, and since Good has triumphed and taken over, the bomb has been dropped and we've been activated. The Bomb means that this entire kingdom is now a quasi-dead magic zone for both Arcane & Divine magic, magic items still work, as does Incarnum, Psionics etc, but actual spellcasters can't do squat. We'll be going around doing various tasks for our Overlord (unknown what those will be, but we can anticipate everything from kidnapping to theft, espionage, and hunting down and killing Good's missionaries), during this we'll no doubt end up at times in the areas where Magic still functions, but for the most part we're acting in the dead zone. The Idea so Far Race: I'm thinking either Azurin (extra feat) or Duskling (extra Con and Speed that can go to absurd levels, since I haven't seen anything limiting the amount of essentia you can put into the speed boost) Does anyone have any advice on how to make this work? Obviously I'll want to fit in Expanded Soulmeld Capacity, Bonus Essentia, Adaptive Style & Weapon Finesse at various points, but as I said, I have minimal real experience with either of these classes.
#2 New-Shadow Apr 03, 2011 23:57:01	If up close and personal fighting is your thing, you could try Dragonslayer from Draconomicon (p. 127) to have less complications with unfamiliar stuff. While it requires some rather...iffy feats to enter, it gives you quite a bit of stuff (immunity to fear, DR/-, resistance to all non-force energies, etc.). Best of all, it boosts spellcasting, even though spellcasting is not required to enter the class. If your DM gives you permission, you can use it to boost either of the classes "casting" (though it's only going to be every odd level sadly). All in all, it depends on how you wish to play your character, particularly their combat style. Too bad Serpent Slayer needs arcane or divine casting to enter, immunity to poison after 3 levels of the class sounds like something that'd be right up your characters' ally.
#3 neo_leviathan Apr 04, 2011 0:00:48	Oh I have no problem with startying with something unfamiliar It's more of a "before I start digging through all the sources in ludicrous fashion, can this combo actually be made to work and are there some tips/tricks". Once I start reading through the books properly I'll pick it up, but at the moment I'm unsure if I'm going Totemist/Swordsage or Crusader/Incarnate, so finding out from the experts a few bits and pieces of info before I start researching & narrowing down choices will greatly help.
#4 KrootRebellion Apr 04, 2011 2:52:46	I have one small, but very usefull hint to go with any melee Totemists. Go at least 2 lvls Totemist and learn to totem bind Girallon's Arms. yeah, kind of awesome to have 4 arms!! Ofc you shouldn't use the automatic claw attack (1d4) you gain from this, but equip some kind of weapon/unarmed damage with that and you are all set. you could also have 2 bows, or using a 2handed weapon with 4 hands, adding some insane str bonus to your damage (per the savage species rules for using a weapon with more than 2 hands) IICR it lets you add + .5 x str. mod. pr. extra hand. (so 4 hands would be str mod x 2.5) Oh sooo many applycations for having 2 extra hands.