Ultimate self-sufficiant char.

[Nifft]

Druid is brilliant for everything except planar travel, because they can't cast plane shift or teleport. Clerics can cast both (with the Travel domain), so there's your easy answer. Take a Cloistered Cleric with Travel and Magic (plus Knowledge for free) and you can do pretty much anything. Make use of the planar ally spells to cover your weaknesses: for example, a Hound Archon makes a fine tracker, for the low price of 6 HD (= 100 xp + 6,000 gp for about a week's service).

Other alternatives:
- "Planar Druid" -- ask your DM if you can trade in some Druid spells for some Cleric spells. You need plane shift and you also want gate.
- Psions are fairly self-sufficient, if you choose your powers correctly. Erudites do very well too.
- Wizards have a lot of flexibility if your DM lets you make use of the planar binding spells.
- Archivists are like Clerics with more class features and a very abusable spell list. They are quite strong.

Gestalt:
- Psion // Ranger
- Psion // Warblade
- Wizard // Ranger
- Wizard // Warblade
- Druid // Swordsage
- Cloistered Cleric // Swordsage
- Cloistered Cleric // Scout
- Druid // Rogue

Cheers, -- N

 

[Klaus]

You'll absolutely need two levels of rogue, unless you can figure out some other way to pick up Evasion.

With the right mix of powers, I think a Psion could be a pretty self-sufficient character, too.

Monk.

 

[kenobi65]

Monk.

Yup, that works, too, though you have to do some alignment shifting along the way to pull that off (the monk has to be lawful, while the bard (and, ultimately, the Lyrist) have to be non-lawful).

Levels of rogue might work a little better, due to which skills are class skills for the rogue.

Either way, you're looking at having to invest 2 levels in a third class.

 

[Darklone]

Yup, that works, too, though you have to do some alignment shifting along the way to pull that off (the monk has to be lawful, while the bard (and, ultimately, the Lyrist) have to be non-lawful).

Levels of rogue might work a little better, due to which skills are class skills for the rogue.

Either way, you're looking at having to invest 2 levels in a third class.

Spelldancer is the best way to go IMHO.
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=377248

I am still looking for a way to add in one level of scout and take the Swift Avenger feat from Dragon for some skirmish damage while maintaining level 9 druid spells.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Since no one else has said it...Crusader. Literally fight all day! And heck, if trade-outs are allowed, Crusader only gets 3 disciplines, so swap WR for DM or IH. Unless your DM allows WRT to work on yourself, then WR is worth it for that maneuver alone! ^_^

 

[Darklone]

Literally fight all day!

That's soooo not on topic

... and maybe the reason why noone mentioned crusader yet.

 

[Nifft]

Since no one else has said it...Crusader. Literally fight all day!

IMHO, self-sufficient PCs need to do a bunch of stuff:

- Fight in melee
- Fight at range
- Cope with poor interesting fighting conditions (darkness, wind, fire, sloped terrain, etc.)
- Escape from a fight that's going badly
- Bluff and/or Diplomacy
- Heal (can be indirect, via summon monster)
- Survive in wilderness
- Sneak
- Spy
- Cast dispel magic. Seriously, this will make many fights go from impossible to easy.
- Handle "utility" situations, like crossing a chasm or getting past a locked door.

Swordsages can do some of these things (particularly if they've dipped into Shadow Hand). Crusaders... can fight all day. They're strong, but they're not self-sufficient. (Note that the OP called out planar travel, so spellcasting seems practically required.)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Scarbonac]

I'm currently playing in a solo campaign (due to problems getting schedules together, mostly) as a gestalt Egyptian-themed human paladin/monk ("Fist of Horus") who has a dire lion mount and a gestalt cleric/sorcerer cohort.

Works OK for our purposes.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

I would say a kyton with enough levels of monk to qualify for the Monk of the Sacred Chain prestige class from the Scarred Lands campaign setting. After a couple of levels of that, you have both regeneration and you only take half damage from subdual damage. The monk skills are all you need to adventure with.

 

[rawgt3]

Well the DM can provide me with means of planar travel (portals,magic rings,whatever)
He says that he's thinking about maybe using a form of follow-the-bad-guy-thru-a-portal or
portal-disquised-as-a-door...or wardrobe . Anyway I don't need to have planar spells in my repitoire, So that pretty much takes it down to survival, fighting, athletic skills, social skills, and lock/trap skills(unless I get a wee little halfing lad to follow me around ). Or I could have a mage (wizard ,sorc, or mystic theuge) with lock,as a cohort, or I could have a ring of lockpicking or xtra skill points or class skills or something.