Define: Spellcasting Class

[Ruethgar]

Is there anywhere in all the books where the term "spellcasting class" is defined?

[Humble Master]

Well, rules as indented it would be any class that gets Spells as a class feature.

However I think that in the Player's Handbook it refers to certain classes as 'spellcasting classes' in the description.

[Galvin]

A spell casting class is any class that gains a caster level every time a creature advances a level in said class.

[CRtwenty]

Spellcasters are defined as "somebody who casts spells". Namely somebody who gets spell progression as a class feature or has spell like abilities. I don't believe the term is explicitly defined, but the term is used often enough it's pretty easy to see it's meaning. Using that as a definition a "Spellcasting Class" is a Class that gives the ability to cast spells.

From the SRD:

A spell is a one-time magical effect. Spells come in two types: arcane (cast by bards, sorcerers, and wizards) and divine (cast by clerics, druids, and experienced paladins and rangers). Some spellcasters select their spells from a limited list of spells known, while others have access to a wide variety of options.

That said, most people usually are referring to Classes that get Spells as their main ability and have spell progression as the key component of their leveling bonuses when referring to "Spellcasting Classes". This includes Classes like Cleric, Wizard, Druid, Beguiler, Sorcerer, etc. while excluding classes like Assassin or Paladin whose main abilities lie outside of their spellcasting powers.

[Kristinn]

A spell casting class is any class that gains a caster level every time a creature advances a level in said class.

Nope. It is a common misunderstanding.

A lot of prestige classes offer progression of spellcasting, granting a caster level for each class level. However, a spellcasting class is explicitly a class that has a class feature named "Spells". That's why you can't "advance Mystic Theurge spellcasting" with another prestige class. Mystic Theurge is not a spellcasting class, because it has no class feature called "Spells".

[Yora]

Also, spell-like abilities work exactly like spells, but the are not spells.

While a creature that manifests psionic powers as psi-like abilities is considered a psionic creature, having spell-like abilities does not make you a spellcaster.

I think every spellcaster has spell slots. If it does not provide spell slots, it's not a spellcasting class.

[TuggyNE]

Also, spell-like abilities work exactly like spells, but the are not spells.

While a creature that manifests psionic powers as psi-like abilities is considered a psionic creature, having spell-like abilities does not make you a spellcaster.

I think every spellcaster has spell slots. If it does not provide spell slots, it's not a spellcasting class.

Warlocks get a bit of a free pass in qualifying as spellcasters for some purposes, but I don't know exactly how that plays in here.

[Yora]

Which is a special class feature of the warlock. Which supports that spell-like abilities do not usually quallify as spellcasting.

[Chronos]

Warlocks don't actually have any special rules for what they can qualify for: If a PrC requires the ability to cast a particular spell, then a spell-like ability that duplicates that spell is enough, no matter whence it came. What warlocks have is a special rule for how they benefit from prestige classes.

[Diarmuid]

There's a sidebar that specifically calls out Warlocks being able to qualify for prerequisites like "spellcaster level x", but that does not let them qualify for things like "able to cast x level spells".