On one hand, I think it is a effort in futility to spend a lot of time on NPC'S that are undoubtedly going to be slaughtered by the party.
On the other hand, I feel that adding gestalt to the NPC's is an easy way to make them a little more interesting, and, perhaps, a bit more survivable. Plus, it has the added bonus of breaking the expectations the party may have when they encounter the NPC.
It ultimately doesn't change the encounter if your Magus villain is gestalt with a Swashbuckler. Sure, it is now full BAB, all good saves, and has Panache/Deeds. But the encounter plays the same, and you might just get an "oh my" out of the party before they butcher your villain.
I like taking class archetypes that mimic other class abilities, and gestalt them to make fake classes... like if you want an NPC that has Rage, don't make them a boring Barbarian. Gestalt the Viking Fifhter with the Wild Stalker Ranger. Now you have Rage and Rage Powers, but also a bunch of other fun stuff to make them a little more interesting.
A few examples of "fake classes"...
Alchemist:
Mutagen Warrior-Opportunist Fighter//
Underground Chemist UnRogue
Wizard:
Child of War Fighter//
Eldritch Scoundrel UnRogue
Sure, the "fake classes" may fall short compared to a full-time version of the class they are mimicking, but they should also provide a multitude of extra fun abilities to make more in-depth and flavorful NPC's. The extra abilities MAY even help the NPC's survive to see the party a second time.
Like the Fake Wizard maxes out at 6th level spells, but they have a near unlimited amount of spells... getting Bloodrager spells at a Ranger's spell progression from the Child of War Fighter, and getting Wizard spells at Magus spell progression from the Eldritch Scoundrel UnRogue... that's a lot of spells. And they get Armor Training and Bravery and Dex-to-DMG and Rogue's Edge and Sneak Attack and 8+Int skills per level and you get the point.
There are far more powerful combinations, too. It's pretty easy to get full BAB, all good saves, and 9th level spellcasting with gestalt. If you want your BBEG to really bring the pain, then you have some fun options. Like:
Snakebite Striker Brawler//
Eldritch Scrapper Sorcerer... gives you Sneak Attack and Martial Flexibility.
Blade Adept Arcanist//
Ankou's Shadow Slayer... Sneak Attack Shadow-clone-jitsu Dimensional Savant fun.
Gestalt combinations are limitless and fun. What are your thoughts on using gestalt for enemies?
when I run Pathfinder, I always run Gestalt and as a GM I use it as an excuse to give NPCs anything I want them to have without worrying about class combinations. If I want a dimensional mage, I'll just give him appropriate hit points, saves, skills and spells to fit his theme and not worry about what classes get him there.
Saves a lot of time, and since the PCs are Gestalt, it's nigh on impossible to out cheese them if you stay within level guidelines.
I think it'd be less work to give them a mythic tier or mythic rank. But it sounds like you're the type who will have more fun by using gestalt.
I think it'd be less work to give them a mythic tier or mythic rank. But it sounds like you're the type who will have more fun by using gestalt.
Oh, I do! I love the story you can tell just with the classes/archetypes you choose to gestalt. Some combinations paint a beautiful picture, the builds pretty much write themselves. Sometimes you get to the end and have everything you want just from class abilities and you see all these feats are still open, oh my.
Gestalt is, by far, my favorite thing about PF1.
Another thing I like to do for enemy NPC's is gestalt two classes for 10 levels, then add 10 levels of a prestige class. I think that prestige classes are inherently weak, and I always consider levels in prestige classes as 1/2CR per level... whereas the gestalt levels are clearly 1CR per level.
This is pretty much the only way I have found to use prestige classes, but I do like using them in this way. Some prestige classes have fun stuff, but are otherwise so poor they will never see play. The gestalt levels usually provide enough to make up for what the prestige classes generally lack.
Monsters with inherent spellcasting are super fun to use with Mythic Theurge, I have found.