What do you think of the Heirophant PrC?

[krunchyfrogg]

It's in the 3.5 DMG, and I think it was in the FRCS book as well (not sure, though).

Basically, it's a PrC for Clerics or Druids of very high level (I don't have my books in front of me), with a requirement of 16 or 17 ranks in Knowledge(religion) (I think that's it).

The PrC does not grant any new spells, but it does give you special powers (as well as stacking heirophant levels and cleric/druid levels to determine a spell's strength).


I don't know what to think of this PrC. Is it really worth giving up spells?

 

[Eolin]

for one level, absolutely. Get divine reach.

then you can do some really cheesey stuff. Like harm at range. Or *any* of your touch spells at range.

Nasty, no? Definetly worth *one* level, I'm not sure if its worth more than that.

 

[isoChron]

In 3.0 (FRCS) the special power "Spell Power" was a very good option. (Don't know what it is like in 3.5).

With spell power you get +2 to DC for ALL schools of magic and +2 for penetrating SR.
It ccould be choosed (3.0) multiple times and stacked with itself and spell focus, spell penetration, greter spell focus and greater spell penetration .....
That was definitively worth a level in spellcasting.

"Spell-like ability" was not that bad either.
You pay a slot of the level the spell you want to cast each day and get that spell twice (or more if you pay more) each day.
Very good was "heal" for a cleric or druid.

The "divine reach" is clearly a valuable choice, too.

Mind the errata in 3.0 which says you need
15 ranks Knowledge Religion
OR
15 ranks Knowledge Nature.
As far as I know they didn't keep this version in 3.5 ...

BYE

 

[Gellion]

It seems like a good PrC to take in epic levels.

 

[Anabstercorian]

It's an incredibly useful prestige class once you've hit 15th level or so. If you max out Spell Power, you don't get any new spell levels or spells per day, but you DO get Caster Level increases every level in addition to the ones you get just for taking the class. If you want to really screw over foes with Spell Resistance and whatnot, max out Spell Power and start throwing around Holy Words and whatnot.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

IIRC, Hierophant is to divine spellcasters where Archmage is to arcane spellcasters... They get (sensibly) the same powers, but the Hierophant doesn't give you +1 to spellcasting class... never really figured out why, and I find it quite a deterrent.

TS

 

[Jeremy]

Originally the archmage didn't give caster levels either. They wanted the two to be different so now one gives caster levels but costs spell slots and the other (the weaker of the two) effectively costs all your spell slots (stupid).

Also, it's been further neutered to not even provide spell power anymore. I double checked, not on the list of abilities for the Heirophant anymore.

And they took out the ability that was errata'd in where you could qualify with 15 ranks of knowledge nature instead if you were a druid.

Bad bad bad.

 

[strongbow]

Hierophant is THE prestige class to take at epic level. I can confirm the spell power nerf for Hierophant.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Originally the archmage didn't give caster levels either. They wanted the two to be different so now one gives caster levels but costs spell slots and the other (the weaker of the two) effectively costs all your spell slots (stupid).

Very nice at epic levels, though: while you won't get back those lost slots as wiz20/archmage5 you will get spells per day as a 20th-level cleric with clr20/hierophant5!

Also, it's been further neutered to not even provide spell power anymore. I double checked, not on the list of abilities for the Heirophant anymore.

Spell Power is definetly on the hierophant list. Look between power of nature and spell-like ability.

And they took out the ability that was errata'd in where you could qualify with 15 ranks of knowledge nature instead if you were a druid.

Bad bad bad.

They simply forgot it.



The class has some nice stuff:
You can get a metamagic feat each class level (that would be 5 metamagic feats!), you can become better at turning undead, you can further increase your caster level, and faith healing now works for every character of your alignment! Divine reach is nifty, as well.