Mystic Theurge: Beyond 10th level

[Laurellien]

So you're in a situation that wannabe optimisers (like myself) are liable to fall into. You made your sweet character build and you managed to max out that PrC that is the keystone of the character without the DM getting frustrated and killing you off. But what now? You've hit level 14-16 and the build just tapers off. You've taken as many levels in Mystic Theurge/whatever as you can sub-epic and now you have to either find a way to continue progressing your character's abilities, or just wave goodbye to them. With many classes there is some crossover (e.g. Abjurant Champion, Eldritch Knight, Spellsword), but with some it looks a whole lot trickier (e.g. mystic theurge).

So what would you do in these circumstances?

I'd either retire my character to his Eldritch Doom Fortress, or in the case of a theurge, desperately try and qualify for another dual progression PrC in only one level.

[Tyndmyr]

Well, there's the other theurge classes, yup. Or, you can convince your DM to just let you take MT beyond 10. It's not really that hard to extend. +1 level of arcane and divine class. Yay!

[Ingus]

Third rule: since Mystic Theurge is weaker than other progression, talk with the DM and try to have the other 4 levels. That assumed you did the 3wiz-3cl qualification, cause if you early qualified, you can now go Archmage with pleasure and joy. Or you can completely gish out with Abjurant Champion.

In any case, I rarely allow as a DM to change PC at late levels. A PC made 1st level and grown up is quite different (and usually weaker) than an istant 16th level. Maybe, in this case, you can retrain a bit or go along with the PrC

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Wizard 1/ Cleric 3/ Mystic Theurge 10/ Contemplative 6, or
Wizard 3/ Cleric 1/ Mystic Theurge 10/ Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil or Incantatrix 6+, or
Wizard 10/ Ur-Priest 2/ Mystic Theurge 8, possibly Wizard 5/ Mindbender 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Mystic Theurge 8/ Incantatrix 4
Cleric can be substituted with Archivist, though you'd lose the ability to turn undead unless you dip Sacred Exorcist.

If you went 3/3/10, then shame on you, pick which one you like better to progress spellcasting and take something like Incantatrix, Contemplative, Divine Oracle, Sacred Exorcist (if you started with Archivist), or any number of full casting prestige classes which is good for the first four levels.

Edit: Epic Mystic Theurge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/prestigeClassProgressions.htm#epicMysticTheurge) is not even worth taking, you have nothing to look forward to if you went 3/3/10, which is why nobody does it and everyone advises against it. If you go with Divine Oracle, Sacred Exorcist, or a few other select prestige classes, you can use it to advance either class's spellcasting, so once you max out one you can progress the other. Otherwise just swap between two different prestige classes as necessary once you get into the epic levels. Even taking one more Wizard level, one more Cleric level, repeat, is better than taking epic Mystic Theurge, the progression is that bad.

[Laurellien]

Wait. How do you go Cleric 1/Wizard 3 into Mystic Theurge?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Improved Sigil: Krau or DMM: Heighten or Earth Spell or Naenhoon Heighten....

[Chineselegolas]

You went Wizard 1/Druid 3 into Mystic Theurge for 4 levels so you could then jump into Arcane Hierophant for all 10 before finishing with two more of Mystic Theurge right...

If not, then you go with the class you put the most effort into and try and get those 9th level spells out of it leaving the other class for utility and stuff your primary can't do.

[Laurellien]

Not sure I'd take the Theurge AND the Hierophant unless I'm making a high level character, the animal companion is a crutch in low-mid level campaigns.

[Analytica]

I would second Arcane Hierophant. If you can somehow get Trackless Step without being a druid (say, by a level of Wildrunner, or through DM fiat), you can continue with that. If you can get evasion, druidic language, bardic knowledge and 13 ranks in Perform, go Fochlucan lyrist. If you are desperate, do True Necromancer.

Alternately, do another theurge class. Get a level of Binder and the Improved Binding feat, then do Anima Mage.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Not sure I'd take the Theurge AND the Hierophant unless I'm making a high level character, the animal companion is a crutch in low-mid level campaigns.

In the case of Druid/Wizard Theurging, the levels in Mystic Theurge are there so as to qualify for Arcane Hierophant instead of wasting more levels on only progressing one of your two castings. The usual non-early entry method is Wizard 3/Druid 3/MT 2 or 4, depending on if partial BAB is in play/Arcane Heirophant 10.

[Rad]

In the case of Druid/Wizard Theurging, the levels in Mystic Theurge are there so as to qualify for Arcane Hierophant instead of wasting more levels on only progressing one of your two castings. The usual non-early entry method is Wizard 3/Druid 3/MT 2 or 4, depending on if partial BAB is in play/Arcane Heirophant 10.
actually, in this case there are merits in not doing that and just take Druid4. The main point is that all your wild shape and familiar features (which are not a secondary aspect of that build) take a hit exactly in those levels where you are weakest (7-8).