Hierophant, am I missing something?

[Number47]

So, you get one special ability per Hierophant level, right? But you do not get a spellcasting increase. Why would anyone take Hierophant for spell power ability? It increases caster level by +1, but you just took a level in a class that doesn't increase caster level at all! So wouldn't you be far, far ahead in simply taking another level of cleric? Am I missing something, or is this particular class ability utterly without redemption?

 

[Eolin]

ITs really amazing for at least one level, my old munchkin dm told me. Get that divine reach. harm at range, baby.

 

[Sacrusha]

You missed that it indeed doesn't progress spell progression, but it does increase your caster level normally. But it still isn't worth it before epic levels.

 

[Taren Seeker]

Heirophant actually adds to caster level as it progresses, you just don't gain spells per day. So, when you take spell power you're still getting an advantage.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Look at it this way: A 13th-level cleric who takes a level of hierophant and chooses spell power is now considered 15th level for purposes of all caster-level dependent variables (spell range, duration, damage, checks to dispel magic, checks to overcome spell resistance, etc.), but 13th level for purposes of the number and levels of spells per day that he can prepare and cast. His counterpart who took only cleric levels is only 14th level for purposes of all caster-dependent variables, but can prepare and cast spells as a 14th-level cleric. Seems a fair tradeoff to me.

 

[Thanee]

Hierophant class levels add to caster level normally?
I must have missed that part...

If that's the case, at least you get better versus Spell Resistance, which is quite important at higher levels.

Bye
Thanee

 

[isoChron]

From the SRD:
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.

This is new in 3.5, isn't it ?
But even with this new sentence it's not a really good choice. Go for divine reach or spell like ability (heal or sunbeam for example).
It WAS a great choice in 3.0 but now ...
Oh, is Prereq.: 15 ranks in Knowledge Religion errated somewhere ? It should be Knowledge Religion OR Knowledge Nature. Some abilities are tailored for druids but since druids don't have knowledge religion as class skill they can't go for hierophant 'till level 28. In FRCS it was errated but now they dropped it again.
Pffff.

 

[Corwin]

The thing I didn't get when I read through the DMG PrCs is that Hierophant is almost identical to Archmage, yet the Archmage PrC gets the caster level increases while this class does not.

Go figure.

 

[Piratecat]

I wondered the same thing; I think that this is because the cleric is an inherently more powerful class than the wizard. At least, that's the only rationale I could come up with.

 

[Corwin]

That's exactly the thing that went through my mind when I read it.

But I think that's a weak reason, if it is indeed why they did it. Because now, IMO, the class doesn't seem worth it. Everyone knows caster level and high level spells are what its all about for spellcasters, right?