Earliest ways to get Scent/Mindsight/Lifesense/etc.?

[Gavinfoxx]

Hi there, I'm in a game and we keep on getting ambushed.  I'd like to come in with a character that is really, really, really hard to ambush.

I'm interested in massive spot, massive listen, flight, invisibility, see invisibility, scent, lifesight, mindsight, touchsight, the works.

Does anyone have any ideas for a character (with templates and such) that is the lowest level to get as many of these as possible? An 'all in' spotter / scouter / 'we ambush them and they don't ambush us' sort of character? What is the way to get as many of these as possible, in as low level as possible?  I would also like to be able to flush enemies from concealment or remove them from concealment as often as possible.

I really would like to say to the DM, via the abilities of my character, "No, I would rather not play the 'you all roll a bunch of useless spot and listen rolls, and no matter what rolls you get, you don't know where the bad guys are and can't spot them ahead of time' game; I would like to be able to ambush the ambushers some times, and never ever actually surprised, and be able to detect them from as far as possible, and while hidden too.  That makes actually planning an attack, and outflanking and such, which I consider an interesting and dynamic part of the game, viable.

[Mister Freeze]

Mindbender's adaptation section says pretty explicitly that you should be able to use it with psionic classes.  So a psion5/mindbender1 could have touchsight and mindsight.  You would only be unable to detect things that were mindless and incorporeal. 

[Gavinfoxx]

So a Necropolitan Whisper Gnome... what sort of psion, then?

Is there any way for them to get scent and a few others?  What's the maximum range on the various abilities? I would like a REALLY long range auto detect ability of some sort.

[SneeR]

Take 2 flaws at first level. Take the feat Martial Study as a prerequisite to the feat Martial Stance. Use Martial Study to take whatever maneuver suits your playstyle, then take the stance "Hunter's Sense," which grants scent. Level 1 scent attained!

[Rebel7284]

So a Necropolitan Whisper Gnome... what sort of psion, then?

Is there any way for them to get scent and a few others?  What's the maximum range on the various abilities? I would like a REALLY long range auto detect ability of some sort.

Isn't scent a little redundant in that build?  What will you smell that you can't mindsight or touchsight?  Also, transdimentional touchsight is fun

[NiteCyper]

I like Shape Soulmeld - Fellmist Robe for concealment. I've managed a +31 Hide mod on a 1st level Whispergnome Lurk (Chameleon for a +10, +8 from Race/Size, +5 from Dex, +4 from ranks, +4 from Shape Soulmeld - Kruthik Claws), which ends up being +11 when making a full attack - not bad for 1st level, and a pretty solid defense and attack, all things considered (you have a good chance of not being seen, which fuels sneak attack AND keeps you safe!). You need Ranged Lurk Augment to finish it off, though, so you can snipe (since Fellmist's concealment goes away when you're standing right next to your target).

I LOVE good Darkstalker-based Hide characters. My current fave is a Beguiler (the pikachu critters from FRCS - Shining South) Rogue/Umbral Disciple/Totemist, whose Hide modifier (between a Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis, a +12 from size/race, a 26 Dex, full ranks, camoflauged/muffled armor, and Kruthik Claws) is something like +60. He pounces with Craven each round, shredding for decent amounts of damage (though nothing like what a "real" charger could do - somewhere around 100 points a round). The real fun with him is the combination of the effective invisibility, the one-hit nuke factor, a climb speed, and telepathy+Mindsight (yay for Shedu Crown!). He moves one room ahead of the party, trapfinding and assassinating solo enemies, and telepathically informs everybody of what to expect. He's become a tactical lynchpin for the party, and everybody appreciates knowing what to expect, being able to plan ahead, and never having to deal with traps or non-challenging encounters.

The whole "true sight all the time" thing is pretty sweet too.

Yeah, I know Beguilers are kind of borked, but it's a heavy-play game and I'm DM-ing; technically, my pokemon ninja master is more of a facilitator and deus-ex-machina than anything else (especially since they never see him anymore, and he's always just talking in their MINDS). It works out - I've been meaning to remove him from the party now that they've had enough tactical training to make it on their own (I optimize the HELL out of encounters and am BRUTAL tactically on my players - and they LOVE it!), but they enjoy him so much (he's kind of Belkar-esque; a Neutral Evil, arrogant, "Triumph the insult dog"-style comic relief character) that they've lobbied to keep him, and I have so much damn fun playing him I haven't had the heart to do it.

Plus, they've been fighting a lot of demons lately, and everything in MY world with telepathy has Mindsight - about the only thing bar lucky aim with Glitterdust that really annoys a slick Darkstalker. The Beguiler's been getting chewed up a bit, lately.

[SneeR]

Isn't scent a little redundant in that build?  What will you smell that you can't mindsight or touchsight?

Trash buried under a bit of dirt. A dead body perhaps?

[Tenebrous Apostle]

Having a decent wis score will allow you to take Lifesense as well since you're undead

[ZhonLord]

There's also the Goggles of Lifesight, MIC p. 108.  They're only 2000 gold, so you should be able to afford them pretty early in the campaign - if you can find someone who sells them anyway.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Isn't scent a little redundant in that build?  What will you smell that you can't mindsight or touchsight?

Trash buried under a bit of dirt. A dead body perhaps?

I love how literal we are 

[Byakhee]

There's also the Goggles of Lifesight, MIC p. 108.

'Goggles of Lifesight' can't replace feat 'Lifesense' - its just Deathwatch 3/day

So a Necropolitan Whisper Gnome... what sort of psion, then?

Maybe Telepath? For Telepathic Communication ACF

[darknighthg]

, which ends up being +11 when making a full attack

how do you make a full attack at lv 1? Sniping only allows a single ranged attack because it requires a move action to hide again.

Returning to the post. Keen-eared scout from PH2 gives you lots of information about the creatures without the need of seeing them. Is a good feat for what you're trying to get.
If you are going psionic, the touchsight power from XPH is also very useful because you don't need any check to detect the enemies.

[Gavinfoxx]

What about the various Detects? Detect Magic, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Chaos, Detect Law, Detect Evil, Detect Good, Detect Poison, Detect Undead, etc.? Is there any way to get always on versions of as many of those as possible?

Before Permanency comes online, I mean.

[Empirate]

Warlock gives Scent as a least Invocation (available at 1st level), and Detect Magic at will at 2nd level. A Warlock 6 qualifies for Mindbender if you take the Charm Invocation (lesser, available at 6th). With a one-level Mindbender dip, you qalify for taking Mindsight as your 9th level feat.
Being a Necropolitan is just as good as usual, and if your base race is Human, just snag Lifesense with your bonus feat.
IIRC, Warlocks qualify for the Obtain Familiar feat. Pick that, and Improved Familiar, and choose a Beguiler (monster, not class; Shining South), which has constant True Seeing.

That should start you off nicely enough.

[Gavinfoxx]

What about an always on See Invisible?

Here's what I am thinking:

Necropolitan Whisper Gnome Convert Spell to Power Erudite 5/Psionic Variant Mindbender 1
L1 Martial Study
Flaw1 Martial Stance - Hunter's Sense
Flaw2 [Something to make Spot and Listen class skills. Any ideas what would do it?  The best I have so far is Guerrilla Scout, which is kind of a watered down able learner]
Psicrystal - Observant
L3: Lifesense
L5 Bonus Psionic Feat ???
L6: Mindsight

Maybe Flexible Mind as well? Or instead of Guerrilla scout?  That would cost me 2 extra skill points to 'charge' listen and spot, but I'd get +1 to make up for it...

[Ithamar]

Always on See Invisible can be had through the least invocation See the Unseen, which a level 1 Warlock or Dragonfire Adept can take.  Warlock's Devil Sight invocation can also be useful as it lets you pierce even magical darkness.

If you want to be arcane, use Improved Familiar to grab a pseudodragon and psy-ref / DCS its feats to Mindsight perhaps.  Or an Imp works as well.

For 10,000 GP you can get a draconic graft of the Glaring Eye to get 30' blindsense.  Blindfold of True Darkness from MIC is 9,000 and gives you always on 30' blindsight for 9,000, but you're completely blind beyond 30'.

Tremorsense can be gotten through the Landshark Boots soulmeld, or be insectile (+2 LA) for 60' tremorsense (among other things).

[Gavinfoxx]

Hmmmm, can't get Shape Soulmeld if undead...

For being undead, does any of the spellstitching or any of that stuff help?  What's the set of feats and class options you want someone to do if they make you a Necropolitan?

I can't remember the basic 'here's what you want the person doing the ritual to do it' stuff with becoming a Necropolitan.... lemme try and read on that a bit...

*reads reads*

Okay, so you would want a dread necromancer 8 (for undead mastery) with:

corpsecrafter
nimble bones
Hardened Flesh

to animate you in an aura of desecrate (or they at least have a Deadwalker's Ring) with an altar, and do bloodtouched rite immediately before you become a necropolitan, and have the guy doing it spellstitch you with something useful and which would otherwise be costly (any ideas?)

[Eldritch_Lord]

Hmmmm, can't get Shape Soulmeld if undead...

You can, if you have to, using the Undead Meldshaper feat (lets you use incarnum as an undead and bases it on Wis instead of Con), but it's not generally worth it.

[Gavinfoxx]

Eldritch: edited my post that you just replied to, after your reply...

Does anyone have an idea for a priced out, full description of what happens and the build of a npc that does the undead raising, cost of getting a DN 8 with useful corpse crafting feats and the equipment the npc has and such, to make some a necropolitan with a bunch of useful bonuses?

What's the best way for such an undead character to heal themselves?  Ideally without dipping something?

I suppose that a living, non undead version of this character would be:

L1 Martial Study
Flaw1 Martial Stance - Hunter's Sense
Flaw2 Flexible Mind
Psicrystal - Observant
L3: Shape Soulmeld - Landshark Boots
L5 Bonus Psionic Feat ???
L6: Mindsight

And get them the Glaring Eye graft.  I think the dip for Warlock would have to come at level 7, though??  Otherwise you can't get Mindsight at level 6...?

Unfortunately, for the purposes of not getting ambushed, it looks like Undead is the way to go, since all the other stuff is extremely short range.

There is already a warlock in the party that I'm thinking of switching my character to, though...

[KellKheraptis]

Transdimensional Touchsight+Touchsight+Mindsight=Psionic Radar.  Combine with Sense Danger to never be surprised, snuck up on, or hidden from again.  Sprinkle in contingent and unpleasant effects should an enemy draw within certain ranges.  All doable from an SCM base, at that