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LichPrinceAlim
2010-04-09, 11:29 AM
I was looking through Complete Divine and saw this PrC, and fell in love. It appears to have a Full Base Attack Bonus, 20th level casting in 10 levels, and domains. My question, in comparison to Ur Priest, is this any good? If so, can it be a replacement for Ur Priest in many builds?

dextercorvia
2010-04-09, 11:34 AM
You can get in to Ur-priest after Level 5, DC only after level 7. Ur-Priest gets a much broader spell list.

jiriku
2010-04-09, 11:42 AM
A domain. Singular. And no access to the cleric spell list.

Issue with the divine crusader is that because it's late-entry, you reach upper-level spellcasting about the same time a normal full caster gets there. Further, you only have one spell known at each level. Now, you can multi-prestige into other PrCs that grant bonus domains, but the end result is basically a fighter with a few spells.

Ur-priest actually has access to the cleric spell list, and thus has a much broader variety of options to choose from. Further, it can be entered at a much lower level, making it possible to reach top levels of power sooner than a normal full caster.

Both have their role and can be used in successful builds, but DC is kinda specialized, and uses casting more as an ace in the hole rather than as a bread-and-butter ability.

Siegel
2010-04-09, 11:46 AM
So whats the best domain for

Healing, Skill Monkey, Blasting, Battlefield Controll, strange other role, buffing, SoD

?

Person_Man
2010-04-09, 11:53 AM
You're misreading it.

The Divine Crusader has:

7/10 BAB
d8 hit die
Strong Fort and Will Save
2 + Int bonus Skill Points per level from a limited list
No additional weapon/armor prof
Cleric's Aura
1 Cleric domain
Weapon Specialization
Darkvision
Acid and Electricity Resistance 10
Perfect Self
Prepared Charisma based spells. You can only cast spells from your chosen domain. "Effectively a Divine Crusader has a class spell list of only nine spells (one per spell level)."

The Divine Crusader requires +7 BAB (and the pointless Weapon Focus). So at ECL 8, you have 1 first level spell. You don't catch up to a regular Cleric's casting abilities until ECL 14, and your spell list is so limited that it's barely worth it. It's a spectacularly weak PrC.

Ernir
2010-04-09, 03:04 PM
This PrC frustrates me. It gives you fast (if late) access to a whole bunch of high level spell slots. This is a powerful feature, the problem is that there is nearly no way to use it when your spell list is only one domain.

Using a hugely versatile domain like the Spell domain, maybe the Summoner domain or some of the planar domains would help.

It's still a class that offers nothing but spell slots. =/

So whats the best domain for

Healing, Skill Monkey, Blasting, Battlefield Controll, strange other role, buffing, SoD

?

Healing: Healing domain
Skill monkey: The Kobold or Trickery domains
Blasting: Fire or Destruction domains
Battlefield Control: Slime domain?
Buffing: No idea, really.
SoD: Death domain? Meh.

gorfnab
2010-04-10, 11:22 PM
Divine Crusader + Sovereign Speaker (Faiths of Eberron) makes Divine Crusader slightly more playable and more powerful. If you do Paladin 7/ Divine Crusader 1/ Sovereign Speaker 9/ Contemplative 1/ Sacred Exorcist 1/ Warpriest 1 - you'll actually have a spell list of 117 spells (9 spells per domain x 13 domains) and be able to do DMM.

Thurbane
2010-04-10, 11:54 PM
Wow, Divine Crusader doesn't even get full BAB? How craptacular...not to mention counter-intuitive. I'd always thought they were full BAB. :smalleek:

So basically, it's like the crippled little cousin of Cleric - only it trades turn undead and a full access to a spell list for a handful of crappy class features. Or maybe crippled cousin of the Favored Soul...similar crappy class features, 1 less good save, and non-spontaneous casting from a much smaller list. :smallannoyed:

Yorrin
2010-04-10, 11:55 PM
Divine Crusader + Sovereign Speaker (Faiths of Eberron) makes Divine Crusader slightly more playable and more powerful. If you do Paladin 7/ Divine Crusader 1/ Sovereign Speaker 9/ Contemplative 1/ Sacred Exorcist 1/ Warpriest 1 - you'll actually have a spell list of 117 spells (9 spells per domain x 13 domains) and be able to do DMM.

I've actually been considering a similar build for some time. Has anyone actually playtested this? It seems like a lot of fun, and not necessarily sucky. Especially if your DM is generous about which domains you're allowed to select.

Ramza00
2010-04-11, 12:57 AM
Personally as a houserule
1) making it full bab, and
2) having access to your diety domains, up to a max of 5 (for things such as the soverign host), and disallowing philosphy worship

would be a power boost but not a broken power boost. Pretty much a fighter with some serious spellcasting, but less than what a cleric/ordained champion can pull off.

Sinfire Titan
2010-04-11, 01:09 AM
I've actually been considering a similar build for some time. Has anyone actually playtested this? It seems like a lot of fun, and not necessarily sucky. Especially if your DM is generous about which domains you're allowed to select.

It's ok. Actually, Crusader would be better than Paladin. It would give you a better way to finish off your build, rather than taking more Pally or DC levels. It also makes the rough parts of the mid levels a little easier (IE when you just started DC, before entering SS)

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-04-11, 01:14 AM
If you can use other prestige classes to advance its spellcasting and grant it additional domains, it could prove useful. Otherwise, you may as well just adapt Ur-Priest to a dead, nonevil deity for any accelerated divine casting needed in a given build.