Spelunker PrC: Need Help Balancing

Hello, I have been trying to design a spelunker prestige class for my homebrew campaign and am concerned about balancing it. Below is what I have come up with so far. If you have any input on balancing issues with it, or other ideas about what a spelunker type class should have, please comment. I need input badly.

Spelunker
Requirements: BAB +2, Ref Save +2, Climb 6, Must have explored a previously unexplored cavern
Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 8 + Int Mod
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Craft (all), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (architecture and engineering, dungeoneering, geography, local, nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope


Enhanced Vision: If the character does not have low-light vision, he gains it. If he does have low-light vision he instead gains Darkvision out to 30 ft. If he has Darkvision, his Darkvision's radius increases by 30 ft.

Skill Specialization: The Spelunker picks two class skills and gains a bonus to these skills. The bonus increases at levels 5 and 9.

Auto-Balance: The Spelunker no longer has to make balance checks to run or charge over uneven surfaces.

Element Resist: The spelunker gains cold and fire resistance equal his Constitution modifier (minimum 1).

Daylight, Spider Climb, Stoneshape, Stoneskin, Earthquake, Stone Tell: Spell-like abilities as per the spells. Save is Wisdom-based.

Malady Resistance: The Spelunker gets a bonus to Fortitude saves against poison and disease.

Quick Climber: The Spelunker can move at his full speed when climbing without penalty.

Any thoughts or comments?

The class is a bit easy to get into. Most classes need about 5 levels to get into this one needs 3 levels of rogue.

There might be a few too many abilities here. Skill specialization and malady are not really that needed.

I'd give a bonus to knowledge dungeoneering equal to the class level since that is a major skill for this class. I'd also require ranks in it for the class to be taken.

The auto blance, I'd just make to a bonus to the blanace skill and have that bonus apply at all times.

why elemental resistances? Under ground the temperature should be very steady in the mid 60's I believe. If the ran into some lava tubes I could see fire restistance being needed.

I'd just give darkvision instead of lowlight.

What if you got a slow fall as a special ability? Or maybe something like evasion where you can reflex save for half of fall damage? Im just thinking that if one is used to climbing then one would have fallen a few times.

Based on replies here and some balancing done by myself, I have revised the prestige class to the form posted below. Please give me feedback on the revised version.

Spelunker
Requirements: BAB +3, Ref Save +4, Climb 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Must have explored a previously unexplored cavern
Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 8 + Int Mod
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Craft (all), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (architecture and engineering, dungeoneering, geography, local, nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope


Darkvision: A Spelunker's Darkvision increases by 30 ft. If she did not have Darkvision before, she gains Darkvision with a radius of 30 ft.

Slow Fall: At Spelunker within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow her descent. When first using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 30 feet shorter than it actually is. The Spelunker's ability to slow her fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves at 5th level and 9th level, to 60 ft. and 90 ft., respectively.

Auto-Balance: The Spelunker no longer has to make balance checks to run or charge over uneven surfaces.

Element Resist: The spelunker gains cold and fire resistance equal his Constitution modifier (minimum 1).

Daylight, Spider Climb, Stoneshape, Stoneskin, Earthquake, Stone Tell: Spell-like abilities as per the spells. Save is Wisdom-based.

Quick Climber: The Spelunker can move at his full speed when climbing without penalty.

Evasion (Ex): A Spelunker can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Spelunker is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Spelunker does not gain the benefit of evasion. If the Spelunker already has evasion from another class, she instead gains the Improved Evasion class feature. Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the Spelunker still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Spelunker does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 8th level, a Spelunker can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a Spelunker already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains Improved Uncanny Dodge (see below) instead. Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A Spelunker can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has Spelunker levels. If the character already has Uncanny Dodge from a different source, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

do you get stoneskin without the material component ?
even my 13th lvl char uses it sparingly, as 250 gp of diamonds are not always on hand.

And for the requirements how common are unexplored caves?
does this mean not mapped by humans/demihumans or that none of the intelligent monsters living in it have expolred the whole thing.
why not stonecunning ?

Evilhalfling said:

do you get stoneskin without the material component ?
even my 13th lvl char uses it sparingly, as 250 gp of diamonds are not always on hand.

Click to expand...

Perhaps it would be more balanced if the use of the Stoneskin spell-like ability instead consumed 10 XP.

Evilhalfling said:

And for the requirements how common are unexplored caves?
does this mean not mapped by humans/demihumans or that none of the intelligent monsters living in it have expolred the whole thing.
why not stonecunning ?

Click to expand...

In the setting this prestige class is intended for, unexplored caves are moderately common, as a significant portion of the setting takes place underground. (Thus making Spelunking an important niche).