Gestalt Characters (4e Variant Rule)

Gestalt Characters
In a small group, it can be difficult to cover all four roles, and have a party large enough to deal with normal sized encounters without resorting to playing multiple characters or having the DM play DMPCs or using smaller encounters. Neither of these solutions are desirable, as it can be difficult to play and DM at the same time (or play multiple characters), and smaller encounters are just boring.

These rules, based on the third edition gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana, allow a character to take two classes of different roles, effectively doubling the power of each character.

Gestalt characters are built with 'gestalt templates' that double the character's power, effectively turning them into elite characters. Therefore, when building encounters for gestalt characters, each gestalt character should be treated as two characters.

The gestalt character variant is especially effective if you have three or fewer players in your D&amp;D group, or if your players enjoy multiclassing and want characters with truly prodigious powers. This variant works only if every PC in the campaign uses it, and it results in complicated characters who may overwhelm newer D&amp;D players with an abundance of options.

Building a Gestalt Character
To make a 1st level gestalt character, choose two classes. These two classes can be any class you wish, but you cannot select two classes of the same role, and you cannot select the same class twice. Build your character in the following order, rather than the order presented in the Player's Handbook:

1. Choose Race: Decide the race of your character. It is important to consider the fact that you will have two classes rather than one, so you should choose a race with a bonus to at least one of your classes' key abilities.

2. Choose Classes: Select two classes. These classes must be different, and be of different roles. Then you need to apply one of your two classes to your character, as normal. Compare the starting hit points and the number of healing surges of your classes and apply whichever class has the highest number of both. If one class has more hit points but less healing surges, apply that class (but use the higher number of healing surges from both classes).

3. Determine Ability Scores: Generate your ability scores as normal, except that ability scores should be customized using 28 points rather than using 22 points or using the standard array. You should calculate your hit points now.

4. Choose Skills: Choose skills as normal, as if you were just the class you have applied.

5. Apply Class Template: Apply the template of your second class from the class templates section below, adding additional hit points, defense bonuses, trained skills and class features from the template. If you gain a class bonus to a defense or training in a skill that you already have a class bonus to or training in, apply only the highest bonus or the skill training from your first class. Any additional bonuses are lost. In the case of an overlapping bonus to one of your defenses, if the lowest bonus is a +2, you can apply a +1 bonus to your other two defenses (but not AC), but if the lowest bonus is a +1, you can apply a +1 bonus to a single defense of your choice (but not AC), so long as you don't already have a class defense bonus to that defense.

6. Select Feats: Select a single feat of your choice, as normal, except that you are assumed to be of both classes for the purposes of prerequisites and multiclass feats.

7. Choose Powers: Select three 1st level at-will attack powers, two 1st level encounter attack powers and two 1st level daily powers. You must choose at least one power from each class for each category, so a fighter/rogue would have to select one fighter at-will attack power, one rogue at-will attack power, one fighter encounter attack power, one rogue encounter attack power, one fighter daily attack power, one rogue daily attack power and one at-will attack power from either class. This rule does not apply to bonus powers gained from your race.

8. Choose Equipment: Choose your equipment, as normal. You can use an implement from either class for both of your classes' powers, so you only need one implement.

9. Fill in the Numbers: Calculate all remaining numbers to be calculated.

10. Roleplaying Character Details: Flesh out your character with details about your personality, appearence ane beliefs. Remember to include details about why you have training in two classes.

A Note on Implements
It can, in some cases, be difficult to wield any implements you need from one class alongside any equipment you need from the other. Therefore, the following rules apply to implements when playing a gestalt character.


 * If both classes can use implements, you can use any implements from either class with implement powers of the other. You therefore only need to carry a single implement.


 * If you have an implement mastery class feature from one or both classes (the songweaver's instrument mastery should be treated as an implement mastery in this case), you can select a single implement from the other class that can be weilded as if it were the implement you have implement mastery with, and vice versa. So a Paladin/Wizard could use a holy symbol as if it were a wand of accuracy, and a Songweaver/Wizard could use a flute as if it was an orb of imposition and an orb as if it was a flute of the healer.


 * If you use a single-handed weapon and a shield, you can use an implement in the same hand as your shield.


 * If you use a two-handed weapon or two single-handed weapons, you can select a single weapon group of your choice. You can use a weapon of that group as an implement. Your weapon adds its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls and any extra damage granted by a property (if applicable), when used as an implement. You do not gain your weapon proficiency bonus to the attack roll when using your weapon as an implement.

A Note on Actions
As you are replacing two characters with a single, double power character, the economy of actions will be affected. Therefore, each character can use two standard actions per turn rather than one. You can still only use a single move, minor immediate and opportunity action per round.

When you gain an action point, you gain two instead, but you can still use only a single action point per encounter. This essentially means that you can use one action point every encounter rather than every other encounter as you normally would. This is because you replace two characters with a single character, so double the normal number of action points are required per character to conserve the economy of actions.

Ability Scores
At 4th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 24th and 28th level you increase three ability scores by 1 rather than the two that a normal character would increase.

Powers
At higher levels, gestalt characters gain the following powers:

2nd Level: At 2nd-level, you gain an additional 2nd-level utility power. You must select at least one utiliy power from each of your classes.

11th Level: At 11th level, you gain a single 7th-level encounter attack power of your choice. This power can be from either of your classes. You also gain a single utility power of 10th level or lower.

13th Level: At 13th level, you can replace both of the 1st-level encounter attack powers you gained at 1st level with encounter attack powers of 13th level or lower.

15th Level: At 15th level, you can replace both of the 1st-level daily attack powers you gained at 1st level with daily attack powers of 15th level or lower.

16th Level: At 16th level, you can replace one of the 2nd-level utility powers you gained at 2nd level with a single utility power of 16th level or lower.

21st Level: At 21st level, you gain a single daily attack power of 19th level or lower and a single utility power of 16th level or lower.

22nd Level: At 22nd Level, you can replace one of the 16th-level utility powers you gained at 16th and 21st level with a single utility power of 22th level or lower.

23rd Level: At 23rd level, you can replace both of your 7th-level encounter attack powers you gained at 7th level and 11th level with encounter attack powers of 17th level or lower.

27th Level: At 27th level, you can replace both of the 13th-level encounter attack powers you gained at 13th level with encounter attack powers of 27th level or lower.

29th Level: At 29th level, you can replace both of the 15th-level daily attack powers you gained at 15th level with daily attack powers of 29th level or lower.

You must have at least one power of each category (at-will attack, encounter attack, daily attack and utility) from each class, though these can be from any level (so at 3rd level you could have two 1st-level encounter attack powers from one class and one 3rd-level encounter attack power from your other class). At 11th level, you must have at least two encounter attack powers and at least two utility powers from each class. At 21st level, you must have at least two daily attack powers and three utility powers from each class. You may otherwise select your powers from either class.

Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies
At 11th level, you select only a single paragon path, as normal, though you are treated as being both of your classes for the purposes of prerequisites. At 21st level, you gain only a single epic destiny, as normal, though you are treated as being both of your classes for the purposes of prerequisites.

Magic Items
Gestalt characters should be given the normal number of magic items for two characters of their level. When awarding magic items, calculate the amount of magic items that would be suitable for a normal party twice the size of the gestalt party.

When building a gestalt character of higher than 1st level, select two items of your level + 1, two items of your level and two items of your level - 1. In addition, you gain a number of gold pieces equal to two magic items of your level - 1.

Gaining Levels
When awarding experience for encounters, award the normal amount for the encounter. Gestalt characters need double the normal amount of experience to gain a level (so a 1st level gestalt character needs 2000 xp to go up to level 2). As gestalt characters are fighting twice the number of monsters that the same number of normal characters would fight, they are effectively gaining twice the experience, and will thus level up at the same rate as normal characters would.

Arachnomancer
Power Source: Arachane.

Avenger
Power Source: Divine.

Barbarian
Power Source: Primal.

Bard
Power Source: Arcane.

Cleric
Power Source: Divine.

Druid
Power Source: Divine. 1. This simply means that you gain an additional 1st-level at-will attack power, and that you you must have at least one 1st-level druid at-will attack power with the beast keyword, and at least one 1st-level druid at-will attack power without the beast keyword. Balance of Nature applies in this way whether or not you apply the druid class as a template or not.

Fighter
Power Source: Martial.

Invoker
Power Source: Divine.

Paladin
Power Source: Divine.

Ranger
Power Source: Martial.

Rogue
Power Source: Martial.

Shaman
Power Source: Primal.

Songweaver
Power Source: Arcane.

Sorcerer
Power Source: Arcane.

Spider Rider
Power Source: Arachane.

Swordmage
Power Source: Arcane. 1. Your blade adds its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls and any extra damage granted by a property (if applicable), when used as an implement. You do not gain your weapon proficiency bonus to the attack roll when using your blade as an implement.

Warden
Power Source: Primal.

Warlock
Power Source: Arcane. 1. You gain both eldritch blast and the power granted by your eldritch pact as 1st-level at-will attack powers. These powers count towards the three 1st-level at-will attack powers you select at 1st-level, so you can only select a single 1st-level at-will attack power from your other class.

Warlord
Power Source: Martial.

Wizard
Power Source: Arcane. 1. Your spellbook class feature only applies to wizard daily and utility powers, not to powers from your other class.