Swiftblade

[jasin]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327

Has anybody noticed this?

With the books cutting down on the number of PrCs included, I was
surprised to find one on the website. Pleasantly! It's a a cooler PrC
than some in the books (abjurant champion, I'm looking at you).

 

[FireLance]

Yes, and have you checked out this little gem in the prerequisites?

Special: The candidate must have spent the entire previous level using all 3rd level or higher spell slots to exclusively cast haste.

Not a good PrC for someone who already has several effective arcane spellcaster levels.

 

[Shazman]

It looks pretty interesting to me.

 

[glass]

Yes, and have you checked out this little gem in the prerequisites?

Special: The candidate must have spent the entire previous level using all 3rd level or higher spell slots to exclusively cast haste.

Not a good PrC for someone who already has several effective arcane spellcaster levels.

Its not as bad as it might seem at first glance. If you wait to level up until you are almost at enough XP to get you the level after aswell, then have one encounter where you cast nothing but haste and level up again. Prerequisite met with the minimum of fuss.

Of course, you'll be a level behind you comrades for a while, but if you time it right that shouldn't be two big a problem and as a bonus you get more XP for each encounter because your level is lower.


glass.

 

[jasin]

Its not as bad as it might seem at first glance. If you wait to level up until you are almost at enough XP to get you the level after aswell, then have one encounter where you cast nothing but haste and level up again. Prerequisite met with the minimum of fuss.

So instead of spending all of Sor6 casting just haste in your 3rd-level slots, you spend (almost) all of Sor6 being a Sor5 and not having any 3rd-level slots at all? I'm not sure that really helps.

 

[Deset Gled]

No sir, I don't like it.

It focuses on quickened spells, and lowers the cost of doing so. In a world where swift action spells and the Duskblade are already available, this is gratuitous. Plus, it allows the character to get around the limitation of one swift action a round, which is just plain a Bad Thing.

As a bonus, it has an RP requirement that is just plain ludicrous. This is the type of PrC that is only taken when a party starts at a high level, and is never entered by someone playing through the levels. That is definitively crappy design.

And, just to round things out, you base an entire character concept around something that requires a full round attack action to get the benefits (haste), but then give it a d6 hit die. Congratulations, you've made the classic glass jaw fighter; hits hard, and gets knocked down even easier. I always feel sorry for the DM in this situation, who has to choose between having enemies conspicuously avoid attacking the character, or killing the character every time he rolls a critical.

 

[Diomeneus]

yeah i must admit that was pretty much the first thing that came to my mind when i read it... "hm... If we start out at a good level I can simply claim thats what i did..."

 

[hong]

I gotta admit, it feels slightly artificial to me as well. I get that the concept of going twink-crazy with haste. But what's so special about haste? Okay, it's a great spell, but in terms of the campaign storyline, setting or backstory, it's still just a spell, and only a 3rd level one at that.

It's also a "boost" spell, in that it doesn't do anything on its own, but makes your other actions more potent. If you're going to have a PrC based around a spell, it would make more sense if it was a "strike" spell: fireball, magic missile, lightning bolt, or something else.

 

[Engilbrand]

Actually, I really like the PrC. It makes it so that a Sorceror can cast 2 spells every round. That's at 10th level, true, but it is pretty nice. Also, imagine using it with the Battle Sorceror from Unearthed Arcana. You would already be combat oriented. Good times.

 

[coriolis]

There's a funny typo in the Lore section:

DC 10: "Swiftblades are a radical style of spellcasting whereby the practitioner focuses on enhancing their marital speed."

Maybe they should have called it the premature blade ;-) !