Fighter or Militia?

[Afgncaap5]

I'm building a gish with a focus on mounted casting. I'd been planning on taking a level of Fighter at sixth level to meet the All Martial Weapons prerequisite for the prestige class (Knight Phantom), but my DM just told me that because of my character's backstory, he'd let me take the Militia feat at sixth level (and justify it as if I'd taken it at first level since my wizard's been using a longsword anyway thanks to Elvish racial features.)

So... now I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I'd been looking forward to supplementing the horse-riding aspects of it with the fighter bonus feat. On the other hand... it's another caster level.

I'm honestly not sure how much I'll want to devote to feats for mounted combat and spellcasting, and the opinions in the few guides I've found on the subject seem divided. What're your thoughts?

[ScrambledBrains]

I'm building a gish with a focus on mounted casting. I'd been planning on taking a level of Fighter at sixth level to meet the All Martial Weapons prerequisite for the prestige class (Knight Phantom), but my DM just told me that because of my character's backstory, he'd let me take the Militia feat at sixth level (and justify it as if I'd taken it at first level since my wizard's been using a longsword anyway thanks to Elvish racial features.)

So... now I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I'd been looking forward to supplementing the horse-riding aspects of it with the fighter bonus feat. On the other hand... it's another caster level.

I'm honestly not sure how much I'll want to devote to feats for mounted combat and spellcasting, and the opinions in the few guides I've found on the subject seem divided. What're your thoughts?

I am, admittedly, only parroting what I've heard other, more experienced GITP members say, but I will say it nonetheless. The golden rule of being a spellcaster is to never give up your caster levels. If your DM is willing to give you a way to get into the PRC you want without losing a caster level, I'd take it. :smallsmile:

[SiuiS]

Take the feat. A few more HPs, proficiency, a feat, the ability to count yourself as trained in a slew of otherwise no trained skills, and I severely doubt being one caster level behind is going to be an issue since you considered the prestige class worthwhile anyway.

The BaB point won't hurt either.

[atemu1234]

My Elven Gish winds up with 16 BAB at level 20 using militia and armor proficiency feats. CL 19, too.