[3.5] Demonwrecker PrC - How Good Is It?

[Unusual Muse]

I just ran across the Demonwrecker PrC from Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, a class I'd never heard of. I'm currently playing a cleric in a campaign that is fairly heavy in demons as well as undead. By the time I have the prereqs for Demonwrecker I will be Cleric 7/Sacred Exorcist 1/Radiant Servant 1, basically DMM Persisting. Comparing 5 levels of Demonwrecker to 5 levels of Radiant Servant or Sacred Exorcist, how does it look?

[Venger]

why did you dip both sacred exorcist and radiant servant? if you had turn undead from your cleric levels (which you must if you're a sacred exorcist and radiant servant, being NG) then neither of them gives you more turns/day, they just increase your effective turning level.

that aside, demonwrecker's full casting, its prereqs aren't that difficult, and spell penetration's something you already care about if you're rolling sacred exorcist. if you actually run into a lot of demons, demonwrecker is pretty boss. I'm assuming that if you go back into sacred exorcist, you'll pick undead as your chosen foe to diversify your assets, since demonwrecker allows you to ignore demon SR, you don't really care about bonuses to spell penetration checks.

in short: sacred exorcist is pretty much a 1 level dip for people who DMM persist, so you've got what it has to offer already. go demonwrecker.

[Ithandor]

It can be worth going ClericX/Sacred Exorcist1/Radiant Servant1, if you take (say) Rebuke Dragons ACF on Cleric, provided your DM rules Radiant Servant's Greater Turning pool a) is a separate ability from Turn Undead, and not an augmentation of it and b) can be used to fuel DMM. If so, then you gain 3 turning pools.

On topic - if you fight a lot of chaotic evil outsiders, Demonwrecker is a good choice. Otherwise, I'd stick with Radiant Servant.

[Unusual Muse]

why did you dip both sacred exorcist and radiant servant?

Mainly due to a change of direction in-game. Back when I started the build I originally intended to go Cleric-->Sacred Exorcist, so I got on that path with the prereqs, but then some stuff happened roleplaying-wise that led to me going into Radiant Servant instead. I changed my plan to going Radiant Servant 5, then later pick up Sacred Exorcist 2-5 (since both classes have level 5 as a nice exit point). But then I discovered Demonwrecker, and was wondering if it would be better to just live with the moot level of Sacred Exorcist and go Sacred Exorcist 1/Radiant Servant 1/Demonwrecker 5/Radiant Servant 2-5, and finish the build with whatever (maybe Sacred Exorcist, if I ever get that high-level).

[Person_Man]

The prereqs are simple but a little campaign specific: 5 ranks of Knowledge (Planes), 3rd level Divine spells, Spell Penetration feat, and "must have fought against a demon"

It offers 5/5 divine spellcaster progression. So you're not losing anything by taking it. But its abilities are all Demon fighting specific - and even then they're not particularly amazing unless Damage Reduction and Spell Resistance vs specifically against demons is a huge issue for you.

The Arcane adaptation for the class is slightly more interesting, in that it gives you a Smite Evil up to 3 times per day, keyed off of your primary caster stat. But even that's a pretty weak tea.

So there's no reason not to take it. But there's really no reason to take it either.