Generic Classes: The Spellcaster

[Johnny H]

Spellcasting: A spellcaster learns and casts spells as a sorcerer.
She may select her spells known from the cleric, druid,
and sorcerer/wizard spell lists.
A spellcaster must choose at 1st level whether to be an arcane
spellcaster or a divine spellcaster. This choice has no impact on
the spells that she may learn, but affects what kinds of scrolls she
can use and which ability score controls her spellcasting. An arcane
spellcaster may designate either Intelligence or Charisma
as the ability score that determines the highest-level spell she
can learn or cast, and the Diffi culty Class of her spell’s saving
throws. A divine spellcaster must use Wisdom to determine the
highest-level spell she can learn or cast, and the DC of her spell’s
saving throws.:eek::eek::eek:

My friends and I are considering playing along the generic rules variant, and then this comes up. With me being the only Spellcaster in the group of four (1 BSF, 2 GC's), wouldn't this spell list make me 10bajilion times more powerful than my party-members? Or am I missing something here?

[Big Fau]

You aren't missing a thing. The Generic classes are widely regarded as unbalanced. They are a poorly planned mistake on WotC's behalf (the power difference between a Generic Warrior and a Fighter is absurd).

[Cog]

(the power difference between a Generic Warrior and a Fighter is absurd).
They weren't intended to see play together, so there's little trouble there. There's still the caster trouble, of course.

[Jack_Simth]

My friends and I are considering playing along the generic rules variant, and then this comes up. With me being the only Spellcaster in the group of four (1 BSF, 2 GC's), wouldn't this spell list make me 10bajilion times more powerful than my party-members? Or am I missing something here?

You are and you aren't.

The Generic Spellcaster is Tier-2 (same as the Sorcerer or the Favored Soul), but has a few benefits over them due to better spell list access and the bonus feats. It's a high tier-2. It's also the highest tier of the three generic classes. In this sense, no, you're not missing anything - you've got the greatest potential to be a really strong character, by a hefty amount.

HOWEVER:
Player skill in optimization, and game style, can go a long way to pushing balance around one way or another. Just as a simple example, if the Big Strong Fighter goes the Leap Attack / Shock Trooper route, builds a high initiative, and your DM tends to throw single opponents at you in terrain the BSF favors, it's entirely possible you'll never get an action in combat, and will be overshadowed.

[Crow]

I love the generic classes. We use them in our group alongside the regular classes. Great tools for filling out a concept you might have in mind when existing classes don't give you exactly what you're looking for.

Too bad they aren't meant to be played alongside the other classes.

[adecoy95]

im playing a generic spellcaster 4/ druid 3/ arcane hierophant 10/ mystic theruge 3/ prestige arcane hierophant 1 in an epic game and its pretty fun. its nice having access to cleric spells you normally would not get, like delay death or 5th level plane shift. but most of my spells are still off of the sorceror/wizard list.

one good benefit is that you can get turns per day and go the divine metamagic route with this build, since you qualify due to the fact that the prerequisite for the turns is "the ability to cast divine spells" and thats covered from druid. but divine metamagic was banned a few sessions in so i went with evasion.

one downside is that you dont get to switch out spells later like you do with sorceror, so you have to pick spells you will be using for a long time, instead of ones you only need for a few levels.

[thompur]

I used a Generic Expert to create a cohort for a fighter. She was a Courtesan who became a Diplomancer. The fighter was a Gladiator-type, and the expert was his Valet-Manager.(yes, I've watched entirely too much pro-wrestling in my life):smallwink:

[Leon]

With me being the only Spellcaster in the group of four (1 BSF, 2 GC's), wouldn't this spell list make me 10bajilion times more powerful than my party-members? Or am I missing something here?

If you play that way maybe - but smart thinking and self restraint will see your group stronger for your part in it rather than overshadowing them.

[Johnny H]

If you play that way maybe - but smart thinking and self restraint will see your group stronger for your part in it rather than overshadowing them.

I guess I'll play a blaster/debuffer type then (Fell Drain- here I come:smallamused:), not the Focused Conjurer Battle Controller I was planning :smallfrown: Our DM ruled that a Spellcaster may prepare a metamagic enhanced spell just like a Wizard would, and since this will game will start at lvl 17 in a low magic world, I truly would have been GOD!:smallcool: Too bad about that though, maybe some other time...

Anyway, thanks for your advice Leon, I think that pretty much sums this thread up:smallsmile: