Elric VIII
2012-06-16, 09:36 AM
As we all know, some of the best PrCs require some of the worst prerequisites. I would like to compile a short list of classes that share prerequisites with some of the highly recommended PrCs and provide compensation for the entry requirements.
Now, obviously this sort of thing is mostly for the benefit of casters not losing caster levels. Most melee/mundane builds can afford to dip 1-2 levels of Fighter/Feat Rogue/Monk/Factotum for make up for feat or skill prerequisites, but casters need PrCs with full casting to avoid losing power.
So, what is there?
Abjurant Champion (CM) and Spelldancer (MoF)*:
Prerequisites in common: Combat Casting.
Other Prerequisites of Spelldancer: 4 ranks concentration and Tumble, Perform (dance) 6, Dodge, Mobility, Endurance.
Other Prerequisites of Abjurant Champion: BAB +5, proficiency with a martial weapon, 1st level arcane spells (including 1 abjuration).
Benefit: One or more levels of Spelldancer can let you add metamagic feats (read: Persist) to your spells for the low price of Con damage (just use some form of restoration after you persist your buffs). no loss of caster levels from Spelldancer.
* Spelldancer works well with both Abjurant Champion and Swiftblade.
Archmage (DMG) and Master Specialist [any] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (any), Knowledge (arcana) 4, Spellcraft 4.
Other Prerequisites of Archmage: Spell Focus (any other school), Skill Focus (spellcraft), Knowledge (arcana) 15, Spellcraft 15.
Benefit: Maste Specialist gives you Skill Focus (spellcraft) as a bonus feat at first level. Full casting, can be entered at level 4 (before most other PrCs).
Divine Oracle (CD) and Loremaster (DMG):
Prerequisites in common:Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Knowledge [religion] 80.
Other Prerequisites of Loremaster: Two knowledge skills 10, 3 metamagic/item creation feats, 7 divination spells (one level 3+).
Benefit: With enough Int and/or class levels you gain a bonus feat to compensate for Skill Focus. Full casting.
Incantatrix (PGtF) and Olin Gisir (LEoF):
Prerequisites in common: Iron Will, 2 Metamagic feats, Concentration 8, cannot have Abjuration as a prohibited school.
Other Prerequisites of Olin Gisir: Knowledge [arcana & history] 10, elf/half-elf.
Benefit: With enough Int and/or class levels you gain bonus feat to compensate for Iron Will. Full casting.
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veils (CA) and Master Specialist [Abjuration] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (Abjuration), Knowledge (arcana) 4, Spellcraft 4.
Other Prerequisites of Iot7V: Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft 12, Knowledge (nature) 4, Skill Focus (spellcraft), Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (Abjuration), ability to cast 5 Abjuration spells (two level 4+).
Benefit: One level of Master Specialist gets you Skill Focus (spellcraft), three levels gets you Greater Spell Focus. This clas can be entered at level 4 (before most other PrCs).
Shadowcraft Mage (RoS) and Master Specialist [Illusion] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (Illusion).
Other Prerequisites of Shadowcraft Mage: Bluff and Hide 4, able to cast three illusion spells and one shadow spell of level 4+.
Benefit: Maste Specialist gives you Skill Focus (spellcraft) as a bonus feat at first level. Full casting, can be entered at level 4, this allows you to freely enter Archmage without delaying Shadowcraft Mage entry/progression.
Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) and Spelldancer (MoF)*:
Prerequisites in common: Dodge, Mobility, Concentration 4.
Other Prerequisites of Swiftblade: Concentration and Spellcraft 6, ability to cast haste, must have spent all 3rd level slots casting haste for the last level.
Other Prerequisites of Spelldancer: 4 ranks Concentration and Tumble, Perform (dance) 6, Combat Casting, Endurance.
Benefit: One or more levels of Spelldancer can let you add metamagic feats (read: Persist) to your spells for the low price of Con damage (just use some form of restoration after you persist your buffs). no loss of caster levels from Spelldancer.
* Spelldancer works well with both Abjurant Champion and Swiftblade.
Unseen Seer (CM) and Ruathar (RoTW):
Prerequisites in common: N/A
Prerequisites of Ruathar: 3rd level spells, 9 ranks in any skill, or +6 BAB.
Prerequisites of Unseen Seer: Hide, Search, and Spot 8, Sense Motive and Spellcraft 4, able to cast 1st level arcane spells (including 2 divination spells).
Benefit: Gain prerequisite skills for Unseen Seer as class skills without losing caster levels or requiring any feat or specific skills.
Ur-Priest (CD) and Mindbender (CA):
Prerequisites in common: Bluff 4 Evil alignment.
Other Prerequisites of Ur-Priest: Bluff 6, Knowledge (arcana and the planes) 5, Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft 8, Spell Focus (evil), Iron Will, Fort and Will +3.
Other Prerequisites of Mindbender: Diplomacy, Initmidate, and Sense Motive 4, able to cast Charm Person, arcane caster level 5.
Benefit: Mindbender has a good Fort and Will save and does not lose a caster level at 1st. This allows a 5th level Arcane caster with a poor Fort save to enter Ur-Priest at level 7 (for potential theurgy).
Now, obviously this sort of thing is mostly for the benefit of casters not losing caster levels. Most melee/mundane builds can afford to dip 1-2 levels of Fighter/Feat Rogue/Monk/Factotum for make up for feat or skill prerequisites, but casters need PrCs with full casting to avoid losing power.
So, what is there?
Abjurant Champion (CM) and Spelldancer (MoF)*:
Prerequisites in common: Combat Casting.
Other Prerequisites of Spelldancer: 4 ranks concentration and Tumble, Perform (dance) 6, Dodge, Mobility, Endurance.
Other Prerequisites of Abjurant Champion: BAB +5, proficiency with a martial weapon, 1st level arcane spells (including 1 abjuration).
Benefit: One or more levels of Spelldancer can let you add metamagic feats (read: Persist) to your spells for the low price of Con damage (just use some form of restoration after you persist your buffs). no loss of caster levels from Spelldancer.
* Spelldancer works well with both Abjurant Champion and Swiftblade.
Archmage (DMG) and Master Specialist [any] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (any), Knowledge (arcana) 4, Spellcraft 4.
Other Prerequisites of Archmage: Spell Focus (any other school), Skill Focus (spellcraft), Knowledge (arcana) 15, Spellcraft 15.
Benefit: Maste Specialist gives you Skill Focus (spellcraft) as a bonus feat at first level. Full casting, can be entered at level 4 (before most other PrCs).
Divine Oracle (CD) and Loremaster (DMG):
Prerequisites in common:Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Knowledge [religion] 80.
Other Prerequisites of Loremaster: Two knowledge skills 10, 3 metamagic/item creation feats, 7 divination spells (one level 3+).
Benefit: With enough Int and/or class levels you gain a bonus feat to compensate for Skill Focus. Full casting.
Incantatrix (PGtF) and Olin Gisir (LEoF):
Prerequisites in common: Iron Will, 2 Metamagic feats, Concentration 8, cannot have Abjuration as a prohibited school.
Other Prerequisites of Olin Gisir: Knowledge [arcana & history] 10, elf/half-elf.
Benefit: With enough Int and/or class levels you gain bonus feat to compensate for Iron Will. Full casting.
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veils (CA) and Master Specialist [Abjuration] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (Abjuration), Knowledge (arcana) 4, Spellcraft 4.
Other Prerequisites of Iot7V: Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft 12, Knowledge (nature) 4, Skill Focus (spellcraft), Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (Abjuration), ability to cast 5 Abjuration spells (two level 4+).
Benefit: One level of Master Specialist gets you Skill Focus (spellcraft), three levels gets you Greater Spell Focus. This clas can be entered at level 4 (before most other PrCs).
Shadowcraft Mage (RoS) and Master Specialist [Illusion] (CM):
Prerequisites in common: Spell Focus (Illusion).
Other Prerequisites of Shadowcraft Mage: Bluff and Hide 4, able to cast three illusion spells and one shadow spell of level 4+.
Benefit: Maste Specialist gives you Skill Focus (spellcraft) as a bonus feat at first level. Full casting, can be entered at level 4, this allows you to freely enter Archmage without delaying Shadowcraft Mage entry/progression.
Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) and Spelldancer (MoF)*:
Prerequisites in common: Dodge, Mobility, Concentration 4.
Other Prerequisites of Swiftblade: Concentration and Spellcraft 6, ability to cast haste, must have spent all 3rd level slots casting haste for the last level.
Other Prerequisites of Spelldancer: 4 ranks Concentration and Tumble, Perform (dance) 6, Combat Casting, Endurance.
Benefit: One or more levels of Spelldancer can let you add metamagic feats (read: Persist) to your spells for the low price of Con damage (just use some form of restoration after you persist your buffs). no loss of caster levels from Spelldancer.
* Spelldancer works well with both Abjurant Champion and Swiftblade.
Unseen Seer (CM) and Ruathar (RoTW):
Prerequisites in common: N/A
Prerequisites of Ruathar: 3rd level spells, 9 ranks in any skill, or +6 BAB.
Prerequisites of Unseen Seer: Hide, Search, and Spot 8, Sense Motive and Spellcraft 4, able to cast 1st level arcane spells (including 2 divination spells).
Benefit: Gain prerequisite skills for Unseen Seer as class skills without losing caster levels or requiring any feat or specific skills.
Ur-Priest (CD) and Mindbender (CA):
Prerequisites in common: Bluff 4 Evil alignment.
Other Prerequisites of Ur-Priest: Bluff 6, Knowledge (arcana and the planes) 5, Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft 8, Spell Focus (evil), Iron Will, Fort and Will +3.
Other Prerequisites of Mindbender: Diplomacy, Initmidate, and Sense Motive 4, able to cast Charm Person, arcane caster level 5.
Benefit: Mindbender has a good Fort and Will save and does not lose a caster level at 1st. This allows a 5th level Arcane caster with a poor Fort save to enter Ur-Priest at level 7 (for potential theurgy).