[3.5] Archmages Affected, Spell Power Clarified!

[Cloudgatherer]

I haven't seen it here so I thought I'd go ahead and throw this out.

Spell Power no longer increases save DCs. According to Andy Collins in this thread , Spell Power is now a "true caster level increase."

That makes for a very interesting revision, and makes the Archmage much less appealing as a "DC boosting" PrC.

Thoughts, opinions? Later.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

[Double]

 

[Xeriar]

Well, Andy did say it was Greater Spell Focus and 'other abilities' that convinced them that they needed to be changed, thus reducing them both in power. Since the only other serious DC boosting ability is Spell Power, well...

Since I've only seen people complain about spell DCs in conjunction with Spell Power, I figure fixing spell power in such a way is fine. I am still opposed to the changes to spell focus and greater spell focus though - I think they overcompensate.

---

Regardless, I always thought the idea of a 5-level archmagi (and heriophant) PRC was an anethma. Something like that isn't a short hop along the way to power - it is the penultimate of a career, for crying out loud.

So I made them sort of epic prestige classes.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

interesting. The save Dc thing was for the save or die crowd,a nd I haed those spells so its no biggie to me. But this might actually allow people to hit some of those high level damage caps without going epic, andamke you a dispelling master.

 

[Sejs]

Good change.

Wonder how they're going to handle the spell progression for Archmages in 3.5, and if there'll be an equavelant for divine casters. Hierophant was just a joke.. 0 caster level progression where the Archmage had full 5. Yeah, wonder why you don't see any of -them- around.

 

[Nightfall]

Well at least now Lace Spells work less effectively for Archmages than they did in 3.0... I might keep it just to see how it works out.

 

[Vanye]

Good change.

Wonder how they're going to handle the spell progression for Archmages in 3.5, and if there'll be an equavelant for divine casters. Hierophant was just a joke.. 0 caster level progression where the Archmage had full 5. Yeah, wonder why you don't see any of -them- around.

The Heirophant did have the benefit of not losing any spell slots, however. When you permanently give up a spell slot to have an ability, that is a painful loss...


[edit: spelling]

 

[Technik4]

Sounds like Ftr/Wiz/ElK will be able to hit caster level 20. Cool. I'd be more impressed if Archmage Spell Power allowed you to go beyond caps by the spell power amount. So an archmage could throw a 13d6 fireball instead of a 10d6.

Technik

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I wonder if the pre-reqs will be the same. Two spell focusses and skill foucs spellcraft=3 crappy feats IMO. Before it was 3 feats I wouldn't normally take but at least two of them were ok.

 

[Grog]

Well, so much for the "The Spell Focus nerf doesn't matter because Archmage is core now" arguments. Although, if the caster level increase counts for purposes of penetrating SR, it would still be a big help.