Multiclass and Spellscarred Savant Discussion/Clarification

[Smog]

My question concerns spellscarred multiclassing from the Faerun source books. The core PHB states that if you meet the feat prereqs that you can choose to take powers from your multiclass instead of taking a paragon path. Obviously you can still take a paragon class as it says 'choose'.

However, in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide it states under Spellscarred Multiclassing Paragon Path that 'The paragon path for spellscarred multiclassing is the spellscarred savant. Do not use the regular paragon multiclass rules in the Player's Handbook for spellscarred characters.'

I'm confused as to what exactly it is saying to exclude. Is it saying you must take the spellscarred savant as a paragon path? Or only that replacing your powers at 11th, 12th, and 20th is no longer an option? Would a character with the Student of the Plague [Multiclass Spellscarred] feat still be capable of taking a different paragon path if he so chooses? (I'm assuming yes on this one)

If anyone that is fully familiar and comfortable with the way Spellscarred Multiclassing works, and the options one still has should he choose to do so, could explain it in detail, I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[On Puget Sound]

If you have taken ALL of : Student of the Plague, Novice Power, Acolyte Power and Adept Power, then you MAY choose to take the spellscarred savant paragon path, or any other paragon path for which you qualify. You may NOT use the "paragon multiclassing" rules (as you could if your multiclass were a normal class rather than spellscarred) because the spellscarred savant is the replacement for that option.

 

[Smog]

I agree on the second count, but are you positive that Novice, Acolyte, and Adept Power are prereqs for Spellscarred Savant? I cannot find anything in either source book that would indicate they are required for taking a multiclassed paragon path. It's neither listed under the prerequisities for Spellscarred Savant, nor mentioned under the base listing for Multiclassing in the PHB. (neither on pg 53, nor anywhere on pages 208-209)

 

[On Puget Sound]

Look again on page 209, the very first sentence under Paragon Multiclassing:
"If you have the Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats for a class,..."

 

[Smog]

Look again on page 209, the very first sentence under Paragon Multiclassing:
"If you have the Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats for a class,...

...you can choose to continue to gain powers from that class rather than take a paragon path."

It doesn't say anything about them being required in order to take a mutliclass paragon path.

 

[Kordeth]

...you can choose to continue to gain powers from that class rather than take a paragon path."

It doesn't say anything about them being required in order to take a mutliclass paragon path.

This is correct. The requirements for taking Spellscarred Savant are at least one spellscar and the Student of the Plague feat, nothing else. The text on p. 41 of the FRPG says do not use the paragon multiclassing rules, but instead take the Spellscarred Savant paragon path. A paragon path is not paragon multiclassing, so none of the rules on p. 209 of the PHB apply.

To answer the original question, a spellscarred character may do any of the following:

- Take the Student of the Plague feat, then choose the Spellscarred Savant paragon path.

- Take the Student of the Plague feat and one or more power swap feats, then choose the Spellscarred Savant paragon path.

- Take the Student of the Plague feat, then choose a paragon path from his class. In this case he would only have the base abilities of his spellscar from the Student of the Plague feat.

- Take the Student of the Plague feat and one or more power-swap feats, then choose another paragon path from his class.

What he cannot do is the following:

- Take the Student of the Plague feat and/or any power swap feats, and then choose a paragon path from another class. You can only multiclass once.

- Take Student of the Plague, all three power-swap feats, and choose to paragon multiclass into Spellscarred. The rule on p. 41 of the FRPG forbids this.

 

[On Puget Sound]

and that choice (choosing to gain powers from that class rather than take a paragon class) is called "Paragon Multiclassing", which requires all of those feats to be able to make that choice. Martial Power has some paragon paths that require you to be multiclassed as a function of entry, but those are not "Paragon Multiclassing", they are just paragon paths with unusual entry requirements.

However, the entry requirements for Spellscarred Savant only list the intro feat, Student of the Plague. It appears that this path does not require all the power swap feats (though it will be less effective without them).
In fact, the text on FRPG page 41 simply forbids spellscarred characters from using the "Paragon Multiclassing" rules, including the rule I just quoted. So I was wrong; spellscarred characters don't need power swap feats. Thanks for continuing the discussion and making me actually look it up; I love learning new things!

(But yes, normal PMCing requires all the power swaps)

edit: or I could have just waited to read Kordeth's post, but it was fun figuring it out myself.

 

[Smog]

- Take the Student of the Plague feat and one or more power swap feats, then choose the Spellscarred Savant paragon path.

What he cannot do is the following:

-Take Student of the Plague, all three power-swap feats, and choose to paragon multiclass into Spellscarred. The rule on p. 41 of the FRPG forbids this.

I'm failing to see the difference in these two scenarios. I understand that because of the rules on p41 that you are unable to use the power-swap options of paragon multiclassing, but I see no restrictions as to taking all 3 of the power swap feats listed before that section and then taking Spellscarred Savant.

EDIT: I see the difference now. It's late and this subject is a bit convoluted with so many similar phrases being thrown about. Thank you very much Kordeth (and OPS!)

And OPS, you may want to look very closely as what you're saying about PMC'ing. Just using the core rules, you still do not have to take all three of the power swap feats to meet the requirements of multiclassing into a paragon path of a different class. In fact, the first example the PHB gives outright says all you need to take is the appropriate multiclass feat. Reference p53, PHB, under 'Introducing the Paragon Paths'. Second paragraph. "For example, you can take the angelic avenger paragon path if you're a cleric or if you have selected a cleric multiclass feat." Note it doesn't mention any of the power swap feats being required, nor are they required to take the multiclass feat initially. (In fact it's the very opposite)

The only purpose the power swap feats serve is just that: to swap your abilities with the abilities of the class you've MC'd into. I believe the confusion is stemming from the quote you and I started and finished earlier. All it is saying is that once you take all three feats, you then have the option of not taking a paragon path and simply taking powers from your second class in place of a paragon path.

I can definitely see where the confusion comes from though. (Obviously as spellscarred had me confused initially) WotC definitely could have done a better job editting and refining that section of the PHB. (and the FRPG)