Best Gestalt Combo for Wizard

[Herobizkit]

Perhaps that's because Paladin // Wizard would suck? Paladins need a lot of stats, and Int is very high on the dumpable list. Wizards need Int, period.

Sorcerer // Paladin is a very different beast, and quite viable.

Cheers, -- N

This Paladin would only need Int, Cha, and Dex. Wisdom is nice, but for the limited spells as is, this Paladin wouldn't need a high one. Stat boosting items would fix any deficiencies.

Mind you, I've spent the better half of my D&D 'career' playing low armor, high Dex warrior-types.

 

[rgard]

Try a sorcerer/warlock instead of wizard.

Better synergy, less MAD - max on Charisma and Dex.

The fey heritage feat chain from Complete Mage is a must (at least through Fey Power (+1 to CL and saving throws for Enchantment spells and warlock invocations). The Fey Skin feat grants DR/Cold iron which stacks with essentially everything except DR from spells and items (e.g., it stacks with the warlock's class ability).

The alignment restriction for a warlock is not really that bad - chaotic or evil.

It is generally pretty easy to play a chaotic good PC (in fact most of the players I have gamed with run that alignment whether or not they actually have chosen it).

Go with human for the bonus feat.

Sorcerer spells focused on enchantments (for synergy with the Fey Power feat) and warlock invocations for pure power.

You can also go with the Battle Sorcerer/Warlock. You get the one less spell per level per day, but you make up for that with casting in light armor with no ASF.

 

[Jack Simth]

Let's see...

General Gestalt Advice (for building mechanically strong characters - do note that the "best" combo is the one you'll have the most fun with):

1) Avoid MAD, look for SAD - sure, the Wizard//Cleric looks good at a glance, but the double casting stat hurts badly - you need Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Dexterity. The Ninja//Druid, on the other hand, does wonderfully - it needs Wisdom and Con only, although INT helps too. Druid Wildshape removes the need for Strength and Dex, and both classes are Wisdom-based.
2) Look for active//passive combinations. That is, have one side do the active stuff (combat spells, attacks, and such), while the other side handles stuff that doesn't take actions in battle (saves, HP, BAB, defensive class features, long-duration buff spells, Spot and Listen, and the like). Again, the Wizard//Cleric may look good on paper, but both classes are full of abilities that take actions (spells). The Druid//Ninja, on the other hand, gets all good saves, a d8 hit die, 3/4ths BAB, 6 skill points per level (with a very nice skill list), and the Pounce gained through a Druid's Wildshape means that there's a lot of attacks to add that non-action Sudden Strike to... if you remember to use the Ninja's Swift-Action invisibility. Plus the Ninja-Dodge is Wisdom based.
3) Be aware of power curves. One side needs to be a full caster for high-level play and for going "nova"; the other, something that can go all day long, and is still decent at low-levels. The Wizard//Cleric, for instance, isn't all that grand - at low-levels, it still runs out of spells fairly quickly, and tends to be somewhat stuck for things to do once the spells are gone. At high levels, it does quite well, though. The Druid//Ninja, on the other hand, is a competent skillmonkey at low-levels, and a full caster for high-level play. Regardless of what level or how long you've been since your last rest, the Druid//Ninja still has something useful to do.
4) Watch out for abilities that negate one another, look for things that synergise well - or be prepared to dump class features. The Wizard//Cleric looks good on paper... but the Cleric's Armor and Shield proficiency interferes with the Wizard's Arcane Spells. For the most part, the Wizard//Cleric has the choice of either wearing armor, or casting the better spells. The Druid//Ninja, on the other hand, usually loses armor in wildshape anyway, and the Ninja bonuses continue to apply regardless of physical form.
5) Pick one role, and consider things to be Primary//supporting. The Paladin//sorcerer is the Holy Warrior in heavy armor who uses long-duration buffs and Verbal-only spells to improve melee smashing. The Sorcerer//paladin is the all-powerful Arcane spellcaster that's tough as nails due to his faith. It's the same set of class features, but they play very differently. Unless you're doing Gestalt because you're short of players, pick a role in the party, have your primary side do that role well, and have your supporting class be one that strengthens that role - D&D is a game designed for four specialists - generalists tend to have difficulties. Unless you're short players (in which case, you want a Druid//Wizard and a Druid//Ninja in the party - both pick up combat-focused animal companions to share the melee role, both have full Druid spellcasting to fill the healer's role, and you still have both an Arcanist and a Skillmonkey in the party), you will usually do better if you specialize.
6) Avoid overlapping abilities. Sure, the Fighter//Barbarian looks good on paper, but they both have the same BAB, the same one good save, and nearly the same hit die. The Fighter//Barbarian is only marginally more mechanically strong than is a standard Fighter or a standard Barbarian. That's not what you want. The Druid//Ninja, on the other hand, has almost no overlap of abilities (both have 3/4th's BAB). 4 skill points per level for the Druid, 6 for the Ninja. d8 hit die for the Druid, d6 for the Ninja. Good Fort and Will for the Druid, good Reflex for the Ninja, and so on.

In your specific case? You're stuck on filling the Wizard role - that's good, you're already a Full Caster, and you have your party role picked out; you've got plenty of offensive punch already. What you are after is something defensive, that's INT based. Factotum is a wonderful choice (Int to almost anything, and inspiration points for lots of useful things, such as extra actions to use with your spellcasting), as is the Warblade (full BAB, good Fort, big hit die; pick swift and immediate action manuevers - as many Counters as you can get, and defensive stances). Something that can PrC into Duelist is also a good choice - Int to AC, plus a good Reflex save, is handy for a Wizard. If you can convince your DM to let you use Kung-fu Genius from Dragon Compendium, a Monk is a really good choice as well (most of it's abilities are defensive, and Kung-fu Genius lets you key everything off of Intelligence instead of Wisdom).

 

[Drowbane]

Well, we don't use Bo9S, so those Crusader levels would disappear- they'd either be more Marshal or Sorc levels, or perhaps Fighter.

Ideally, though, I'd love to put some Wilder levels in there, and take Expanded Knowledge to add Expansion...but most of the DMs in our group don't like Psionics, so that's just a pipe dream.

Wilder is one of my favorite classes (I think its very under rated). Too bad about the lack of Bo9S.

I've been wanting to try a warforged crusader | wilder. Adamantine Body DR + Share Pain, Vigor, and Psionic Repair + Crusader's delay dmg mechanic. Talk about hard to damage...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The lack of Bo9S is no great loss- I own it, but I'm on board with the rest of my group- nobody likes it.

 

[Nifft]

This Paladin would only need Int, Cha, and Dex. Wisdom is nice, but for the limited spells as is, this Paladin wouldn't need a high one.

Since Charisma isn't your casting stat, it will be falling behind, or you'll be splitting your resources sub-optimally (catering to MAD).

Stat boosting items would fix any deficiencies.

Everyone else has access to the exact same stat boosting items. You're still losing relative to someone of your level (and wealth) who hasn't split his resources.

Honestly, Wizard // Barbarian is better than Wizard // Paladin. At least the Barbarian's class features are useful -- everyone likes +10 ft. movement.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This Paladin would only need Int, Cha, and Dex. Wisdom is nice, but for the limited spells as is, this Paladin wouldn't need a high one. Stat boosting items would fix any deficiencies.

Mind you, I've spent the better half of my D&D 'career' playing low armor, high Dex warrior-types.

I'd probably take a swing at this in a similar fashion to the Warforged I mentioned upthread:

1) Emphasize the mental stats, Int, Wis and Cha, to power the mystical abilities of the PC, letting the physical stats drop into the no-bonus range.

2) Depend upon the armor- and possibly shield- for protection. Choose either a largeish one-handed weapon for damage output, or forget the shield and go with a reach weapon (several of which also have decent damage output).

3) Choose spells without somatic components.

4) Feat selection can make a big difference in improving your arcane prowess. Still spell will expand that list of spells unaffected by ASF. Arcane Strike & certain Heritage feat chains (like Celestial, Infernal, or Draconic) translate arcane spell energy into damage-dealing supernatural abilities not subject to ASF. Certain Reserve feats let you have reusable supernatural (or are they spell-like?) attacks that never run out (like a Warlock)...some of which are linked to accentuating the weapon's damage output, others give you ranged attacks.

Spellfire also helps in attack and healing...and by now, everyone knows about the Vow of Poverty.

5) PrCls matter too. A gestalted Paladin/Wizard Kensai will have a nasty weapon in his hands, and that 1/day surge that grants an unnamed +8 to Str is no slouch...and its reusable with a Will check- something this PC should be able to make relatively often. And there are several other PrCls that add some kind of elemental/energy damage to a PC's weapons.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Spellfire also helps in attack and healing...and by now, everyone knows about the Vow of Poverty.

Just to nit-pick: Wizard is actually by FAR the worst class to do VoP with. Why? No spell book!

Even if the DM allows you to own a spell book, you're certainly not paying for those expensive inks to add spells to it beyond the 2/level you get for free. At that point, may as well be a sorcerer -- you'd have about the same spells known, and way more slots.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just to nit-pick: Wizard is actually by FAR the worst class to do VoP with. Why? No spell book!

Maybe under strict RAW, and then only maybe.

A blank spellbook costs only 15gp, well within the GP limits imposed by the VoP- in fact, its cheaper than a Hvy Crossbow, which is permitted by the Vow. Any value in a spellbook comes from the spells the wizard inscribes within it.

Divine Foci have a similar issue.

My take? A strict reading of VoP is at odds with the intent of the feat from an internal logic standpoint. The Vow, at its core, is a pact expressing a powerful devotion to a powerful deity or otherworldly being that- strictly interpreted- restricts most adherents in such a way as to be contrary to the deity's best interests.

(I've participated in a number of VoP discussions- if you want to discuss this further, might I suggest forking this?)

Even if the DM allows you to own a spell book, you're certainly not paying for those expensive inks to add spells to it beyond the 2/level you get for free. At that point, may as well be a sorcerer -- you'd have about the same spells known, and way more slots.

Any inks acquired by honest labor and efforts of the wizardly ascetic would not be barred by the VoP in my campaigns. He couldn't buy them, though, and if given to him, they would have to be used quickly or donated to an appropriate charity.

 

[irdeggman]

Maybe under strict RAW, and then only maybe.

Yup and since this is a rules forum, most people look at things from a strict rules reading.

A spellbook is not one of the items specified as allowed (there is a specific list), a divine focus is likewise not included.


So while there may be a way to intepret the system to fit the role-playing design, the RAW doesn't support it. I won't say I would disagree with your way of doing it, only that the RAW doesn't support it and when we talk about people who look for ways to power-game things to get the most powerful character they can then a strict interpretation of the RAW is sometimes called for.