Mystic Theurge too good or not?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mystic Theurge too good or not?

Christian said:


The Red Wizard PrC in the core D&D 3.5 books is identical to the one in the Forgotten Realms sourcebooks? Wow! How did you find that out?!

:rolleyes:

And where did you get the idea that it would NOT be (at least mostly) identical to the one they already have out?

Especially as it also makes an appearance in the ELH.

:rolleyes:
 

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The Mystic Theurge is not overpowered. Period.

First, the class absolutely blows at low levels. Say you're going for wizard as your primary class (so you'll end up as Wiz7/Clr3/MT10). You're fine from levels 1-3 (since you're just a single class character at that point), but at levels 5-7 you're borderline useless. At 7th level, your best attack spell is Magic Missile. Does it sound like fun to play a 7th level character whose best attack spell does 2d4+2 damage to one target?

At 8th level, you get to cast a fireball that does 5d6 damage. Woo hoo.

At 9th level, your fireball does 6d6... And your buddy, the single class wizard, is teleporting around, casting cones of cold, etc.

Remember that, at odd numbered levels, your best spells are two levels lower than they would be if you'd stayed a single class wizard. So when your party needs a teleport, you get to say, "Sorry, can't help you. How about a Cure Disease instead?"

Now, a lot of people say that a Wiz3/Clr3/MT10 is rather powerful. And they're right. At 16th level, when the class is at the absolute height of their power compared to other classes, they kick ass. Only one level behind the wizard in spellcasting, tons of cleric spells...

Then, the party goes up to 17th level, and the wizard is throwing around 9th level spells, while the MT is stuck with 7th.

People say that a Wiz7/Clr3/MT10 gets 9th level wizard spells, so there's really no down side to playing one. Well, what they're overlooking is that that character doesn't get 9th level spells until 20th level!

So, assuming you're not going to epic levels, a Mystic Theurge gets to use 9th level spells for one level of play, as opposed to four levels for a single class caster.

Compare the amount of time you play at 20th level versus the amount of time you play at all the levels leading up to 20th.

Is it really worth sucking from levels 4-9, being mediocre from levels 10-15, doing rather well for yourself at level 16, then falling behind again at levels 17-19, just so you can have a kickass 20th level character (who still has some significant disadvantages)?

Personally, I would prefer to play a class where I didn't have to spend a large majority of my adventuring career as a subpar character.
 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Mystic Theurge too good or not?

Pax said:

A Cleric(13) is not going to have "a mess" of 4th to 6th level spells, especially not with a Wisdom of only 16.

Base (not counting domains) spells per day for a Cleric(13) would be 6/5/5/4/4/3/2/1. Bonus spells for Wis(16) are -/1/1/1/-/-/-/-/-/-

So, total divine spellcasting for a Wisdom 16 Wizard(7)/Cleric(3)/Theurge(10) will be 6/6/6/5/4/3/2/1, plus domain spells of 1st through 7th level ... except, of course, the 7th level spells are LOST, due to insufficient Wisdom. Oops. :D

:rolleyes: Great, you caught me in a typo. 17 Wisdom. Absurdly easy to get by 16th level for any character that was planned out as a Mystic Theurge and can buy or make a Periapt of Wisdom.

Which gives him 2 7th level spells, 3 6th level spells, 4 5th level spells, and 5 4th level spells (counting domain slots).

As for domain abilities, last time I checked most of them weren't level dependent.

And could we retire the whole tired "let's list what a Cleric 3/Wizard 7/MT 10 looses compared to a cleric, because the loss of turning ability is so emasculating" already?
The point isn't what he loses in his secondary class, it's how the things he gains (spellcasting ability of a 13th level character, better HP, better saves, wider skill list, ability to combine divine and arcane magic) compare to what he loses in his primary class. (a handful of 8th and 9th spells, 3 caster levels for spell penetration and dispelling, familiar advancement, some bonus metamagic feats).

Now, I haven't been in any games in which a reduction in raw damage-dealing ability caused by losing 3 caster levels wouldn't have been outweighed by the amazing versatility of having the complete spellcasting abilities of a 13th level divine caster - so I think the PrC is overpowered.
 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mystic Theurge too good or not?

mmu1 said:
:rolleyes: Great, you caught me in a typo. 17 Wisdom. Absurdly easy to get by 16th level for any character that was planned out as a Mystic Theurge and can buy or make a Periapt of Wisdom.[/.quote]

Actually, it's not that easy. Eitehr it's costign you GP and anitem slot, or, you're spent someof your level-increase attribute improvemetns on Wisodm instead of Intelligence.

Which gives him 2 7th level spells, 3 6th level spells, 4 5th level spells, and 5 4th level spells (counting domain slots).

All at only caster level 13. I'm not exactly quaking in my boots.

As for domain abilities, last time I checked most of them weren't level dependent.

PHB domains:
  • Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Plant -- turn [various]; inherently level-dependant.
  • Death -- level-derived # of d6
  • Magic -- level-dependant (and I admit, quite nifty for a
  • Theurge ...).
  • Protection -- save bonus is level-dependant
  • Strength -- bonus is equal to cleric level
  • Sun Domain -- better undead turning; inherently level dependant effect
  • Travel -- duration per day is based on cleric level

I count 11, out of 22. Exatly HALF ... so, obviously, "most" domains are not, as you put it, independant of cleric level.

FRCS domains:
  • Family -- duration is level-derived
  • Mentalism -- effect islevel-dependant
  • Moon -- turn lycanthropes; inherently level-dependant
  • Ocean -- duration is based on cleric level
  • Orc -- smite ability, damage is cleric level
  • Scalykind, Slime, Spider -- rebuke/command [various]; inherently level-dependant.

Of the 33 (!!) new domains listed in the FR, I count 8 domains with level-dependant effects. So, if you include the FR domains, yes "most" domains are not level-dependant (and I believe at least some of these are making their way into the core rules in 3.5).

But if you restrict yourself to current core rules only, it's exactly 50/50.

And could we retire the whole tired "let's list what a Cleric 3/Wizard 7/MT 10 looses compared to a cleric, because the loss of turning ability is so emasculating" already?

It's not just turning of undead (though that is a part of it). It's also: the familiar; use of magic items like scrolls, wands, etc, and manufactue of same where caster levelis important; a couple bonus feats; SR penetration; Dispel Magic checks, including some counterspell issues; and, spreading one's attributes a BIT thin (a Cleric/Mage needs Int and Wis, and WANTS Cha, Con, and Dex ... that's 5 of the 6!).

The point isn't what he loses in his secondary class,[/b]

Of course. It's what he loses form BOTH classes.

it's how the things he gains (spellcasting ability of a 13th level character, better HP, better saves, wider skill list, ability to combine divine and arcane magic) compare to what he loses in his primary class. (a handful of 8th and 9th spells, 3 caster levels for spell penetration and dispelling, familiar advancement, some bonus metamagic feats).

MArginally better hp. Marginally better saves. Easily (for like-level foes) dispelled clerical buffs.

Now, I haven't been in any games in which a reduction in raw damage-dealing ability caused by losing 3 caster levels wouldn't have been outweighed by the amazing versatility of having the complete spellcasting abilities of a 13th level divine caster - so I think the PrC is overpowered.

*shrug* And I think you're completely off the mark, but as they say... opinions are like @$$holes: we all have one, and they all stink. *shrug*
 
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Just think about it like this:

The wizard theurge basically gets 30 or so free 7th level wizard spells - all limited wishes without the XP penaly and usable only for clerical spells at the cost of 6 higher level spells.

I know which I would choose.
 

It would be cool, if the Theurge could cast two spells a round, but he can't. So he has a whole bunch of lower-leveled spells. Big deal. Probably won't help much against that dragon.
 

Gaiden said:
Just think about it like this:

The wizard theurge basically gets 30 or so free 7th level wizard spells - all limited wishes without the XP penaly and usable only for clerical spells at the cost of 6 higher level spells.

I know which I would choose.

How often do you see wizards burning limited wishes to cast cleric spells?

In 2 years of playing 3E, I have never seen that done.
 

Gaiden said:
Just think about it like this:

The wizard theurge basically gets 30 or so free 7th level wizard spells - all limited wishes without the XP penaly and usable only for clerical spells at the cost of 6 higher level spells.

I know which I would choose.

Oh and by the way - a wizard can do exactly the same thing with the Leadership feat. Also, he and his cohort together can cast two spells per round, which he can't do as a Mystic Theurge.
 

I think the prestige class may be too good when you do your comparisons using the 3.0 spells.

I think it will look more balanced if you consider it using the 3.5 versions of the spells...
 

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