Tainted Scholar vs Tainted Sorcerer

[NineThePuma]

Okay, so I was looking at UA, and I'm curious to know what changes were made between the Tainted Scholar and the Tainted Sorcerer.

Someone told me that Scholar is Arcane only now (which totally kills my Necropolitan Elf Generalist Wizard 5/Tainted Scholar 2/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge X build), but what other changes were there?

[Wings of Peace]

Okay, so I was looking at UA, and I'm curious to know what changes were made between the Tainted Scholar and the Tainted Sorcerer.

Someone told me that Scholar is Arcane only now (which totally kills my Necropolitan Elf Generalist Wizard 5/Tainted Scholar 2/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge X build), but what other changes were there?

Changes is probably the wrong word since I believe Tainted Scholar is a spiritual successor to Tainted Sorcerer as the Scholar entry never references its predecessor (unless it's brought up somewhere other than Heroes of Horror).

I'm afb so I don't know the specifics but I think the big difference is that the taint system changed in 3.5 from how it was in 3.0 when the Tainted Sorcerer was published.

[Fax Celestis]

The taint rules in HoH are different in a couple ways from the taint rules in UA anyway. I wouldn't expect interacting PrCs to work the same.

[Psyren]

One difference is that Scholar has actual class features, including a handful of very useful SLAs like Contact Other Plane, Identify and Limited Wish.

Sorcerer has a few advantages though. You already noted that TSorc is open to a much wider variety of casting classes. In addition, Tainted Sorcerer can substitute blood for costly components (even someone else's blood) while Scholar cannot.

And since we're on the subject of taint-casting PrCs, have you also looked at Subverted Psion? (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20051125a)

[NineThePuma]

Sexy, but not what I was aiming for. Is that a fairly straight swap from Tainted Scholar to Psionics?

[Psyren]

Sexy, but not what I was aiming for. Is that a fairly straight swap from Tainted Scholar to Psionics?

There are some similarities (e.g. the will save to take levels in anything else) but the classes are very different. The spellcasting ones are generally more powerful due to the ability to power metamagic with Con damage.

[Wings of Peace]

There are some similarities (e.g. the will save to take levels in anything else) but the classes are very different. The spellcasting ones are generally more powerful due to the ability to power metamagic with Con damage.

The nice part I'm seeing about the Subverted Psion is that it caps your taint levels instead of allowing you to kill yourself via excessively high levels of taint.

[NineThePuma]

The nice part I'm seeing about the Subverted Psion is that it caps your taint levels instead of allowing you to kill yourself via excessively high levels of taint.

Necropolitan.

[Wings of Peace]

Necropolitan.

I'm aware of Necropolitan (and the Savage Species ritual that gives you a chosen alignment subtype). I just meant comparing the two side by side, Subverted Psion is nice in that it doesn't force you to eventually murder yourself.

[Psyren]

The nice part I'm seeing about the Subverted Psion is that it caps your taint levels instead of allowing you to kill yourself via excessively high levels of taint.

Yes, but the tradeoff there are the corruption and depravity effects you automatically get from the class. These are visible (unlike Sorcerer and Scholar, which automatically hide theirs) and also cannot be removed. Combined with psionics lack of Illusion, and your party might end up leaving you outside town.

Worse, the wrong effects can potentially put you over the top anyway. For instance, if you're right at the threshold and randomly get the severe depravity Apathetic (reduces Con and Wis) you can still end up put over the top and die when your Con falls below your taint.

Ardent is the best entry to this class, as the high Wis will at least set your depravity thresholds high.


Necropolitan.

...requires DM approval. (And unlike many such choices, "can I avoid all the drawbacks of X by becoming an undead abomination?" is a pretty reasonable veto.)

[Wings of Peace]

Ardent is the best entry to this class, as the high Wis will at least set your depravity thresholds high.

Lies. Psion/Erudite is the best entry because the extra power will help me hold off the narrow minded villagers and their pitchforks. :smallsmile:

[Flickerdart]

Lies. Psion/Erudite is the best entry because the extra power will help me hold off the narrow minded villagers and their pitchforks. :smallsmile:
Hold them off? Thrallherd today, and let your own narrow minded villagers do the holding for you, then convert the survivors to your cause.

[sreservoir]

scholar can get clarity of true madness at 2nd, and leave with the 1st level features, 1/day unbeatable will save most of the time. the chance of nat 1 is appreciably high, but a 0 wish luck blade and a mantle of second chances will save you most of the time.