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Message: <blockquote data-quote="bret" data-source="post: 1110323" data-attributes="member: 713">Thanks for the complement, Velmont.snipped comparisonGood comparison.I hadn't thought of comparing Social Invisibility to Hide in Plain Sight, thanks. That gives me a better way to judge how powerful it is, since the comparison is much closer.I'm glad you like the flavor.Although the class gets more skills per level, remember that it spent 19 skill points just to enter the class. They are appropriate skills for the PrC, but a straight wizard or sorcerer is much more likely to have maximum ranks in Spellcraft, Knowledge: Arcana, and Concentration than someone with this PrC. I specifically excluded Knowledge: Arcana from the Arcane Valet's prerequisites because I felt that was too easy a prerequisite.It is also interesting what abilities the PrC will lose if the character becomes unemployed:Anticipate Master's NeedsSupernatural SkillSocial Invisibility is more often at a penalty, since they are never in the company of their master.Two of the class abilities also encourage the Arcane Valet to put skill points in Profession: Valet, a skill that normally isn't very important. It is also of limited use during the time that they are out of a job. Effectively, the PrC has a duty to another person.On the other hand, it has a very wide range of skills available.I did most of my comparison against the Loremaster from the DMG. Comparing the skill list for the two PrCs, we find:Loremaster has:Alchemy, Handle Animals, Heal, Perform, Use Magic DeviceArcane Valet has:Balance, Diplomacy, Innuendo, Listen, Read Lips, Sense MotiveIt also allows the character to pick two more skills depending on employer needs. Looking at this again, I should limit the choices to non-exclusive skills in the description.The PrC has a wider selection of skills than the Loremaster. It loses an exclusive skill (Use Magic Device) with combat utility, but gains a different exclusive skill (Read Lips) that could help a lot with scouting. I expect that Clairvoyance or Scry spell and Read Lips will turn out to be a very effective combination.The Loremaster has higher prerequisites when entered as a wizard (skill focus, another metamagic feat) and only gets one of those back (assuming they pick that secret), putting them two behind a pure wizard rather than only one. You can enter the Arcane Valet class one level earlier than the Loremaster, and do not require as high of spellcasting ability. This actually allows the Bard to enter at the same time as a Wizard or Sorcerer, or the person could multiclass their wizard/sorcerer without delaying entry. On the other hand, it would make no difference to me if the prerequisites included the ability to cast third level arcane spells.The Arcane Valet is much more available to Sorcerers, since they can use a craft or profession to qualify rather than having to pay cross-class for the second knowledge skill. The lower feat requirements also help here. It is possible that this is too good a deal for a sorcerer, but I did not want to exclude the class. There just aren't that many PrCs for sorcerers, and I didn't see a need to exclude them.On the other hand, the Loremaster's prerequisites are all very useful to any wizard. They already start with one of the prerequisites for Loremaster (Scribe Scroll), and get bonus feats that can be used for the metamagic feats or item creation feats prerequisite. The big cost that most people point to (Skill Focus, a general feat) they can get back with one of their secrets.The Loremaster is going to have more languages and be better in combat. The Arcane Valet is going to have skills that help in social and environmental situations. The two skills dependent on employer's needs is to avoid the situation where they are useless in a situation that is common for that sort of employer. The Arcane Valet of a mountain climber better pick climb as one of their skills.They both get the Bardic Knowledge ability at the same character level (assuming both enter the PrC at minimum level). The Loremaster gets two spell like abilities (Lore and Greater Lore) that give the equivilent of a 1st level (Identify) and 6th level (Analyze Dweomer) non-combat spell. The Arcane Valet gets an unlimited number of castings of four cantrips. I would say that the Loremaster is ahead here.I think that the PrC is very close to balanced, but just slightly on the weak side. I currently believe that giving it one more feat would be unbalancing (unless the feat requirements were also raised), but if there wasn't a choice on the feat that might not be unbalancing.Part of the problem is that it is really hard for me to judge some of this because I know what my character can do. Right now, it could make the requirements for either the Loremaster or this PrC. The Loremaster would have more combat capability, but this has a * lot * more style.</blockquote>

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