Using Gestalt?

[Stormborn]

When WotC's Arcana book came out with all of the variant rules I know some people on these boards were going to try some gestalt PC games. Has any one run such a campaing? How did it go? What are the pros/cons of doing so? Did you use published adventures and if so how did they work?

 

[Vurt]

When WotC's Arcana book came out with all of the variant rules I know some people on these boards were going to try some gestalt PC games. Has any one run such a campaing? How did it go? What are the pros/cons of doing so? Did you use published adventures and if so how did they work?

I've run a couple, and I'm playing in one. They are fun, hands down, but it can be difficult to keep track of what your character(s) can do. In practice, it's not too hard to come up with appropriate challenges, but really it depends on your player character mix. Some combinations of gestalt classes you'll probably have to eyeball and disallow, depending on what kind of game you're comfortable running.

That said, the biggest drawback is you can't just use stock NPCs from other sources, and there are no gestalt NPC generators that I'm aware of. UA recommends that gestalt classes be balanced by gestalt opponents, not necessarily all the time, but for the climactic encounters at least. But that can end up being a boatload of extra work on an already overworked DM.

My advice is try it out for a campaign or two. It's a lot of fun.

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[Kahuna Burger]

For one play by post I ran, I allowed the PCs to be gestalted with any of the npc classes. It basicly allowed anyone to add a fighter bab and d8 hit die, or 6 skill points and a bunch of new class skills, or a minor spellcasting progression and familiar to their character. It gave a lot of well rounded characters, and I didn't have to look for bizarre abuses to ward off.

The Hubby's group is starting a gestalt campaign that I covet, but scheduling and lack of a babysitter for the meatball will probably bar me. Eventually I will get to play gestalt and go either paladin/monk (vow of poverty optional but appropriate to the character concept) or ranger/bard (ultimate investigator type.)

 

[DaveMage]

I'm playing in one now (and have been for over a year).

It's a blast. There are only 2 players and the DM so we went gestalt out of necessity.

The only thing I would recommend is that once you choose two classes, that's it. No "multiclassing" and no prestige classes. That way you're not going crazy worrying about figuring out attributes as much.

Also, be very wary of the fighter/psychic warrior gestalt. Many, many feats abound.

 

[Vurt]

... or ranger/bard (ultimate investigator type.)

For the ultimate investigator, I would recommend taking a look at the urban ranger/psion (telepath) combination, and using Expanded Knowledge to cherry pick a couple of powers off of the Seer discipline list.

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[Gundark]

and there are no gestalt NPC generators that I'm aware of.

You know I thought there was one online. PM me and when I get home from work I'll look.

On to the topic I'm considering using Gestalt characters as my group has shrunk to 2-3. I don't think I'll have to modify the NPCs to be gestalt for balance issues.

 

[Crothian]

I almost went gestalt fgor my current game but the players are really just getting used to the system so I didn't want to over burden them.

 

[Nightfall]

I have two gestalts in my fellow best friends' PCs. Warlock/Warmage and Marshall/Favored Soul. Me, I'm just a githzerai paladin. Eberron man, it's weird.

 

[Andor]

Warlock/warmage? Wow.

"What do you do?"
"I blow stuff up."
"And?"
"That's all."
"Why are you naked?"
"I don't know how to dress myself..."

 

[Nightfall]

Well we're only second level. (I'm fourth but with my ELC/LA of +2 I'm not as effective)

And no the female warlock/warmage doesn't blow her clothes off but she is, almost like me, a CHA whore. (Course we stupidly gave the bard Cloak of Cha +2... I would have taken it but I'm using as many weapon leveling rules as I possibly can to make my sword the most powerful ever seen in Eberron WITHOUT actually reforging it.)

But right now we all agree, we will be fighting for most CHA stuff at one time or another.