Gestalt: What to Fear as a GM

[Jack Simth]

Do note that it can be forged by a non-monk... like, say, a Cleric or a Wizard.....

 

[two]

Do note that it can be forged by a non-monk... like, say, a Cleric or a Wizard.....

Hah. They can try. Actually, they can't, their PC's have never heard of such an item. Done.

 

[Cactot]

with a 30 point buy i would worry most about druid/cleric combo, especially once you get to combine wild shape with divine power, divine might, righteous might. Heck, thats what i would play. = ) Who needs BAB with 2 full spell progressions on the same stat. Allowing for good str/con to increase survivability until wildshape, domain choices increase flexibility.

Truthfully though pretty much any combo that doesnt suffer too badly from MAD will be quite effective. Truthfully gestalt isnt nearly so powerful without insane point buys and alternate sources.

 

[frankthedm]

Truthfully though pretty much any combo that doesnt suffer too badly from MAD will be quite effective. Truthfully gestalt isnt nearly so powerful without insane point buys and alternate sources.

Very true.

Other than the Druid / Cleric combo that can be kept reasonable with the culling of a few spells or just sayying they don't stack, the barbarian rage comboed with sneak attack might feel very strong.

 

[szilard]

I don't know that I'd fear anything, but I'd be wary of:

Paladin/Sorcerer - Maxed Charisma. This is, I think, scarier than the Fighter Cleric insofar as there is less wasted overlap.

Druid/Monk - I'd be at least a bit wary. Maxed out Wis and Int, and depends on Wild Shape and buff spells for Physical Stats. Adds maxed Wisdom to unarmored AC while in Wild Shape. No, you won't have maxed out BAB, but massive strength compensates for a great deal. Remember, just because wild shape forms may have natural weapons doesn't mean you can't make unarmed monk attacks instead. The Animal Companion also adds a flanking partner - which also helps compensate for the lower BAB.

Fighter/Rogue - Think of it as a Fighter - with great skills, good Reflex save, Uncanny Dodge/Evasion, and Sneak Attack.

Fighter/Monk - Think of it as a Monk - with better HD, BAB, and Fighter bonus feats.

Ranger/Monk - A great unarmored two-weapon fighter.

-Stuart

 

[airwalkrr]

Gestalt is really not a bad way to go if your group consists of three or fewer players. I just have one VERY important caution. Do not allow your group to use gestalt as an option with monster classes. The combinations are too powerful and the potential for abuse too great. As an aside, I would suggest never allowing PCs to play a rakshasa or a natural lycanthrope (i.e. born a lycanthrope as opposed to one who is afflicted).

 

[carrot]

Actually most templates can be bad for the DM. Particularly if you allow the buy-back rules from the U.A. Feral is good fun for players...

 

[Gnome]

No psionics, right? If you use the psionic classes, I'd be wary of a fighter/psychic warrior: full BAB and d10 HP from the fighter side along with the powers of the psychic warrior. That's not the scary part, though: what's scary is that fighters gain 10 bonus feats, and psychic warriors gain 8, so 18 total bonus feats!

 

[szilard]

The big thing to worry about is if the players want to take races with a LA alongside a class. That can get very scary very quickly.

Consider a Level 4 Rogue or Wizard who is also a Pixie (+8 Dexterity, +6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +6 Charisma, Damage reduction 10/cold iron, greater invisibility at will, and spell resistance 19) - and compare it to your Level 4 Fighter/Cleric.

In general, I'd not allow racial LA to count as levels for gestalt. If people want a LA race, and you don't mind, let them make it a gestalt with Commoner - and then switch to two normal classes once they are past the point of the LA.

-Stuart

 

[irdeggman]

Well it can't really be core only since you are using gestault (which appears in Unearthed Arcana - a very non-core book afterall).

Also I assume since you aren't using any non-core books that the restrictions on monks and paladins an not multi-classing still apply?

IMO this means that a gestault class containing one of the two is treated ths same as the core class in this regard - which literally means that the character can only advance as the gestault combo class if ever wishing to take more levels in paladin or monk.