What is Gestalt?
1.
Let's REDEFINE this one, shall we? The accepted English defintion is: "A structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts". This is adequate, however, let's also define the word historically as well. It is really a German word, literally meaning "form", defined as an organized whole in experience. The Gestalt psychologists, in about 1912, advanced the theory which explains psychological phenomena by their relationships to total forms rather than their parts. Also, this word has become useful for discussing musical terms (or a critique on music, rather) in the post-modern sense. It is the "essence", or "foreground" of any given band (or genre) in discussion.
"T. Rex surpassed it's place in the 1970's Glam Rock Movement with a cross-pollination of different musical styles,
while having an influence on pop music today that has endured far beyond bands who had more than seven chords in their entire respective repertoire(s)."
2.
n. 1. A system, structure or organism that is indistinguishable from its component parts, and can thus be reconstructed in whole from any of its parts. 2. G~ n. the collective consciousness of humanity or any other intelligent species. (cf. holographic, holistic) 3. adj. Self-determinining oranisation without need for a leader or central control (antonym heirarchy)
The human brain, because all its cells contribute to the operation of the whole and is not controlled by any one cell, is a gestalt structure.
3.
In Dungeons & Dragons, the term refers to taking a level in two different classes simultaneously when you level up. This is subject to the following guidelines:
- HD: you get the highest
- skill points: you get the highest amount between the two classes
- class skills: all skills that are class skill for either of the two classes are class skills for that level
- BAB: you take the better progression(*) of the two classes
- Saves: for each one, you use the better progression(*) of the two classes
- Special Features: you get all special features(**) of the two classes
(*) what "better progression" exactely means when changing classes from the initial two noone knows. a reasonable suggestion is to use fractional BAB and Saves: each level in a class with average BAB adds +3/4 and each level in a class with poor BAB adds +1/2; each level in a class with good Save adds +1/3 and each level in a class with good Save adds +1/2
(**) repeated features are taken once.
Note: Above guidelines are taken from gbnogkfs of the Wizardsmunity D&D boards.
What you have here is basically a Ranger/Barbarian gestalt. No need to devise a new class for it.
