PrC and Spells per day

[Pax]

Contemplative is definitely a nice prestige class, but it doesn't help furthe a sorcerer's spellcasting, as the descriptive text specifically refers to divine spellcasting. If you don't have divine spellcasting already, you gain it as a 1st level cleric and advance from there.

What I need is an arcane spellcasting class with religious flavor. Alternatively, one like the contemplative that doesn't restrict the +1 caster level to divine only.

FRCS, "Arcane Devotee" ... the first paragraph about the PrC's background is as follows:

Every major faith numbers sorcerors and wizards among it's fervent followers. While some wizards ally themselves with churches close to their own beliefs out of caution and convenience, others are devout representatives of their faith and willingly subordinate their own causes to those of their patron deity, becoming arcane devotees.

The PrC is a 5-level track, which loses no spellcasting levels. Entry requirements will be a bit harsh for a sorceror:

Spellcasting: Ability to cast 4th-level arcane spells
Skills: Knowledge(Religion) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Feats: Enlarge Spell
Patron: An arcane devotee must have a patron deity, and it must be the deity of which she is a devotee

Note, the bit about Patron Deities is especially relevant to the FR setting; basically it means the player must have picked a deity for the character to worship, and it is that deity the PC must be an Arcane Devotee of.

So, Knowledge(Religion) 8 ranks is 16 skill points ... not easy, by a long shot, for a Soreceror to put together. Even with a good Intelligence (14 or 15), that's 4 levels' worth.

However, benefits are:
- Enlarge Spell (freely used, a number of times per day equal to 1 + Charisma Modifier; no increase in spell-slot level, nor in casting time, involved);

- A +1 (eventually +2) Sacred bonus to saving throws against divine spells, and the spell-like and supernatural abilities of outsiders;

- A Bonus feat from a list of non-metamagic feats which are still useful for spellcasters;

- +1 caster level with spells of a specific Alignment, chosen from the two components of the Patron's alignment ... so an ArcDev of Heironious could pick "Good" and get +1 caster level for all Good-aligned spells ... like summoning Celestial critters;

- And, at ArcDev(5), a "Divine Shroud" that produces a healthy (12 + caster level) SR, usable each (5 + Charisma Modifier) times per day.


The whole thing's on FRCS page 40 -- the very first PrC in that book, in fact.

 

[Caliber]

A feat could be used to make Knowledge(Religion) a class skill (several of such feats in the FRCS itself in fact) which would reduce the cost to only 8 skill points.

Not totally undoable, but getting into a PrC at level 18 or 19 is probably going to be pretty hard to do before Epic levels, unless your character has been building towards it.

 

[James McMurray]

Ah well, I'll just stick with sorcerer. It hasn't hurt m so far. Plus it'll help me get those Familiar Spell feats faster. Nothing like a familiar that can cast Mass Haste or Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion to hook a party up.