[3.5] Ardent Mantles & Prestige Classes?

[Unusual Muse]

Do Ardents who take Prestige Classes that advance "+1 level of existing manifesting class" gain mantles as they would from advancing Ardent, or do they just gain PP and powers known from their existing mantles?

[Virdish]

IIRC there is no official answer to this question so it ends up being up to the DM. I would rule that they do but RAW I don't think they do.

[ZamielVanWeber]

When I was DMing a psionic campaign I ruled yes. The reason for it is it becomes possible, depending on how early/how long they prestige they can get levels and have no power list to pick their powers from! Someone who jumps into constructor at 5 will have dead levels by the time they hit the end at 15.

[Psyren]

"Assume Psionic Mantle" is a separate class feature (i.e. not part of the "Powers Known" manifesting class feature) and so the RAW answer would be no. Class features that are not "spellcasting" or "manifesting" are not advanced by a PrC unless specifically stated otherwise (e.g. by Legacy Champion/Uncanny Trickster.)

Rather than houseruling to help the Ardent though, simply greenlight the Mantle Substitution ACF (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a); Ardents get enough mantles in their first 4 levels that simply filling in the gaps in those mantles will get you more than enough powers known to complete their progression. If you still need more after that, there is the Tap Mantle feat as well.