I've been invited into my first epic level game and have been considering my options. 12th level is the highest I've played in conventional games, and I gather that the game changes significantly at this level.
Right now I'm leaning toward a world walker druid with the animal (feather) domain and going with Diviner for wizard.
I'll have 10 feats from character advancement and 4 bonus feats from wizard to work with. If I find myself hurting for feats I may switch to one of the totem archetypes that will give 3 more bonus feats to work with.
So far the ones that have caught my eye are some of the Arcane discoveries and some of the wild shape feats, specifically:
Natural Spell
Planar Wildshape
Powerful Shape
Quick Wild Shape
Feral Speech
True Name (what are some of the more interesting choices for this discovery?)
Staff-like wand
Craft staff
Boon Companion (not sure if it's worth it)
...what are some of the 'must have' feats for a build like this?
I don't know if Feral Speech will be that useful you are already a druid so casting Speak with Animals should be easy.
Staff-like wand is great but for an epic campaign? How many foes will have so bad saves that you can hurt them with 4th level spells? If they are gestalt too there are great chances they have three good saves.
As for True Name I would suggest you speak with your DM in order to see if you can have more HD for the creature (24 HD for exemple). But it's great nonetheless.
Maybe Opposition research? You lose one forbidden school.
If you aren't dead set on Wizard you could go Beastbound Witch 20 instead and pick up Summon Spirit and get a 18th level Ghost Wizard as a flunky. Being Beastbound you are both immortal and you can give the negative level to your familiar.
improved familiar?
quicken spell (you've got so many spells, you'll never cast them, a quickened first lvl spell might be better than a 5th lvl spell)
A lvl 20 gestalt character campaign, expect it to fall apart pretty quickly. Also ask your fellow players (and the GM) if they go full power gamer, or underplay it so that the game stays playable.
Thanks for the tips! I'm fairly set on wizard/druid for reasons of character background. I could tinker with the archetypes or pick a different specialization, or maybe go sorcerer if it had a connection to fey but that's as far as I'd be willing to stretch it. Too bad, Empyreal sorcerer looked like it would have been a great fit.
@Cinabre: Feral Speech was more for flavor, so I could speak with animals any time I liked without need for a spell... definitely not a first pick but a nice touch if I needed something to fill in the gaps. Good point about the wands.
I might be able to work with the GM about getting more HD for the true name discovery... but do any particularly interesting choices come to mind? Aside from a highly advanced succubus of course :P
Opposition research is interesting, but I consider it another 'fallback' choice if I find myself with feats to burn.
@Movin: Nice idea for the witch doctor archetype, I hadn't seen that before. I wish it fit my character background...
Eschew materials is one I'll probably end up grabbing. Flyby attack will probably be allowed and I'll definitely keep it in mind.
Boon companion grants you nothing as its bonus caps at Effective druid level. if you were multiclassing as a Druid/Wizard is might be useful but as it is there is little use for it.
Since I'm taking the animal (feather) domain my companion's stats are calculated as if I were 3 levels lower, so as a 17th level druid. Boon companion would boost that back up but I'm not sure if the stat bump is worth it.
Powerful shape seemed interesting to take advantage of shapes with grab and would make a nice combo with flyby attack to pick critters up and fly away with them, but probably isn't necessary.@Corlindale: Quicken spell made it onto my short list :) Spell perfection is very interesting... any tips on what it might be best applied to?
@Richard Leonhart: I considered improved familiar but there was nothing on the table that seemed particularly interesting for high-level play. I figured I'd go with an item arcane bond.
The GM seems oriented focused on the storytelling and I don't think anyone is going to go too crazy with the powergaming... I'm giving it at least even odds that we can make it work.
Yeah Feral speech as good flavor I was just pointing that you could have the ability otherwise.
For the True Name case some powerful outsiders catch the eye easily (just reduce or add HD to reach 18): brijidine, planetar, marilith, star archon, barbed devil (I don't have the Bestiary 3 handy right now). But personnally for a truly epic campaign my preference would go to a low HD outsider (imp, quasit, mephit, cassisian angel, lantern archon) with 15+ class levels (and maybe gestalt if every people in the world use that build :P).
I would be pretty careful with the succubus, she can drain levels and her charisma (and so her DC) will probably skyrocket if you advance her too much. But if you take precautions before it should be fine and enjoyable ^^
Also remember that you should treat your truly named "friend" with some sympathy or else he will sooner or later take action against you, so sympathic outsiders are better choices. I believe demons for example won't accept the leash easily and they are amongst the most spiteful creatures in the universe.
The GM OK'd a star archon (with the caveat that in his setting good Outsiders need a willing host to summon them into) and an unfettered eidolon. I was tempted to ask for a 16th level paladin lantern archon and a 15th level imp ninja but it just seemed a little too silly.
Iirc speak with animals can be made permanent. Other than that the biggest thing to know for a Gestalt build is campaign basis and are you leveling through level 20 or starting at level 20
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/permanency.html#_permanency
So RAW Speak with animals cannot be made permanent, but the GM may rule it otherwise especially when Comprehend languages & Tongues can be. I think it's because Speak with animals isn't a wizard spell but he's a gestalt wizard/druid so.
A willing host? Can Outsider incarnate in object? Like the paladin Divine Bond for example? If so don't forget to add Animate Object or Polymorph Any Object in your spell list or pick Craft Construct.
I was afraid of that... bullocks... I would say it would be a little cheaper than comprehend languages/tonguess whichever is cheaper.
@Azaelas: We're starting at 20 and not levelling past that. Advancement will come similar to in the E6 rules, where we'll have the opportunity to pick up more feats.
@Cinabre: I'd already set aside some money for a few permanent spells ;)
Alternately, a summoner might choose to set the outsider to a task will which take considerably longer than a few minutes, which will require the outsider to have a body composed of something other than magic. In this event, the outsider requires a host. Outsiders aligned to negative energy and emotions, such as demons & devils, are happy to inhabit unwilling hosts, so long as the host is bound properly such that the possessing entity can enter and obtain control. Outsiders with a tie to positive emotions, such as angels, find it impossible to inhabit an unwilling host and require consent. In either case, once the host has been possessed, the host becomes dormant, as if asleep, and the possessing entity must leave willingly or be exorcised.
His rules require a living host.
Here's what I came up with:
(wizard bonus) Scribe Scroll
(human bonus) Eschew Materiels
(1) Natural Spell
(3) Extend Spell
(5) Planar Wildshape
(Wizard Bonus - 5) Feral Speech
(7) Flyby Attack
(9) Quick Wildshape
(Wizard Bonus - 10) Quicken Spell
(11) Merciful Spell
(13) Leadership
(15) Craft Wondrous Item
(Wizard Bonus - 15) Perfect Spell
(17) Improved Counterspell
(19) Parry Spell
(Wizard Bonus - 20) True Name (Star Archon)
...I'm still figuring out what I want to use for Perfect Spell. Thanks for all the input!