Gestalt Madness

[Angel Tarragon]

I personally dislike the gestalt rules in Unearthed Arcana. I strictly forbid the use of it in any D20 campaign I GM.

 

[Thanee]

They are not meant for regular campaigns, anyways.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Then what are they meant for? One-shots? I can't honestly say that any medium size or large party would need a player that is a gestalt. Thoe only time I would allow a player to play a gestalt is a one on one (one player, one GM) game.

 

[The Gryphon]

They're meant to be played in a game where all PCs are gestalt.

 

[Thanee]

For parties of only two characters, for example. And for excessively high-powered campaigns.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Oh, okay. I never did see where it said that in Unearthed Arcana.

 

[shilsen]

Yup. And probably a group where there are only 1-3 PCs.

 

[Nifft]

Gestalt is also for Wuxia, concept, or otherwise funky games... for example, imagine what a campaign would be like if all PCs were Gestalt with...

-> Rogue (it's a Thief's World campaign)
-> Barbarian (CONAN)
-> Monk (Hong Kong Theater!)
-> Sorcerer (We are Brothers of the Dragon's Blood) -- and disallow Wizards entirely

-- N

 

[Gilwen]

How do you handle a Gestalt character who qualifies for MysticThuerge as well as Cerebremancer? Now it makes sense that they don't get two levels or arcane progression in a single quailifying class at each level of progression correct?

Its amazing the sort of conundrums that one thinks of whilst stuck in traffic.



Do you have an answer or do you have a conundrum of your own?

If you allow this then no they wouldn't get 2 levels of arcane progression each level.
The classes providing the arcane progression would overlap not stack and they would use the one that provide the best progression...since they are equal that is really a moot point. Also in order to take two prestige classes at a time you have to ignore some of the gestalt rules.
Given the ignoring part their progression would look like this:
+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/+1 level of existing manifesting class/+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class.

This character would be super fliexible but I would play test it a bit to see what the final results to the campaign is since they can't cast everything in a round, if the other players are gestalt then this probably isn't going to impact much campaign wise. I think this would be a bookkeeping nightmare for the player personally. Even though this is in a running campaign I would explain to the character what the rules say and have him remove any doubled up arcane casting levels and strictly enforce the can't have two prestige classes at a time rule from hear on out. You could also say that those pretige classes take up both sides of the gestalt tree.

Remember what's good for the party is good for the NPC's as well

Gil

 

[Zappo]

Oh, okay. I never did see where it said that in Unearthed Arcana.

AFAIK, Unearthed Arcana itself is supposed to be a book of campaign-level rules (as opposed to the usual new feats/new PrCs stuff which only affects a few characters and don't change the system). Not having the acutal book, I can't tell for sure.