Heirophant PrC - Is it a good Choice?

[Infiniti2000]

Infiniti2000,
I meant that hierophant is good to take once the character has hit 18th level. I think maxing out the class is valid, just not all at once (by 25th character level, though, for a clr 20/hie 5, or a clr 8/? PrC 12/hie 5).

I don't do epic, so that will help explain my limitation to 2 levels or so.

To me, PrCs are more about customizing the character to make them unique and fit what I see the character doing - not about just looking for the PrC that gives me the quickest way to a full spell progression and a bunch of cool stuff on the side.

Perhaps, but from a balance perspective it's hard to look at full progression and not full progression and compare two different PrC's.

 

[Vysirez]

Generally I usually see Heirophant used either to pick up Divine reach or as said above to boost caster levels to cheese holy word.

 

[Merlion]

The best ability of the Hierophant is the improved caster levels as it can be used to boost the Holy Word series of spells into the stratosphere and pretty much own epic level encounters of the appropriate CR.

This doesnt really work, because Hierophant doesnt give caster progression. So basically if you take the improve caster level ability, your just breaking even.

What you describe is what the Bead of Karama, and the alignment domain abilities are for.

 

[Merlion]

See, I disagree with that entirely. Okay, well maybe not entirely - but I can find many places where it wouldn't work.

D&D isn't just about getting all the spells. It isn't about min/maxing. Maybe I am happy to have a character who delays his spell progression for 3-5 levels and gets some cool traits on the side. Sure, that defiantely means that my character is now behind in the spell progression. But maybe the character has an IC reason for wanting to take the stuff that boosts the turning. Or to take the ones that allocate more metamagic options.

I guess what I am saying is that spell progression may be what drives a character concept, but it certainly doesn't have to be. There is nothing wrong with being a level 18 character but not being able to cast the same amount of stuff that a straight cleric 18 could.

To me, PrCs are more about customizing the character to make them unique and fit what I see the character doing - not about just looking for the PrC that gives me the quickest way to a full spell progression and a bunch of cool stuff on the side.

But Nonlethal, you have to remember to a very large extent when people are asking questions and speaking on these boards, they are usually or at least often talking about things in terms of mechanics primarily. Or at least half and half. They want to know if the whatever it is is "cool" but they also want to know if it is or isnt advantageous mechanically.

You can pretty much decide if something fits your character concept on your own. When people come here and ask advice, its usualy about the mechanical advantage aspects. That doesnt mean they think thats what the game is all about, but it does mean its the part where they actually need outside advice.

 

[Jack Simth]

This doesnt really work, because Hierophant doesnt give caster progression. So basically if you take the improve caster level ability, your just breaking even.

What you describe is what the Bead of Karama, and the alignment domain abilities are for.

Umm... actually...

Spells and Caster Level: Levels in the hierophant prestige class, even though they do not advance spell progression in the character’s base class, still stack with the character’s base spellcasting levels to determine caster level.

That does work. A Cleric 20/Heriophant 5 who took Spell Power every time has a caster level of 30 without extras; add a bead of karma and an orange prism ioun stone, and that's caster level 35.

 

[Solarious]

A quick dip at high levels for Spell-like ability applied to Miracle has promise. It gives you lots of flexibility for spellcasting on demand, such as Ressurection on demand for those down on their luck, specialized spells like Sunbeam for oozes and undeads, Restoration when those level-draining undead run rampant, and sundry utility spells you may or may not have thought you needed, but don't have right now. Also provides access to 7'th level arcane spells (cue the words Contingency ), and undoes the effects of many things that specificly requires Miracle or Wish. Don't forget that duplicated effects that need saving throws use 9'th level spell saving throws, which is basicly a free heighten in any case.

And this is all without the XP cost. If you really needed to pull the fat out of the fire, 5000XP isn't too high a price to pay, compared to the thousands of gold in diamonds that you'll need to ressurect whoever is left standing afterwards.