Mistic the Urge?

[Immabozo]

5 levels of Druid, 3 levels of master of many forms, (can also run around as a troll or other 8 hd or less shenanigans that is animal, humanoid, giant, large, or monstrous humanoid) and the start taking whatever arcane spell casting class, then MTU.

Wilding armor will mold with you and thus, no arcane spell casting failure while having high AC and potentially high natural armor.

But the shenanigans of the build is this. Once at second level MTU, (or get the necklace to give +4 to your effective HD for the purposes of shifting) and take the form of a Spell Weaver from MMII. Casting two fireballs, or two lightning bolts, three 2nd level heals or any combination of spells whose level adds up to 6 makes up for lagging behind in spell levels a little, I think. Then, MTU will give, also, full shifting progression, allowing access to Giants, Trolls, Elementals and other shenanigans. Some, like the Immoth, from MMII, once you get access to Elementals, gives, yet more access to crazy shenanigans, like scribing any spell you know on ice runes at no cost and then activating those spells as a free action. Need to run away? Cheetah form got your back! 500 ft movement? I think so!

[Urpriest]

Why do you have the impression that Mystic Theurge advances Wildshape? What arcane spells do you plan to cast that don't have perfectly good Druid-list equivalents?

[Siosilvar]

Theurge is one word, meaning a miracle-worker (so a Mystic Theurge might be both a doctor and a miracle worker).

In any case, even if the Mystic Theurge advanced wildshape, you run into the same problem that everything else using it does, from a charop standpoint: namely, what is so important about having two lists that it's worth sacrificing three caster levels for? Any of the Tier 1 casters can do basically anything with enough op, and they get enough slots per day that you typically can end with some left once you hit mid levels. You haven't really provided anything here that you can't do with straight Druid levels (with Master of Many Forms to taste).

[Immabozo]

Why do you have the impression that Mystic Theurge advances Wildshape?

The +1 to the divine caster level, ie, +1 to druid, which increases shifting HD, and Mistic Theurge HD therefor stacks with druid HD, there is your shifting HD.


In any case, even if the Mystic Theurge advanced wildshape, you run into the same problem that everything else using it does, from a charop standpoint: namely, what is so important about having two lists that it's worth sacrificing three caster levels for? Any of the Tier 1 casters can do basically anything with enough op, and they get enough slots per day that you typically can end with some left once you hit mid levels. You haven't really provided anything here that you can't do with straight Druid levels (with Master of Many Forms to taste).

Well, you could have a caster with all the AC of a warrior without the arcane spell failure, the versatility of the shifting, you are still useful after your spells are used up. You are still a wizard, although behind, a druid lagging only a little behind and still have the ability to shift and the versatility with that. It may not be the most effective build ever, but since when is all the fun in D&D only in the most optimized OP character you can have

[ericgrau]

The wild shape HD is based on druid level not on the druid's caster level. The clause against advancing other class features besides casting explicitly forbids this advancement. There are other prestige classes that do and some homebrew to do it is also reasonable if you talk to your DM, but then if you're talking with your DM about getting leeway he probably isn't going to let you use it to pull any tricks.

[Urpriest]

The +1 to the divine caster level, ie, +1 to druid, which increases shifting HD, and Mistic Theurge HD therefor stacks with druid HD, there is your shifting HD.

Since you and I both know that caster level has nothing to do with shifting HD, I'm not sure why you're making this particular argument. Every single prestige class that advances casting points out specifically that no other class features are advanced. You presumably read that the first time you played such a prestige class. Perhaps you forgot?




Well, you could have a caster with all the AC of a warrior without the arcane spell failure, the versatility of the shifting, you are still useful after your spells are used up.

All of that is already true of the Druid. What does the Wizard casting give you?

[Immabozo]

you're right, I got kinda caught up in the sudden "OH, Oh, OH, look at this idea!"

I just was think a different way to go mistic theurge, not necessarily anything else. I know, there is much more optimized builds, but this, I was thinking, although maybe not better, is different

[Feralventas]

Look up Arcane Hierophant PrC; I think it's more Druid focused and does advance wild shape, though I could be mistaken.

[Immabozo]

what book is it in?

[Feralventas]

Google-fu will help avoid such questions in the future.
Races of the Wild.

(I couldn't remember and had to check >.> )

[Immabozo]

haha, thanks.

[Phelix-Mu]

Arcane Hierophant still has the problem with loss of caster level, but it does advance several key abilities of druid, including animal companion, which transforms into the familiar companion (basically, your animal companion and familiar merge, now you have an intelligent animal companion).

Arcane hierophant, while not as flexible as mystic theurge, is by far my favorite dual spellcasting PrC, closely followed by Ultimate Magus (which might not even count, since it is more 8/10 or so for each class), which also has some awesome special abilities.

I'm interested in whether others would agree with my interpretation that, after taking the first level of Arcane Hierophant, a character could subsequently take the Obtain Familiar feat to replace the familiar lost when the Familiar Companion class feature is obtained. The writing was vague, and I haven't been around the forum long enough to see if this kind of thing is on some kind of list of tricks with familiars/Obtain Familiar feat.

[Story]

Ultimate Magus is 9/10 if you do it right. 10/10 with liberal application of cheese.