Help define "arcane caster level"

[abri]

Hi everyone.
My DM and I are having some problem with what this three words means. Is it:
1) Your caster level for arcane spells
2a) Your highest level in any class that allow to cast spells by itself (ie, bard, sorcerer, assasin)
2b) Your highest level in any class thatthat allow to cast spells by itself or improve your spell casting (ie, same as above + most PrC with +1caster/level)

So for a Sorcerer5/fighter4/mage of the arcane order6 with the practiced spellcasterf feat for example would it be: 5(level in sorcerer class),6 (level in mage of the arcane order) or 15 (caster level)
It's quite important since this term is used for the prerequesite of many PrC and feats.
Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Thanee]

1) The caster level you use when casting arcane spells.

Bye
Thanee

 

[the Jester]

Yep, Thanee has the right of it. It's your caster level for the arcane spells you have.

 

[AuraSeer]

"Arcane caster level" means any caster level you have that is arcane in nature. For your example character, it would be 15.

The phrase is unusual because it could arguably be met by to any creature with an arcane spell-like ability, if its effective caster level is high enough. Unlike most PrC conditions, this particular one doesn't specifically require that the character be able to cast spells.

 

[UltimaGabe]

So, basically, this means that any character with magic items that increase its caster level (such as an orange Ioun Stone) could, theoretically, use said items to qualify for a prestige class it doesn't actually qualifiy for. If this is done, just keep in mind that losing the item causes you to immediately lose everything granted by the class except for BAB, HP, and Saves until the item is regained, or until your caster level reaches the necessary level (such as by leveling up in your original class).

 

[Thanee]

Not exactly sure what the current official take on magic items and qualifying for feats/PrC is, but I think it works that way...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Khaalis]

I believe the most current rulins are:

1) "Temporary" additions such as from magic items do not count toward qualification for feats or PrCs.
2) Semi-Temporary abilities such as virtual feats, do qualify. However, if the virtual ability is lost for some reason, you lose all abilities of the ability it was used to qualify for until such time as you have access to the original prerequisite again.

Example:
Ranger with Two-Weapon Fighting as a virtual feat uses this feat to qualify for {X} PrC. Now say for some reason, at some point this Ranger straps on Plate armor and wades into combat. Since TWF is a virtual feat conditional to not wearing medium or heavy armor, the Ranger loses the TWF feat for the duration he is in the heavy armor. Since he loses access to TWF, the Ranger ALSO loses all class abilities from PrC {X} (and from any other feat/class that has TWF as a pre-requisite as well). This does not effect, HD, BAB, Skill Points or Saves from PrC {X}, just class abilities. When the Ranger removes the armor, they again have access to all of their abilities.

 

[UltimaGabe]

I believe the most current rulins are:

1) "Temporary" additions such as from magic items do not count toward qualification for feats or PrCs.

Nope. It was specified in the 3e FAQ to be a valid way of gaining feats, and since then, I have seen nothing saying otherwise. If you meet the prerequisites, you can take a feat- so if your strength is 13 because of your Gauntlets of Ogre Power, you can take Power Attack. If you no longer meet the prerequisites, however, then you lose the feat until you do. Magic items do not exactly count as "temporary" bonuses- that is, ability scores boosted by magic items are treated no differently than actual ability scores (hence, Wizards being able to prepare more spells per day because of their Headband of Intelligence). The only ability score bonuses that are considered "temporary" are those with durations- that is, usually only ones gained by spells. Fox's Cunning, for example, can't allow a Wizard to memorize more spells, regardless of the duration.

 

[Scion]

Just a little more on that

You do not lose the feat, you lose access to it. It is still there, but you cannot use it. Other feats dependent on that feat, but not whatever prereq you just lost, can still be used.

Also, by the rules any enhancement is 'temporary' but it only matters for a few things, such as skill points. But, that horrid ruling is for another thread!

 

[Arkhandus]

Note, however, that if you have levels in multiple classes that cast arcane spells, your arcane caster level from each its separate. For instance, I played a sorcerer4/wizard1, Vaeron, in a campaign about two years ago, and he counted as both a 4th-level arcane caster and a 1st-level arcane caster. He could qualify for feats and prestige classes that had a prerequisite of "4th-level arcane caster", but not those that required an arcane caster level of 5th or greater.

If, for instance, Vaeron later grew to a 6th-level sorcerer, 9th-level wizard, 3rd-level elemental savant, 2nd-level mage of the arcane order..... Well, he could apply his PrC caster levels to either of his arcane base classes, so let's say he had dedicated his ES caster levels to sorcerer spellcasting, and his MotAO caster levels to wizard spellcasting. He would count effectively as a 9th-level sorceror for spellcasting purposes (arcane caster level 9th), and separately as an 11th-level wizard for spellcasting purposes (arcane caster level 11th). He couldn't qualify for feats that required a 12th-level arcane caster.

I don't have Complete Arcane so I don't know what the wording of Practiced Spellcaster is, but for instance, (unless its description states that it cannot be used for meeting prerequisites) that feat could boost Vaeron's effective arcane caster level for sorcery to 13th-level and/or his effective arcane caster level for wizardry to 15th-level, thus allowing him to qualify for feats that required an arcane caster level of 15th.