Gestalt Questions (WotC: Unearthed Arcana)

[Brother Shatterstone]

Wow, again I'm not so sure where to stick this question... Its a variant D&D rule so here, maybe homebrew, or general would work but I'll stick it here and hope Hyper has UA already. )

Anyhow it states that you get the best progression for each ability, BAB, Skills, and Saves, based upon which one is best. It also says you can have a Prestige class so I'm going to assume this means you take the best progression at each level but this takes an interesting change when one considers the Favored Soul class (Miniature handbook and a paladin)

At level 2 the favored soul saves are:
Fort: +3
Ref: +3
Will: +3

At 3rd level it gains no new saves though but the paladin gains:
Ref: +1 (Total)
Will: +1 (Total)

Does this mean the Gestalt Character has
Fort: +3
Ref: +4
Will: +4

or since the paladin’s saves are worse overall then the favored soul do they not go up at all?

If it’s the later what do you do when you incorporate a PrC into the picture?

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'd say they don't go up, for the same reason a gestalt wizard/fighter shouldn't get +1 Will on level 3.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I pretty much would agree with that but what do you do then when you start adding PrCs?

 

[Creamsteak]

Well, if I was using the variant provided by the exalted classes (partial saving throw and BAB bonuses), then you would earn either a "good" save bonus, or a "bad" save bonus. Good saves grant +1/2, Bad saves grant +1/3.

However, since we are NOT using that variant (even though I sorta like it), it is thrown off a bit...

I'm going to think on whether or not to use the partial save/bab bonuses for a little bit though... it would simplify things.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Creamsteak, hey I just asked the same question in our OOC thread...

The rules got me curious about an epic level character I have that never seems to have enough levels for what I truly envisioned but after doing the math after a few levels I found I had this question to deal with.

Now that I look at our character I have the same issue.

 

[Creamsteak]

Well, the rules in the book are as such:

A character gains the best bonus to each save available between their Gestalt. Fighter grants a good bonus to fortitude, wizards grant a good bonus to will, monks grant a good bonus to all. You advance normally with the "best" save in each class. A good save and a bad save overlap, but do not stack. The only issue is with multiclassing, where you can get rediculous saves. A "Fighter/Monk, Cleric/Monk, Idiot/Monk, Commoner/Monk" could be getting a +8 bonus to saves, since each comparison is taken seperately. That just isn't right.

So, right next to Gestalt, they present you with the partial save bonuses. That means multiclassing does not grant you a sudden +2 bonus to a particular save. Just a "good" bonus (+1/2), or a "bad" bonus (+1/3).

Does that help?

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

That just isn't right.

I agree plus we are chasing each other around... I'm going to stay in the OOC thread.

 

[questionmark]

Are gestalt characters ment to be for core races only? how would you gestalt something that has a LA?
In SS some of the monster races, like an Astral Deva, Dont get a HD at every level. as a gestalt would you? How would this effect the powers that are based on a a creatures HD?

 

[Creamsteak]

Sadly, since they only gave about two pages to the rules, they didn't even mention how Level Adjustments work. Do you have Devil/Fighters all the time? I don't think so... because the creatures are not supposed to be adjusted as such for the Gestalt, except those that gain levels normally. It's really an awkward area, and although we can debate what the best decision is, it isn't covered in UA.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Are gestalt characters ment to be for core races only? how would you gestalt something that has a LA?

It's not really covered but after looking aat an La +2 with no racial HD I can pretty much say you get nothing.

5th level gestalt characters with a LA of +2 would only have 3 gestalt levels. fighter 3/Rogue 3 etc.

In SS some of the monster races, like an Astral Deva, Dont get a HD at every level. as a gestalt would you? How would this effect the powers that are based on a a creatures HD?

That’s a progression and they our simply meant to allow you to play a more power race at lower level and in till you finish off that progression.

I know some progressions can be put off or only "leveled" when you want them too and if this is the case with the above you should be able to take gestalt levels but only with classes not with the progression.

No: Astral Diva 5/ Fighter 1

Yes: An Astral Diva that is a fighter 1/Cleric 1

So yes LA races and those with racial hit dice, are affected twice as hard when it comes to gestalt characters and I recommend using the ECL adjustment rules that are show later in the book.