Gestalt sorerer/divine soul or wizard/archivist?

[darkblust]

Which is better,sorcerer/divine soul (from complete divine),or wizard/archivist(From heroes of horror)?Its a gestalt campaign.Hope you can help,thanks in advance.We can use everything except psionics.

[kamikasei]

Wizard//Archivist has only one attribute (Int) it cares about, which also boosts its skills, which boosts the Dark Knowledge feature. It gets spells a level earlier and is not stuck with a fixed spells known list. In terms of power and versatility it wins hands down, even before you go near any Archivist shenanigans for getting early access to spells from divine half-casters and Adepts and the like.

Now, Sorcerer//Favored Soul (it is Favored Soul, right?) may be better for your character concept, especially if you want a face or a leader, but it's not going to be more powerful.

[Eloel]

Wizard//Archivist is a T1//T1 gestalt, and may prove unstable and might cause a nuclear explosion without warning.

[Mongoose87]

What an awful idea- go Samurai//Paladin, that's better.

[Cyclocone]

The problem is, wizard doesn't do anything archivist can't do already. Psion, on the other hand, does.
Archivist//Psion gets you all spells and crazy action economy (and it can wear armor).

[kamikasei]

The problem is, wizard doesn't do anything archivist can't do already. Psion, on the other hand, does.
Archivist//Psion gets you all spells and crazy action economy (and it can wear armor).

That's a fair point which I can't let pass without advocating Psion//Warblade. Just because.

"I can kill you with my brain. Also with this greatsword. Plus I have d12 HD, full BAB, good Fort and Will and Int to Ref to boot, and can wear armour while being a full manifester who can deal damage based on my Concentration check of all things.

"I also smell good."

[Eldariel]

I can't help but up you a Wizard//Factotum at that point. Psion's action economy is nice. Factotum's is a bit nicer.

[Eloel]

I up with a Commoner/Fighter. You get all the commoner goodies and a few feats.

[Keld Denar]

Commoner//Warlock IMO. Destructive Retribution + Chicken Infested + The Dead Walk

EXPLODING UNDEAD CHICKEN ARMY OF DOOMY DOOM!!!!!!!

[Xaklin_Magewrit]

I say wizard/archivist but it is a ton of book work but really worth it. With some of the most powerful spells with great versatility.

[darkblust]

cyclocone=Archivists don't get ALL spells,they just have the ability to cast all divine spells,but they dont get any arcane spells.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

cyclocone=Archivists don't get ALL spells,they just have the ability to cast all divine spells,but they dont get any arcane spells.There's a lot of work arounds to that. Most Arcane spells show up on Domains, the Adept list, and etc. Not to mention Favored Souls and Warlocks.

[darkblust]

What feats would go well with the wizard/archivist,and what would go well with sorcerer/favoured soul?

[kamikasei]

You... didn't actually ask a question. Well, you did in the OP, but that has been answered.

[FMArthur]

Vow of Poverty. Synergizes quite well with spellbooks.

[quick_comment]

There's a lot of work arounds to that. Most Arcane spells show up on Domains, the Adept list, and etc. Not to mention Favored Souls and Warlocks.

Technically, all arcane spells can be found on a divine spell list.

A paladin can take knight of the mystic sword, which adds all wizard spells he can cast to his class list. Normally, thats 4th level and lower. However, an epic paladin can take improved spell capacity 5 times and get all wizard spells on his class list as divine spells.

So if the right epic paladin exists, you can find divine scrolls of any wizard spell.

[erikun]

I think that any DM allowing a Wizard//Archivist isn't likely to allow any sort of "all arcane spells are divine spells" tricks. I certainly wouldn't hope to find an epic arcane paladin's spellbook, or a Wizard/Archivist/Geomancer spellbook written fully in divine spells.

Honestly, which you choose depends on how you'd like to play the character. Wizard//Archivist is like a super wizard, taking the time to plan out what spells to memorize each day and gathering knowledge like a sage. Sorcerer//Favored Soul is like a super sorcerer, freely casting whatever spells they please from their (relatively) large list of spells known. I personally prefer a Melee//Spellcaster during gestalt, to keep the DM's sanity alive, but that's your choice. :smalltongue:

[Draken]

Archivist//Erudite. Get the Spell to Power ACF. Now not only can you get all divine spells, you can also get all psionic powers and all arcane spells.

[ShadowFighter15]

I'm afraid I can't contribute much to the thread, beyond pointing out something in the first post that a lot of people seem to have overlooked.


We can use everything except psionics.

[darkblust]

Either path I choose the dm's sanity will be absolutely non-existent.:smallbiggrin:

[Xaklin_Magewrit]

Then go archivist/wizard. Because that is the ultimate text-book class and the ultimate thing if you like paper work. I like both so thats why it is my favorite gestalt class combo.

[Jack_Simth]

There's a lot of work arounds to that. Most Arcane spells show up on Domains, the Adept list, and etc. Not to mention Favored Souls and Warlocks.
Plus you get Scribe Scroll for free, and due to a quirk of the casting rules, if you can find someone to collaberate on the scroll with you, and you get named the Creator, then it's Divine/Arcane based on your casting ability... and an Archivist can learn any divine spell off of a scroll.

Seriously, though, you don't generally want a Full Caster//Full Caster in Gestalt, due to the action economy (unless, of course, you have something to break the action economy, or you really need the spellcasting endurance). You want a Full Caster on one side, sure, but when you've got that... your combat actions are all consumed (unless you're picking a LOT of swift-action effects on one side or the other). Instead, put a Full Caster on one side (for active effects), and put a defensive package with the matching primary stat on the other. The Cleric//Swordsage, for instance: d8 HD, 3/4th's BAB, Wis to AC, Wis-based casting, 6 skill points/level, decent skill list, and if you pick Boosts and Counters, you've got a lot of Swift and Immediate action abilities to use as you like. The Sorcerer//Paladin also works very well. If you're in to multiclassing, the Sorcerer-20//Monk-3/Paladin-3/Pious Templar-10/Abjurant Champion-4 taking the Ascetic Mage and Ascetic Knight feats (both from Complete Adventurer) gets:
Charisma-based spellcasting (active offense, utility - this is where you spend actions)
Charisma to saves (passive defense)
Charisma to AC (passive defense)
3d8+Zd10 HD (passive defense)
half a point of Attack Bonus short of Full BAB (passive offense)
Evasion (passive defense)
Mettle (passive defense)
Two good base saves (passive defense)
Oh, and Vow of Poverty actually goes remarkably well with that, if you can convince your DM to let you have a Holy Symbol.

Likewise, a Druid-20//Ninja-6/Warshaper-4/Master of Many Forms-10
Wis to AC, fast healing, trapfinding, wildshape up the wazoo, swift-action invisibility; also goes well with Vow of Poverty.