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<blockquote data-quote="uzagi_akimbo" data-source="post: 1636109" data-attributes="member: 15945">Yeah its a good point - but it is not better. - First off, &quot;Spell Penetration&quot; makes it possible to raise the effective caster level for purposes of penetration (only) above the actual level of the character - &quot;Practised Spellcaster&quot; does not. The actual HD of the character is the limit. So the best possible&nbsp; result would be, that one had the same chance to penetrate spell resistance as a &quot;purebreed&quot; caster. While &quot;Spell Penetration&quot; offers a major advantage. When trying to beat SR 25 with a level 13 caster +2 to your effective level is a massive difference, increasing your chance to do so&nbsp; by one-sixth.- Second, the benefit- mileage will vary, depending upon just how much your multiple classes diverge. - Third, it only affects one of a spellcaster's classes - important in the case of&nbsp;&nbsp; a Mystic Theurge (who might actually consider taking it twice ).- Fourth - While it increases damage output, almost every damage spell is&nbsp;&nbsp; damage capped, so at higher levels this benefit actually becomes nil. At&nbsp; lower levels - well, there are quite a number of feats who have a similar (more damage than your caster level might allow, often lifting the damage cap/level over the actual character level) option, besides several other benefits - like &quot;Bloodline of Fire&quot; etc.&nbsp; It is also an frequent side-effect for cleric domains. - Fifth increased duration and range - another &quot;advantage&quot; that becomes&nbsp; more and more neglible at higher levels&nbsp; even at &quot;long&quot; range - +4 levels effective range would mean 160' (1-2 rounds of run-moves, or 3-4 rounds of careful double moves ), while the spell already has a range of 400' +40'/level.Sorry, that is (IMHO) neglible, too.On the other hand, you do NOT get access to higher levels spells through this feat, do not get extra slots at the spell levels known (who are of lesser power anyway ) and gain no other advantage of a higher class level - such as wildshape, familliar powers, bonus feats, special abilities etc... Of course you reap the befits of the second class.I have until recently played a Mystic Theurge who picked this feat up when CD came out (lucky coincidence) - and the primary gain I had, was that I afterwards had a fair chance to beat the oppositions SR instead of a fairly poor one (around 30% usually - which made effective offensive casting rather difficult ). I would take it again if I knew I was going to face outsiders or similar opposition with SR, but in say, an anti-undead campaign or for a character dealing mainly in combat buffs and self-enhancment&nbsp; ? Nopes.And to pick up Thanee's argument - when it comes to sheer spellcasting power - I would pick a 12th level cleric over a multiclass 8th level cleric with this feat any day. Four levels do make a heck of a difference in power</blockquote>

[QUOTE="uzagi_akimbo, post: 1636109, member: 15945"] Yeah its a good point - but it is not better. - First off, "Spell Penetration" makes it possible to raise the effective caster level for purposes of penetration (only) above the actual level of the character - "Practised Spellcaster" does not. The actual HD of the character is the limit. So the best possible result would be, that one had the same chance to penetrate spell resistance as a "purebreed" caster. While "Spell Penetration" offers a major advantage. When trying to beat SR 25 with a level 13 caster +2 to your effective level is a massive difference, increasing your chance to do so by one-sixth. - Second, the benefit- mileage will vary, depending upon just how much your multiple classes diverge. - Third, it only affects one of a spellcaster's classes - important in the case of a Mystic Theurge (who might actually consider taking it twice ). - Fourth - While it increases damage output, almost every damage spell is damage capped, so at higher levels this benefit actually becomes nil. At lower levels - well, there are quite a number of feats who have a similar (more damage than your caster level might allow, often lifting the damage cap/level over the actual character level) option, besides several other benefits - like "Bloodline of Fire" etc. It is also an frequent side-effect for cleric domains. - Fifth increased duration and range - another "advantage" that becomes more and more neglible at higher levels even at "long" range - +4 levels effective range would mean 160' (1-2 rounds of run-moves, or 3-4 rounds of careful double moves ), while the spell already has a range of 400' +40'/level. Sorry, that is (IMHO) neglible, too. On the other hand, you do NOT get access to higher levels spells through this feat, do not get extra slots at the spell levels known (who are of lesser power anyway ) and gain no other advantage of a higher class level - such as wildshape, familliar powers, bonus feats, special abilities etc... Of course you reap the befits of the second class. I have until recently played a Mystic Theurge who picked this feat up when CD came out (lucky coincidence) - and the primary gain I had, was that I afterwards had a fair chance to beat the oppositions SR instead of a fairly poor one (around 30% usually - which made effective offensive casting rather difficult ). I would take it again if I knew I was going to face outsiders or similar opposition with SR, but in say, an anti-undead campaign or for a character dealing mainly in combat buffs and self-enhancment ? Nopes. And to pick up Thanee's argument - when it comes to sheer spellcasting power - I would pick a 12th level cleric over a multiclass 8th level cleric with this feat any day. Four levels do make a heck of a difference in power [/QUOTE]

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