Hypersmurf said:
In 3.5, the rule for PrC requirements is that you must meet them before you take the first level.
The rule about losing all class features except BAB, hit dice, and saves if you lose access to a requirement didn't make it through the revision, as far as I know.
Whether this was deliberate or accidental, I couldn't say.
(The rule about not being able to use a feat if you lose access to a prerequisite still exists, however.)
It may be that they decided it was silly that a Dwarven Defender who turned 125, lost a point of Dex and thus lost his Dodge prerequisite suddenly lost all his class abilities.
Or it may be that they left a sentence out, like they did with PrCs not counting towards multiclass penalties.
-Hyp.
Nah, he's right. Page 16 of Complete Warrior, under "Meeting Class Requirements". "If a character no longer meets the requirements for a prestige class, he or she loses the benefit of any class features or other special abilities granted by the class. The character retains Hit Dice gained from advancing in the class as well as any improvements to base attack bonus and base save bonuses that the class provided." I'd missed that before.
Still a smackdown, I'd say. You don't get the x4 damage from the Cavalier's Deadly Charge, being stuck with a mere x3, but that's OK. Hell, you can drop Weapon Focus (Lance) since you're not going for Cavalier anymore, and get it in 16 levels, thus meeting the level restriction for a Smackdown. You'll be 91,165gp over the starting cash allowance of a 16th-level character, but that's easily remedied by a loan from another party member.
Given that, swapping Axiomatic enchantment for Anarchic, and correcting some math errors from the original post ... first round, 2d6(lance)+11d6(enchantments)+104(33 strength, 64 Power Attack, 5 enhancement, +2 to the enhancement from Bane), all but the enchantments are x3, so that's 8d6+11d6+312, or an average of 378.5 for round one. Round two gives (2d6(lance)+11d6(enchantments)+80(Power Attack)+33(Strength)+7(enhancement))*5, for a round-two average of 802.5. Total damage over two rounds, 1181. Average per round, 590.5. Sounds like it still works to me.