Prestige Classes with '+1 Arcane caster level'?

[Bront]

I would rule that no, the Mystic Theurge does not gain the 2 new spells because:

• The clause that says wizards gain 2 new spells is contained in the "Spellbook" section of the class description, and not the "Spells" section, which most PrCs reference when extending base class abilities.

• The "Spellbooks" section specifically says "at each new wizard level" 2 new spells are gained, and a Mystic Theurge level is not a Wizard level.

• The Mystic Theurge "Spells per day" class description says you gain an increase in caster level, and the spells per day that you would have gained had you taken a level in one of your base classes. Two new spells is not "spells per day".

According to that logic, a Mystic Theurge Sorcerer does not gain any new known spells, which could mean that he doesn't know any spells of a level he can cast. I think this particular case is just an oversight, as it is explained to include spells known in every other case I have seen.

 

[boolean]

The 3.5 DMG and first couple of "Complete" books don't say either way whether or not "+1 caster level" adds to spells known or not.

From Complete Arcane onwards every prestige class that gives "+1 caster level" specifies that it adds to spells known as well. This leads to one of two situations:

1. The earlier prestige classes do not advance Spells Known, while the later do. This is bad for wizards, and terrible for sorcerors, and makes the later prestige classes much stronger than the earlier.

2. Both sets of prestige classes are treated the same, with "+1 caster level" always adding to spells known as well. The 3.5 DMG and early "Complete" prestige classes simply assumed that the reader knew what the designers intended.

 

[Bront]

The 3.5 DMG and first couple of "Complete" books don't say either way whether or not "+1 caster level" adds to spells known or not.

From Complete Arcane onwards every prestige class that gives "+1 caster level" specifies that it adds to spells known as well. This leads to one of two situations:

1. The earlier prestige classes do not advance Spells Known, while the later do. This is bad for wizards, and terrible for sorcerors, and makes the later prestige classes much stronger than the earlier.

2. Both sets of prestige classes are treated the same, with "+1 caster level" always adding to spells known as well. The 3.5 DMG and early "Complete" prestige classes simply assumed that the reader knew what the designers intended.

Actualy, all the SRD ones except the Mystic Theurge say they add known spells as well.

 

[Silveras]

Actualy, all the SRD ones except the Mystic Theurge say they add known spells as well.

What SRD are you looking at ? The ones on the WotC site and the Sovelior/Sage site are like this:

Arcane Trickster does not.
Archmage does.
Eldritch Knight does not.
Loremaster does.
Mystic Theurge does not.
Thaumaturgist does not.

When I say "does", I mean the ability is listed specifically as "Spells per day/Spells Known" and the description includes "(and spells known, if applicable)".

When I say "does not", I mean the ability is listed as "Spells per day" and there is no explicit mention of spells known.



That being said, I remember the reference Thanee is talking about. It was Andy Collins or one of the other developers, on the Wizards message boards if I recall correctly, who said that the developers felt +1 arcane caster level always included the Wizard's 2 spells/level and the Sorcerer's spells known; that was all part of the same ability, as far as they were concerned.

I am surprised it has not made it into the errata or the FAQ, though, as an official clarification.

 

[Thanee]

I am surprised it has not made it into the errata or the FAQ, though, as an official clarification.

WotC simply does not have a very good policy, when it comes to errata. It's great, that they write one up, of course, but they really should include all changes and clarifications in there and don't distribute them over message board posts and FAQ entries and RotG articles.

Bye
Thanee