Building a stealth Gestalt Changeling

[-Vortex-]

ohh... Changeling Stealth, have I got some suggestions for you.

I made a Changeling/Half Doppelganger villain once who specialized in always surviving and escaping pursuit. He made use of a few PrC's that a changeling can really capitalize upon.

-Warshaper from Complete Warrior. Take 4 levels, the 5th level will not serve you. Gain immunity to stunning and critical hits, natural weapons, a +4 to your STR and CON, the ability to stretch your limbs to an extra 5' reach for attacks, and fast healing 2 or the ability to heal 10hp with a full round and a concentration check. These abilities will help you survive.

-Cabinet Trickster from Races of Eberron. Take all 5 levels. Gain the ability to Detect Thoughts a few times a day to at will at level 5, a bunch of awesome mind tricks on opponents to Daze, Disrupt, Confuse or Stun an opponent who's thoughts you are detecting, gain a bonus to bluff, intimidate and sense motive, 2 bonus feats from a short list that are helpful for changelings, including some stealthy, and an advanced Change Shape ability. These abilities will help you be anyone, pursuade anyone, read thoughts, and do Jedi mind tricks.

-Mindspy from Complete Warrior. Take 4 or 5 levels. Once you gain the at will Detect Thoughts ability you can qualify for this PrC. Gain the ability to apply Charisma to AC if your Detect Thoughts of your target, keep Detect Thoughts going as a free action while doing other things, Detect Thoughts in a sphere all around you, so even targets you can't see, a faster Detect Thoughts effect, Detect 2 or 4 different minds at the same time. All of these abilities allow you to use your Jedi mind tricks against more opponents.

This build will allow you to read the thoughts of an opponent and use that to your advantage in a variety of ways. You'll also develop physical abilities that will help you surprise your opponents and survive. Keep in mind the level 4 Warshaper ability, the fast healing and super-fast healing ability allows you to hide behind a corner, take a few rounds to rest up, and recover most of your HP.

...and all of that can simply be one side of your Gestalt. Factotum should be on the other side.

I really, really like this build. Can you map out what you would do for this character with your build? I'm not entirely sure what classes to take first or if it even matters. Is there a book where you got the half doppelganger from or did you just improvise with the race from the MM book?

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I really, really like this build. Can you map out what you would do for this character with your build? I'm not entirely sure what classes to take first or if it even matters. Is there a book where you got the half doppelganger from or did you just improvise with the race from the MM book?

Half Doppleganger is from Dragon Magazine 313 and as a +2 level adjustment, is honestly sub-optimal for a PC build in my opinion and redundant when applied to a Changeling. I used it for this NPC villain for the flavor and story. If you're interested, it grants and at will Empathy and the ability to assume 3 chosen forms like the Alter Self spell, cannot be changed once they're set. The classes I recommended will grant you better then those abilities.

Because it was a NPC villain I didn't actually level it up, but I did build him in my head as if he was a PC. He developed as a 2 level template, 5 levels base class, 4 levels Warshaper, 5 levels Cabinet Trickster, 4 levels Mindspy.

Warshaper is the first PrC and has little requirements besides the Shapechanger subtype, which you get racially. By RAW you can enter this PrC at level 5 with only 4 levels of a base class because the only other requirement is a BAB of +4, however this PrC was written before Changelings were designed as a playable race and some DM's tend to bristle at this idea. So, either convince your DM it's RAW so it's ok, or just take 5 levels of any class or combination of classes that will grant you a +4 BAB (keeping in mind we're only talking one side of a Gestalt, you can easily cover the BAB requirement with the other side of your build). By the time you're level 9 (or level 8 if you enter the class with only 4 levels of a base class) you've got the most incredible Wolverine healing factor D&D seems to have provided and have picked up a +4 STR and CON bonus in the process.

Here are my suggestions:
1-Factotum1//Wizard1
2-Factotum2//Wizard2
3-Factotum3//Wizard3
4-Factotum4//Wizard4
5-Factotum5//Wizard5
6-Warshaper1//Wizard6
7-Warshaper2//Wizard7
8-Warshaper3//Wizard8
9-Warshaper4//Wizard9
~or~
1-Fighter1//Beguiler1
2-Fighter2//Beguiler2
3-Duskblade1//Beguiler3
4-Duskblade2//Beguiler4
5-Duskblade3//Beguiler5
6-Warshaper1//Beguiler6
7-Warshaper2//Beguiler7
8-Warshaper3//Beguiler8
9-Warshaper4//Beguiler9

Either build will result in giving you excellent stealth spellcasting ability and really good survivability and combat options.

Level 10 and on would follow the Cabinet Trickster and Mindspy progression on one end and the stealthy-spelled caster on the other. You develop your shapeshifting abilities further and pickup the Jedi mind tricks.

And the suggestion from @StreamOfTheSky for the single level dip into Mindbender (Complete Arcane p.54) for Telepathy and the Mindsight (Lords of Madness p.126) at a level where you are granted a feat in place of the level of your Wizard or Beguiler. The Mindsight feat is incredible and will allow for no one ever sneaking up on you again and getting info on people on the other sides of walls and such.