I just found out our evil game next week will be a gestalt game, so the synthesist I had planned will need to be revised. I'm totally stumped right now, so I'll ask you: What could/should I pair with that?
For info: it will be a exclusively lawful evil game (Asmodeus centric, if that helps), likely a generous point buy, though jet to be decided. Race has to be half-elf. Tha game will feature espionage, diplomacy and combat equally heavy so I will need at least some skills for that.
Right now I'm thinking Inquisitor might be fitting, though I have no idea in terms of domain or inquisiton. Also I just had one in another game, so something different might be nice. Some kind of oracle maybe? Both classes would be Cha heavy so that fits...
I would be really grateful for your ideas and thoughts as to what to do with this character.
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If I were you, I'd go Slayer. You've already got spellcasting from Summoner, so for an ideal gestalt character you'd want a class with high skills and full BAB. Slayer gets you that, plus bonus combat feats and a full suite of espionage-oriented abilities via Slayer Talents. (Stuff like Hard to Fool and Foil Scrutiny can make or break social situations.)
Also, opting for Skilled: Stealth combined with Sneak Attack and Studied Target makes you a primo assassin, which seems like a nice thing to have on hand for an evil campaign.
Oh, and if you expect to be fighting lots of non-Lawful Evil things, being a Deliverer of Asmodeus could be sweet. Cleaner and Cutthroat could also make great archetypes if it's an urban campaign.
Is this a "Way of the Wicked" campaign, by any chance?
Maybe a swashbuckler to take advantage of the superior physical stats you will no doubt get from your eidolon, since it also benefits from charisma.
Also, if it is Way of the Wicked, please don't spoil anything for me. I have a group that just started it up last week.
Maybe a Bloodrager? Cha-based, full BAB, you can take the Infernal bloodline, or maybe Abyssal to get that nice extra reach.
Go Oracle on the other side.
- 9th level Divine casting ensures the highest possible versatility, when combined with the Summoner's arcane casting (which is comparable to 9th level casting due to receiving so many spells early)
- A Mystery like Lore or Lunar lets you replace Dexterity with Charisma for AC and Reflex, which will be handy when your Eidolon starts taking Dex penalties for larger sizes.
- It lets you qualify for Divine Protection, i.e. adding your primary stat to all your saves.
- The drawback of a curse like Lame is completely negated by the fact that you're in an Eidolon.
- Take Amateur Swashbuckler at some point, for a Panache pool and Opportune Parry & Riposte. It should work with your Eidolon's claws (as Precise Strike is the only Swashbuckler class feature that specifically disallows natural weapons). Combat Reflexes is a good idea anyways since you'll be in the midst of the enemy with a Large/Huge character.
Remember that as a Synthesist, you use the Eidolon's BAB, not your own. The #1 draws of Antipaladin and Swashbuckler (Cha-to-Saves and Parry, respectively) can be gained with feats. Oracle isn't the greatest skill user but it does offer two more than the Summoner. 9th level casting and incredible CHA synergy make the Oracle the hands-down best choice.
Thanks for all the replies.
It's not a published module or anything, and more an unbiased evil thing at that. (Though, from what I gather, slightly more versus other evil; "Stop trying to destroy the world I'm trying to rule, you fool!"; That kind of thing)
From what I gather, Athaleon seems to be correct and the BAB from Antipaladin would be wasted in Eidolon form. So I would only really be getting the higher hd and divine grace. Hmmm.
I shall look into slayer, and some more into the available mysteries.
It's Gestalt and one 1/2 is going to be Synthesist? Yeah... um... literally ANYTHING...
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Hmm, if you won't get full BAB, then consider Ninja, too. Charisma-based abilities and more skills than you can shake a stick at.
If you're intending to be a melee character, I would be careful of picking two spellcasting classes. Action economy is one of the big constraints for gestalt characters. Though, if you weren't a synthesist, a Sorcerer/Summoner would be incredibly powerful.
Action Economy is no worse for Caster/Caster than Caster/Melee, unless that melee class is a Magus. In fact, a Synthesist/Oracle is probably more powerful in melee than any combination of Synthesist/Noncaster. And if you don't want to melee, your casting is all spontaneous so you can simply fly around in the background and toss offensive spells.
Synthesist supplies melee competency all by itself. Adding another melee class up the other side adds very little to that. Comparatively, adding a full divine caster adds a huge amount of power and versatility.
@Mino: Antipaladin vs. Oracle, the higher HD equals one HP per level. Divine Grace is available to divine casting classes with a feat.
How About Sythisist/Primal Hunter? Double up on all those evolutions.
I may as well say that Synthesist/Monk and Synthesist/Ninja are both incredibly nasty. One has very high defense, and the other is an invisible, pouncing, sneak attack machine. Make it a scout ninja for extra sillyness.
Go Oracle on the other side.
- 9th level Divine casting ensures the highest possible versatility, when combined with the Summoner's arcane casting (which is comparable to 9th level casting due to receiving so many spells early)
- A Mystery like Lore or Lunar lets you replace Dexterity with Charisma for AC and Reflex, which will be handy when your Eidolon starts taking Dex penalties for larger sizes.
- It lets you qualify for Divine Protection, i.e. adding your primary stat to all your saves.
- The drawback of a curse like Lame is completely negated by the fact that you're in an Eidolon.
- Take Amateur Swashbuckler at some point, for a Panache pool and Opportune Parry & Riposte. It should work with your Eidolon's claws (as Precise Strike is the only Swashbuckler class feature that specifically disallows natural weapons). Combat Reflexes is a good idea anyways since you'll be in the midst of the enemy with a Large/Huge character.
Remember that as a Synthesist, you use the Eidolon's BAB, not your own. The #1 draws of Antipaladin and Swashbuckler (Cha-to-Saves and Parry, respectively) can be gained with feats. Oracle isn't the greatest skill user but it does offer two more than the Summoner. 9th level casting and incredible CHA synergy make the Oracle the hands-down best choice.
Don't forget that divine casting isn't interfered with by armor, so you're okay on that front.
Eidolons can't wear armor anyways.
So, I guess Oracle it is, especially since we already have a ninja-type.
What Mysteries would you recommend? Lore, Lunar or Nature all have that nice Cha to AC revelation, but Nature doesn't fit the character at all and I don't really need an animal companion...
What else is there that would fit?
You know... magus.... Just trust me, Something like hungry ghost monk 5 then divide the other 40 levels between magus and synthesist as needed.
Probably Kensai-Bladebound or just bladebound if you want infinite spells (See hungry ghost monk archetype, spell recall and ki arcana)
Reasoning? Well you have the two best level 6 casting stats, buttloads of armor, a stacking weapon, and rounded saves... to boot you get a bunch of stupid things that work well.
sure MAD blah blah int/charisma... but oh wait you've got a damned synthesist suit... You can probably find a way to get two twenties and a 16 in wis
there are some third party archetypes that make magus charisma based, and others that give it at-will teleport (Assuming hungry ghost monk 5)
Heavens or Lunar.
- Both get Moonlight Bridge (read: Wall of Force)
- Both get Mantle of Moonlight, which lets you shut down enemy spellcasters with a touch attack, no save
- Prophetic Armor (Lunar) is better than Coat of Many Stars (Heavens)
- Awesome Display (Heavens), as mentioned, keeps Color Spray in full effect until level 10 or so
- Lunar does give you that animal companion, which is an amazing ability but I can understand why a Summoner (and his DM and fellow players) would pass it up
If you are fairly sure you can get your hands on a Ring of Revelation, you can use it to poach a single Revelation from a different Mystery via Use Magic Device.
Too bad you settled on oracle, with good point buy and synthesist you could make a champion of the faith warpriest work out pretty well.