Master Specialist--Too Good?

[Felon]

Looking at the Master Specialist PrC from Complete Mage, I'm surprised there aren't as many threads bouncing around it being "overpowered" as there are about warblades.

The Master Specialist seems to offer a much better package than a straight-up wizard gets, as it trades feats every 5 levels for a class feature at every level. The requirements are a cakewalk (especially if you pick a school that benefits significantly from Spell Focus). Is there something I'm missing, or is it just flat-out better?

I noticed the sample master specialist has three prohibited schools instead of two, but I see nothing in the class description that references giving up and addition school.

 

[Iku Rex]

I noticed the sample master specialist has three prohibited schools instead of two, but I see nothing in the class description that references giving up and addition school.

He's got the Focused Specialist alternate class feature.

 

[Psion]

Looking at the Master Specialist PrC from Complete Mage, I'm surprised there aren't as many threads bouncing around it being "overpowered" as there are about warblades.

It's good, yes. There's little reason if you want to be a specialist, there's little reason not to take Master Specialist.

As good as the warblade? I don't think so.

 

[satori01]

You basically trade in the flexibility of bonus Wizard feats, to come out at 13th level almost qualifying for the Archmage PrC.
None of the powers the class gets seems that over the top, the ones that are potent in nature are generally "X"/times a day, with "X" being a low number like 1.

Mechanically I think it does a good job of differentiating a Specialist Wizard from a Generalist. I also think it does a fair job of representing a Wizard with a more academic bent.

 

[Greg K]

Is it too good, I don't know. However, I read the Master Specialist and decided to keep using the specialist wizard variant abilities from UA.

 

[Victim]

Nothing says stupidly powerful like an AMF that you can cast on other people.

 

[Nifft]

My favorite is Abjurer 3 / Master Specialist 10 / Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7. Perfect timing!

-- N

PS: But IMHO Specialists are pretty weak in 3.5e, so this PrC isn't all that bad. Sure, it's a bunch of free stuff, but it's not totally free -- you've paid with your lost school(s).

 

[pawsplay]

Looking at the Master Specialist PrC from Complete Mage, I'm surprised there aren't as many threads bouncing around it being "overpowered" as there are about warblades.

The Master Specialist seems to offer a much better package than a straight-up wizard gets, as it trades feats every 5 levels for a class feature at every level. The requirements are a cakewalk (especially if you pick a school that benefits significantly from Spell Focus). Is there something I'm missing, or is it just flat-out better?.

If you are a really specialized specialist, it is a cake walk and flat out better. If you like have other ideas for your feats, and like having bonus feats on top of that, it would be somewhat worse. The main reason it exists is that by 14th level or so, you are starting to feel those prohibited schools, and many, many spells gain no benefit from Spell Focus. In terms of power... for any given wizard type character, your most potent option for a given round is almost always "cast one of your highest level spells while firing off a quickened spell." So the only abilities I'd really watch out for are ones that change that equation significantly.

 

[Paradigm]

You basically trade in the flexibility of bonus Wizard feats, to come out at 13th level almost qualifying for the Archmage PrC..

You lose the metamagic, but you only have to take spell focus with one other school. You only have a net loss of one feat and get 3 abilities that, depending upon the school, are better than feats.