Why, oh why...

[WarlockLord]

...does almost every prestige class designed for arcane spellcasters for one to lose 1+ caster levels? I need help finding a good prestige class with full caster level progression for a single-classed 12th level wizard character (well, he's 12th level, base class wizard).

Here's what I've found so far.

Fatespinner - 5th level doesn't grant spellcasting, and I am unsure if this is powerful or not. Still have more levels.

Geometer - WHY? Weak abilities.

Mage of the Arcane Order - I am unsure if this exists in our campaign, but I don't think it does.

Sentinel of Bharrai - requires paladin-like code of conduct, and Vow of Obedience. That is not what this character does.

Abjurant Champion - abjuration abilities (meh), nice HD and BAB...but Combat Casting sucks! I wouldn't completely rule this out, just looking for options

Wild Mage - this character is free-willed but has a lot of self-disipline. No.


Is there anything like a "storm mage"?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Is there anything like a "storm mage"?

Stormwrack has Stormcaster (but you lose 1 spellcaster level) and Sea Witch (you don't give one up till 4th level).

 

[Crothian]

...does almost every prestige class designed for arcane spellcasters for one to lose 1+ caster levels?

I think more of them offer full spellcasting then don't. Though I don't know of a arcane style storm mage. THe ones like that I know are Druid aimed.

 

[WarlockLord]

Ok then, just post full caster ones.

 

[Victim]

On the whole, casting PrCs loss caster levels to pay for their special features. Wizard and Sorcerer (Sorc especially) basically are just platforms for spells; they don't have much to give up besides casting. On the other hand, it's also easy for the sacrifice of casting ability to cripple a character.

Remember that you don't need to max out a PrC. Fatespinner is good for 4 levels too. Elemental Savants can focus on electricity, and have full casting for their first 4 levels.

Archmage (you'll need a few more levels though), Master Specialists (provides an easy lead in to archmage) and Loremasters also have full casting. Skill Focus in Spellcraft or a knowledge is no better than combat casting though. Intiate of the sevenfold veil has full casting too.

 

[WarlockLord]

Hmm...How does the electrical specialization work out? What do I do if I run into, say, a blue dragon?

 

[Falling Icicle]

Ok then, just post full caster ones.

The Player's Guide to Faerun has several. Arcane Devotee is a Mage that serves a particular diety; it's a 5 level class. The Incantatrix is a powerful 10 level class focusing on metamagic; it has full spellcasting progression but you have to give up access to a school. The Shadow Adept is a 10 level class that focuses on using the Shadow Weave. It's pretty cool, especially if you really like enchantment, illusion and necromancy spells and don't mind losing a little effectiveness with your evocation and transmutation spells. The Evereskan Tomb Guardian and Spellguard of Silverymoon are interesting 5 level classes, but they are very campaign specific. You could always ask your DM if he wouldn't mind adapating them a bit to fit his campaign.

Magic of Faerun also has a few prestige classes that offer +1 level of spells at every class level. The Guild Wizard of Waterdeep and Incantatrix are now obsolete (there are newer versions in 3.5 books), but the Harper Mage, Mage Killer, Master Alchemist, Spelldancer and War Wizard of Cormyr classes are still the most current versions, as far as I know.

 

[Victim]

Hmm...How does the electrical specialization work out? What do I do if I run into, say, a blue dragon?

Your energy attacks are totally screwed, since they automatically convert to lightning.

All of your non-energy attacks like Enervation, magic missile, and such will work normally.

 

[WarlockLord]

What does the War Wizard of Cormyr do and what book is it from?

 

[Delemental]

What does the War Wizard of Cormyr do and what book is it from?

It's from Magic of Faerun. The War Wizard is a 5-level class that is meant to steer you toward more of a battlefield mage. I believe it had Widen Spell as a prerequisite, and one of the class abilities was being able to Widen a spell a certain number of times per day spontatneously (without a level increase). There were other benefits than that, but that's the one I can remember off the top of my head (not near my books right now). As I said, the class is designed for mages who want to affect large numbers of people in a large area. If you do a lot of dungeon crawling, it's not the best class, since you won't get to use your wide-area spells as much. For a war-based campaign, it's pretty cool.