Gish Melee Damage build help (Spellsword?)

[MrBumberdumble]

Hey everyone.  First day on the new boards.  I'm having some trouble finding all the old stuff, so I just have a quick question.  Can you guys point me in the direction of some solid gish damage dealer builds, preferably, but not necessarily, incorporating the Spellsword?  Also, it needs to be something that will be at least somewhat viable at low-mid level.  Thanks in advance.

Edit:  It's D&D 3.0/3.5, WotC published books only.

[sirpercival]

How much spellsword do you want?  Gish builds almost never take it past 1 level...

"Damage dealer" isn't much of a guideline, there are a lot of ways to do that.

[MrBumberdumble]

Sorry.  Had a feeling that might be too vague.  I'm actually helping a friend of mind put a build together and the one he sent to me included 10 Spellsword, which I didn't like.  That's why I'm here.

So he likes the idea of channeling spells through a melee weapon, but isn't completely married to it.  I already mentioned the Duskblade to him, but he wants to eventually be able to access higher level spells.

The character build should result in a melee damage dealer enhanced by arcane magic either by channeling spells, self-buffing, or something else.

Hopefully that clarifies things. 

[Volfogg]

Long ago in a galaxy far far away ... I played a spellsword that turned out to be pretty decent. The build was as follows:

wizard 1/fighter 4/spellsword 10/abjurant champion 5

Here are the most important feats:

• practised spellcaster
• precocious apprentice
• leap attack
• power attack
• imp bull rush
• shocktrooper
• arcane strike

Here's the gist of what this gets you ... 6th lvl spells and a caster lvl of 20, amazing fort/will saves, bab 19, and the ability to wear mithril fullplate (or mithril twilight fullplate) and still cast spells. You'll also have a decent AC due to abjurant champion. I used a lesser metamagic rod of quicken spell on jump spells. This in conjunction with shocktrooper and leap attack was good times. I know this isn't as uber as most gish builds, which aim for 9th lvl spells and a bab of at least 16+, but it still gets the job done.

You could also swap out lvls of fighter for a lvl or two barbarian so you can get pounce.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Volf

[sirpercival]

Meh.  I'm not crazy about Volfogg's build.

Here's a suggestion: ignore BAB.  Play a sorcerer and use the ACF which lets you choose a domain to pick up the War domain for Divine Power.  Then just focus on casting.  You can use Polymorph to get much better physical stats and a bunch of natural attacks, and add in Arcane Strike for big damage boosts.

Alternatively, play a Bardic gish.  Go into Sublime Chord after dipping Warblade and/or Crusader.  Take Dragontouched and Draconic Heritage (Pyroclastic), DFI, and Song of the White Raven and Arcane strike.  Then you can drop DFI (Fire) and DFI (Sonic) concurrently, and with arcane strike and polymorph you'll dish out a ton of damage.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and for the bardic gish, you can take Arcane Disciple (War).

EDIT2: And for the bardic gish, dip lion totem barbarian for pounce.

[MrBumberdumble]

I like the Sorcerer idea.  I think I can sell that.  Any recommended dips for that?  Transmogrifist levels?

[MrBumberdumble]

Ok.  Scratch that last post.  He's digging the Sublime Chord idea.  So we'd be looking at a Warblade dip to qualify for SotWR, a Barbarian dip for pounce, and would you cleric dip for travel devotion?  Not really needed?

[sirpercival]

No, not Transmogrifist.  Too many lost levels -- if you could get MT and shapechange it'd be one thing, but not worth it.

Swiftblade COULD be worth it, but I have a build which is likely to be more fun.  How about a Sorc/Totemist/Soulcaster gish?  You get armor (Ankheg Breastplate), move-action at-will Dimension Door (Blink Shirt), and when you polymorph you can pounce with your natural weapons (Sphinx Claws).  Plus you can rock Midnight Metamagic.  Use your domain ACF to get the Incarnum domain, it gives you Incarnum Spellshaping as your domain power and you get Incarnum Apotheosis to be amazing.

Something like this:

Azurin Sorcerer 4/Totemist 2/Soulcaster 4/Incantatrix 10

ACF: Domain Sorcerer (Incarnum domain)

Feats: Midnight Metamagic, Incarnum Spellshaping [bonus from domain], Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Ocular Spell, Open Chakra (Arms), Arcane Disciple (War)

Now you can use Instant Metamagic with Incantatrix to Ocular/Persist Incarnum Apotheosis and fill all of your soulmelds to the max.  Polymorph + totemist soulmelds which boost natural attacks FTW.

And, if you really want to be ridiculous, take Hidden Talent (Expansion), Psycarnum Infusion, and Psionic Meditation.  Then google Psycarnum Infusion and Midnight Metamagic for how to abuse that.

EDIT: Forgot Arcane Strike

[sirpercival]

LOL.  OK, here's the Bardic Gish build.

Bard 7/Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Warblade 2/Sublime Chord 2/Abjurant Champion 5/X3 (full casting PrC)

Feats: Dragontouched, Draconic Heritage (Pyroclastic), DFI, Song of the White Raven, Arcane Disciple (War), Arcane Strike, Song of the Heart, Multiattack, Improved Multiattack

[MrBumberdumble]

Thanks for all the help.  I appreciate you spoon-feeding the noob

[RobbyPants]

Here's a suggestion: ignore BAB.  Play a sorcerer and use the ACF which lets you choose a domain to pick up the War domain for Divine Power.

Do you remember which book that ACF is in?

[sirpercival]

Here's a suggestion: ignore BAB.  Play a sorcerer and use the ACF which lets you choose a domain to pick up the War domain for Divine Power.

Do you remember which book that ACF is in?

Complete Champion, pg 56, Domain Access.

(My build doesn't work, as-is, though, I forgot you need 5 sorc levels to qualify for the ACF.)

[parinho7]

Paladin(2)/Sorcerer(4)/Spellsword(1)/Abjurant Champion(5)/Sacred Exorcist(8)