Should I gestalt?

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

For a solo campaign I'm scheduled to start this Thursday (5 14 15), my GM asked if I wanted to gestalt.  I told him I was torn.  Going gestalt means more power, but also more work pre-game and in-game.  Still, I was intrigued at the prospect.

All 3.5 material is allowed.  I'm avoiding Pathfinder due to a lack of familiarity and interest.  If you know of something spiffy, we may consider it.

I start at ECL1 with a 32 point buy, naked.

Here is my current character sheet on Google Docs.  (I have a long list of assumptions and character details.)  In short, I'm a Gray Elf (for story reasons) Psion [Telepath] (for Thrallherd and mind control/diplomacy) with the Dragonborn ritual (because I like breath weapons).  My GM was kind enough to grant me all 3 aspects of the Dragonborn template with its damage increased to d8/HD.

My current character plan is Psion [Telepath]5/Thrallherd6/Mindbender (Psionic Adaptation)1/Thrallherd+4/Ghostbreaker2/Anarchic Initiate2.

Were I to go gestalt, what do y'all advise for my other side?  I'm INT-based, social, and not at all a melee man in my base form.  I was considering this for my second side due to boosting my skills, granting me skills and spellcasting and its INT synergy.  (I've already read the Ecclesiastes who tried everything.

PROS OF GESTALTING
-Better survivability and skills.  Factotum gets me more HP, a good Reflex save, more skill points, a bigger skill list, and armor/weapon proficiencies for no notable increase in complexity.

-Reduced initial complexity.  Perhaps ironically, starting as a gestalt Factotum makes things less complicated when I'm dungeon crawling since I need not carry around a Rogue or similar skillsman.

-I get to say I did it.  Yay!

CONS OF GESTALTING
-Pride.  I can't honestly say that I went without it, but D&D 3.5 isn't a competition.

-Slightly increased character complexity.  I'm not using gestalt thralls/believers and the GM will only use gestalt NPCs in rare circumstances.

[ketaro]

I'd say yay, but I'd also consider Thrallherd cheating in what should be a solo campaign 

[awaken_D_M_golem]

...  ... consider the Thrallherd to be Gestalt-by-Proxy.

You still have to build the Thralls in proto form.
And build them further after they show up.
So you could stick Ghostbreaker on one of them, get it's goodies party-wise earlier.
Any other gestalt Quirks you were thinking of,
can be on any random follower (though commoner-ized).

[Jackinthegreen]

Chances are you won't need to gestalt at all.  Thrallherd tends to take care of business well.

But if you really feel like you ought to then some combination of survival and utility would be helpful.  Feat rogue perhaps?  Warblade with the diamond mind save counters?

[Unbeliever]

I'd say no gestalt.  It muddies the concept of the Thrallherd, and makes his minions kind of obsolete since he'll be able to do so much on his own.

I sort of like gestalt in Pathfinder, but that's due to the system's commitments to single class uber alles, etc. 

[phaedrusxy]

Warblade with the diamond mind save counters?

This would certainly add a lot of defensive capabilities.

[Endarire]

I ultimately gestalted.  My current build is Factotum || Psion (Telepath).  I'll go that way until Thrallherd, when I go Thrallherd1 || Psion+1.  I then resume Factotum until Factotum8, then we'll see.  I may take a Crusader level before Factotum8 for infinite out-of-combat party & self healing.

Factotum proves useful for skill points, class skills, inspiration, and, eventually, extra actions!

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Interesting.
So at level 15 you're gonna be something like:
Psion 5 / Thrallherd 10 //
Facto 8 / Crusader 1 / Psion +2 targetted / 4 more levels for even more kaboom
... could probably fit the Idiot Crusader trick in the 4 more levels,
properly spaced, and still have room left over for parts of Ghostbreaker.