Gish PRC Advice

[cecil1994]

Hey guys, I think I'm going to play a gish for a new campaign, starting at third level. I'll be a Necropolitan Spellstitched Human.

Some house rules of note-
We get to pick one skill and put two more ranks into it above the max. (Excellent for PRC)
Spellstitched casting can go off of Intelligence.

Now, with all of this, which PRC would you choose? Knight Phantom, (with Spellstitched, I get Phantom Steed at first level, combined with choosing Ride as my skill, means Wizard 1/Knight Phantom 2  is legal), Jade Phoenix Mage, or Swiftblade?

[Maat Mons]

How are you getting proficiency with all martial weapons to qualify for knight phantom?  Without spending a class level (or being an outsider), all I can think of is the militia feat (Player's Guide to Faerun, p41).  That's a problematic mix with knight phantom though, since one requires being from certain Faerun regions, while the other requires being from a specific Eberron country. 

[cecil1994]

I was thinking Otherworldly- (gives native outsider type).

And, as we're not playing in Eberron, my DM gives regional requirements the finger.

[cecil1994]

Also, feats-

1) Still Spell
1) (Human) Otherworldly
1) (Flaw #1)
1) (Flaw #2)
1) (Bonus Feat From Taint Rules(Undead), Moderate Taint)
1) (Bonus Feat From Taint Rules(Undead), Severe Taint)
1) (Combat Wizard ACF: Trade Scribe Scroll for a Fighter Bonus Feat) Power Attack
3)

As you can see, I have more feats than I know what to do with. Any suggestions?

[Maat Mons]

The necropoltan template can only be added to humanoids and monstrous humanoids.  Taking the otherwordly feat would make you ineligible. 

Since your DM is ignoring region though, militia will work. 

[phaedrusxy]

Also, feats-

1) Still Spell
1) (Human) Otherworldly
1) (Flaw #1)
1) (Flaw #2)
1) (Bonus Feat From Taint Rules(Undead), Moderate Taint)
1) (Bonus Feat From Taint Rules(Undead), Severe Taint)
1) (Combat Wizard ACF: Trade Scribe Scroll for a Fighter Bonus Feat) Power Attack
3)

As you can see, I have more feats than I know what to do with. Any suggestions?

Decide what combat role/style you want. Do you want BFC? Uber-charger? To dish out loads of status effects via melee attacks?

I think the easiest thing to do, since you're going to be a gish, is to go with a charger, but instead of using Headlong Rush (like non-casters do), you can (ab)use Wraith Strike. Then just load up on all the things that boost charging damage (Leap Attack, Battle Jump, etc). You'll want to pick up pounce somehow. The easiest way is through a Lion Totem barbarian dip (which you can also use to get Whirling Frenzy), but you might want to look into picking up the Lion's Charge druid/ranger spell instead, as raging doesn't mesh too well with spellcasting and it would cost you (another) caster level.

Other things that you might consider are Martial Study (Sudden Leap), Martial Study (any DS maneuver) + Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades), Martial Study (any of the Diamond Mind counters, for auto-success on saving throws), etc.

There is sure no shortage of feats to choose from...

[cecil1994]

Ok, thanks. I was considering a dip into Crusader or Warblade (in both cases, swapping Stone Dragon for something better) but with all these feats I could probably grab the three needed for the maneuvers and be set. Think it's worth it?

[phaedrusxy]

Well... I think a warblade dip would be great, if you can stomach the caster level loss... Jade Phoenix Mage is a decent PrC, but again... another lost CL.

If you're only after the saving throw counters, I guess you could burn two feats and buy a Lesser Ring of Diamond Mind for the third (or just forget about the Reflex save one).

Another thing to consider with those is taking Hidden Talent for a 1st level psionic power (Mindlink is pretty decent, but there are a lot of others to consider, like Chameleon). This will allow you to "take 15" on a concentration check by blowing your Psionic Focus. This would also open up psionic feat options, but most of those you won't care about. Instead of being human, since you don't know what to do with your feats anyway, you could instead be a Kalashtar and take Hidden Talent. This would give you more power points to burn on using your psionic power.

[cecil1994]

In all likelihood, I'm going Wizard 1 / KP 5 / Swiftblade 6. The campaign likely won't last too long, I doubt I'll get all of the Knight Phantom levels.

One final call- any early entry shenanigans you guys know of to get into Swiftblade (or, any good prc really)? BAB is the real crutch here.

[DancingFish]

BAB? BAB is easy, since at Wiz1/KP3 you have the requisite +3 BAB. If you somehow are able to gain (even) more feats, the Extra Spell feat, used RAW, enables you to learn Haste as a 1st level spell (Thanks to the Trapsmith). At that point it should be easier to just go Wiz1/EK3/SwB, since you save a feat.

[cecil1994]

Huh. I'll probably do that then. Shame I have to lose that caster level to Eldritch Knight though.

[Maat Mons]

Come to think of it, adding the unseelie template makes you ineligible for the necropolitan template, and adding the necroplitan template makes you ineligible for the unseelie fey template, so an unseelie fey necropolitan is an impossibility. 

As outlined in Complete Arcane, a spell-like ability of a 3rd-level spells doesn't fulfill the "able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells" requirement of eldritch knight. 

Using the extra spell feat to learn a 1st-level spell requires the ability to cast 2nd-level spells.  If you lose even one level of casting progression, you're not going to make that by 3rd level.  Again, spell-like abilities won't help with this prerequisite.  The precocious apprentice feat (Complete Arcane, p181) could probably work though. 

[cecil1994]

Huh. I thought there was some clause that said SLAs counted. Well, it seems as though I have some restructuring to do.

[phaedrusxy]

Huh. I thought there was some clause that said SLAs counted. Well, it seems as though I have some restructuring to do.

They can count for specific spell requirements (i.e. you need to be able to cast Daylight and can cast it as a SLA), but not for the generic ability to be able to cast X level spells.