PrC: The Divine Knight (Eldritch Knight copy)

The purpose of this PrC is to point out how over-powered the Eldritch Knight is, and how it's a bad idea.

Either that, or give clerics the same freedom now granted to wizards by WotC.

BTW: compared to wizards, the benefits received by clerics when entering Divine Knight are less in the following ways:
* Clerics already have d8 HD, so there's no increase.
* Clerics already get 3/4 BAB advancement, so that's not as big of improvement as it is to a wizard.
* Clerics spellcasting power is weaker than a wizards, so +1 caster level is less a benefit than a wizard.
* Turn Undead is quite a powerful ability that is being lost, unlike a wizard's familiar not progressing. Most of the best advantages of the familiar are already obtained by level 5.
* A cleric loses his good WILL saves.
If we were to make a Divine Knight PrC equal in benefit to a Eldritch Knight, I'd suggest giving d10 HD, keeping turn undead advancement, and keeping the Good WILL saves.
That would be a true test of the PrC's power.

DIVINE KNIGHT

Hit Die: d8

Requirements:
To qualify to become a Divine Knight, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
Weapon Proficiency: Must be proficient with all martial weapons.
Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level divine spells.

Class Skills:
The Divine Knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
BAB: As fighter
Saves: As fighter Class Features:
All of the following are features of the divine knight prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Divine knights gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, a divine knight may choose a bonus feat from the list of feats available to fighters. This is in addition to the feats that a character of any class normally gets from advancing levels. The character must still meet any prerequisites for these bonus feats, including levels of fighter for the Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization feats.

Spells per Day: From 2nd level on, when a new divine knight level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of divine knight to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became an divine knight, she must decide to which class she adds each level of divine knight for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Domain abilities: Levels in Divine Knight stack with any cleric levels for purposes of determining class level.

Probably not the answer you want, but I like it. I would suggest that you put in a Nature Knight for druids (add the Knowledge (Nature) skill to the list, or replace Knowledge (Religion) with it).

The major difference is casting in armour, but clerics were considered beefy before by virtue of that ability. The net result of a 1F/9C/10DK split seems to be 2 lost clerical spell levels, a +2 gain in BAB (not much, as you point out), and an extra F feat.

It might allow someone who was a paladin and then multiclassed out to sneak in some paladin spell levels, but I don't think that would unbalance everything.

All in all, an interesting character concept, but I wouldn't go for the increases you propose, as that would start stepping on the Paladin's toes.

Hey

I hate to nitpick, but wizards also lose out on some bonus feats. Not many, and nothing to cry about considering, but just so it's mentioned.

Also, I don't understand why your Divine Knight doesn't get full BAB ... it should, I think, otherwise there is no point to it ... just multiclass cleric/fighter. I fear I'm misunderstanding the point, in which case I blame it on a bout of dementia.

Thanks
-Matt

you're right, that wizards lose 2 feats at 5th and 10th level of EK.

The Divine Knight DOES get full BAB advancement... "as a fighter"

Actually, in hindsight, without all the advantages that wizards get when taking the EK, this Divine Knight isn't overpowered.

The Divine Knight definately should get good Will saves and probably turn undead, too.

Man, the wizard just makes out like a bandit in taking the EK.

Hey

Ah yes, it was the dementia. Damn the family curse. Anyway, I totally agree that the EK and MT are a little scary.

My personal fix of the EK is to simply drop "+1 spellcasting" at third, sixth, and ninth levels. Five spellcasting levels behind the wizard sounds just right to me. I was toying with letting them use light armor at 6th level ... might still do that, since it's practically useless anyway (they'll all be casting mage armor and shield anyway).

Oh, and the MT ... screw that noise, he's out.

Thanks
-Matt

Having a high BAB isn't as good for someone with low hit points and who can't wear armor without losing special abilities as it is for someone with high hit points and no armor restrictions.

This needs to be taking into consideration when comparing this class and the Eldritch Knight.

Hey

But by only being 2 spellcasting levels behind (in the most twinked version) the EK is gonna be buffing Dex and Con, casting mage armor, shield, blink, mirror image, etc. Good forbid he has the Extend spell metamagic feat.

-Matt

Ondo said:

Having a high BAB isn't as good for someone with low hit points and who can't wear armor without losing special abilities as it is for someone with high hit points and no armor restrictions.

This needs to be taking into consideration when comparing this class and the Eldritch Knight.

Click to expand...

Good point, actually.