PrC and Spells per day

[Kae'Yoss]

Due to spellcasting requirements, Sorcerers need one more level to get into spellcasting PrC's. If you have to be able to cast 3rd-level spells, the wizard will need 5 levels, a sorcerer needs 6! That's something of a drawback, too.

 

[0-hr]

Not only that, but Wizards have all Knowledge skills as class skills while Sorcerers only have Knowldedge(arcana). This makes it hard for them to get into things like Alienist (which requires Knowledge(Planes)). Having CHR (rather than INT) be their primary stat gives them precious few skill points. Being forced to cross-class knowledge skills is painful. They also lack the bonus feats of the wizard and so suffer there as well (ie. Incantrix requries a metamagic feat, this is much more costly for the Sorcerer than the Wizard).

To summarize, by the time a Sorcerer gets into a PrC he has already paid the price. For the wizard, he pays less up front, but then a little more as he progresses through the PrC. The Sorcerer pays everything up front.

 

[James McMurray]

Contemplative?

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.

 

[Chun-tzu]

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.

Divine Oracle comes to mind, but you probably don't have the intensely high (and cross-class) Knowledge: Religion requirement. What about Arcane Devotee from FRCS?

Quintessential Wizard offers an interesting class along the lines you're thinking. It's actually one of the "character concepts," which are like kits from 2E. The wizard concepts are so different, though, that many of them are more like class variants. For example, the Pyromancer concept is pretty much equal to any other specialist wizard.

Anyway, the concept in QW is Theologian, and it comes from the idea that arcane magic is ultimately derived from deities as well. The wizard gets one domain, powers and spells, and is required to max out the Knowledge: Religion skill (which would be expensive for a sorcerer, unless the DM allowed it as a class skill). The Theologian is also forbidden from casting opposing alignment spells (e.g., good wizards cannot cast evil spells).

 

[the Jester]

How bout the sacred exorcist? IIRC, it gives you a prestige domain regardless of whether you're arcane or divine.

 

[James McMurray]

Divine Oracle is doable if I get the Skill Focus (Scry) feat. It doesn't have a knowledge (religion) requirement, just 19 ranks of scry (which I have). Of course, I don't get another feat until 21st level.

What is the arcane devotee like? I don't have the FRCS, but if it sounds good, I can probabl get a copy. Does it suffer from the general over-poweredness of FR prestige classes (i.e. Incantrix and Archmage)?

Sacred Exorcist would also be good, but the Knowledge requirements will take quite a while to accumulate, and I'll have to use the extra spell feat to learn dismissal.

 

[Chun-tzu]

d'oh! I must have confused Divine Oracle with another PrC (probably Contemplative).

Arcane Devotee is a 5 level PrC. There's nothing particularly overpowered about it, but you get a lot for 5 levels. The requirements are Spellcraft 8 ranks, Knowledge: Religion 8 ranks, the feat Enlarge Spell, and ability to cast 4th level spells. You must also have a patron deity.

You get full spell advancement, an improved ability to Enlarge Spells, a bonus to save vs divine magic, an alignment focus which boosts the caster level of alignment spells (perhaps best useful for Summoning spells), a bonus feat at level 3, and a spell resistance power at level 5 (usable once per day).

But if you don't have any ranks in Knowledge: Religion yet, this is going to be a tough one to qualify for.

 

[James McMurray]

Yeah, it'd take me until 22nd level to learn. 5 skill points per level would take me 4 levels to get 8 ranks, and I'd have to get a non-epic feat at 21st level (don't have enlarge spell).

I guess I'll just stick with sorcerer role-played for religion.

 

[Xarlen]

Divine Oracle is doable if I get the Skill Focus (Scry) feat. It doesn't have a knowledge (religion) requirement, just 19 ranks of scry (which I have).

Skill focus doesn't give you a raise in your RANKS. it gives you a bonus to your skill check. Just like your ability modifer, it Effects the skill, but does not give you Ranks in the skill.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Skill focus doesn't give you a raise in your RANKS. it gives you a bonus to your skill check. Just like your ability modifer, it Effects the skill, but does not give you Ranks in the skill.

James is saying that the Divine Oracle PrC requires both 10 ranks in Scry (which he has) and the Skill Focus: Scry feat (which he does not).