Most broken prestige classes?

[Mistwell]

Looking at the Radiant servant you do not have to pick up the healing domain at all. It does not look like it even says that you only gain the empower and maximize benefits from a healing spell cast from the domain slot.

Even if it did require that though the character could have the Sun domain and any other he likes and pick up the healing domain directly from the class itself.

The cleric is already incredibly strong. This prestige class does indeed look like cleric+.

This is why I and others have said you need to actually read the class carefully and look up the phrases and words it uses. You can only use the healing abilities on spells you actually are getting from the healing domain. You cannot even use it on that same spell in a non-domain slot. It's healing spells in your healing domain slot that you actually cast as a domain spell. It's very restricted, and you must have that domain to use it. And if you hold off until you get that domain from the class, you miss out on using the abilities of the class for a good chunk of the class itself.

You have to choose Sun and Healing as your domains if you want to enjoy the abilities of this class. Period.

Alright. Let's at least start from this premise. Assuming that A) You were going to pick the Sun Domain anyway, and B) The game starts at ECL 11, why would you want to go straight cleric 11 instead of Cleric 6/RSoP 5?

Note that RSoP 5 gives you an extra domain, meaning that you're no longer stuck with the suboptimal healing domain. You gain better turning abilities, better light spells, weapon proficiency, magical disease immunity, better healing, and even better will saves, and better will saves for the entire party too. Furthermore, you gain everything a cleric would for each level, except a single point of HP per level (on average).

I'll grant that up until ECL 11, the healing domain is suboptimal, but can you accept that after ECL 11, it's been more than made up for? Far more than made up for?

Arguing that "if you start at high level then it is well worth it" isn't compelling to me, since ALL prestige classes look a lot better if you can jump over all the difficult levels of sacrificing other options to get there. I mean that is what those entry requirements are all about - you go through several levels opting for things that are not necessarily what you want, and not necessarily as powerful, so that later on you get a pay off. If you ignore that effect, then of course it looks suddenly better.

 

[Wilphe]

Thanee likes sorcerers, and thinks that make sorcerers hum with power

I thought that was Spellfire Adepts?

 

[Slaved]

This is why I and others have said you need to actually read the class carefully and look up the phrases and words it uses.

I did. It does not mention having to cast the domain spell out of a domain slot at all from what I can tell. Does anyone see it say domain slot?

And if you hold off until you get that domain from the class, you miss out on using the abilities of the class for a good chunk of the class itself.

You miss out on a single ability that, if you are correct in it only work on domain slots, is almost a non-issue. The rest of the class still grants a lot of very good abilities above and beyond a normal cleric.

If a cleric in this prestige class never gets the healing domain as any of his three domains he is still better off than a normal cleric. It isn't like extra turning is not useful to power divine feats.

 

[Caliban]

5 ranks of Heal is pretty ridiculous. I've never seen a cleric run out of heal spells... cure minor wounds is like a Heal check to stabilize, only better, and 0 level spells are like candy. If you don't have a decent Int, you could end up spending half your skill points on this skill. Obviously, humans and gray elves don't have it so bad.

In my experience, 5 ranks of Heal, while not exactly common, isn't uncommon. Especially with feats like Augment Healing (requires 4 ranks), and spells like Healing Lorecall (Requires 5 to 10 ranks of healing to be useful).

And I've seen clerics run out of healing.

 

[Legildur]

In my experience, 5 ranks of Heal, while not exactly common, isn't uncommon.....

And I've seen clerics run out of healing.

Agreed. And let's not forget about a heal check to assist with the secondary save against poison.... or provide long-term care, treat disease or caltrop wounds.... it is more than just dealing with stabilising a dying creature.

 

[NilesB]

I did. It does not mention having to cast the domain spell out of a domain slot at all from what I can tell. Does anyone see it say domain slot?

It doesn't have too. The Players Handbook explicitly defines domain spells as cast from a domain spell slot.

 

[Slaved]

It doesn't have too. The Players Handbook explicitly defines domain spells as cast from a domain spell slot.

Where?

I see this..

Each domain gives the cleric access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. The cleric gets the granted powers of both the domains selected.
With access to two domain spells at a given spell level, a cleric prepares one or the other each day in his domain spell slot. If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a cleric can prepare it only in his domain spell slot.

This talks about what you can put into a domain slot and that a spell on the domain list is a domain spell.

The prestige class ability though talks about casting a domain spell. Cure light wounds is a domain spell in the healing domain. If you cast it from a normal slot it did not come from a domain slot but it still appears on the healing domain spell list.

 

[NilesB]

Where?

The glossary, where definitions of unusual or specificly defined terminology goes.

 

[pawsplay]

Yeah, most have allready been mentioned, but no one's said anything about the Sacred Fist from Complete Divine.

It's not THAT bad, but take a look at it. The big problem to me is the Fighter base atk bonus. By taking one level of cleric and then SF, you get spell progresion (almost) every level, you keep advancing with monk unarmed damage, speed and AC, AND your BAB improves. (not to mention a few other VERY nice abilities).

I have no clue why you wouldn't just keep the monk/cleric base atk bonus...

I think one reason is that if you take two mediums, and then take a third, you end up with bad rounding. Another is that you don't get get improved flurry of blows.

 

[pawsplay]

This talks about what you can put into a domain slot and that a spell on the domain list is a domain spell.

No, that pretty much says the opposite of that. It says domain spells are the spells you get from domains, and if they're not cleric spells, they're still not cleric spells for you.