When there is no spellcasting to advance...

[weckar]

A silly thing that just came up, but I'd like some playground input.

So, someone entered Swiftblade early through a combination of Trapsmith and the Laborious Training feat.
So far so normal for this table.

Question is: What happens at Swiftblade 8 when Trapsmith has run out of casting levels to advance? Nothing?

[Zombimode]

A silly thing that just came up, but I'd like some playground input.

So, someone entered Swiftblade early through a combination of Trapsmith and the Laborious Training feat.
So far so normal for this table.

Question is: What happens at Swiftblade 8 when Trapsmith has run out of casting levels to advance? Nothing?

Yes.
Some People will Claim that it does advance your casting and you should extrapolate how, but this has absolutely no rules basis (and I would avised against doing so).

[Necroticplague]

Question is: What happens at Swiftblade 8 when Trapsmith has run out of casting levels to advance? Nothing?

Going from the normal Epic rules, as well as all the Epic PRCs (including the Epic Assassin, in a very similar situation as Trapsmith), would seem to indicate the answer is "caster level goes up, spell slots/day and spells known don't".

That said, I'm kinda baffled as to how your early-entering. Even if you ignore Swiftblade's Special requirement (which end up requiring that not only can you cast haste, but you cast it out of a third level spell slot), Laborious Training only applies to INT based skills, so you still can't enter Trapsmith until level 6 (since Craft is WIS based), even with it. This puts you entering Swiftblade at 7 at the earliest if using Trapsmith. A.K.A, the exact same level a straight Wizard enters it (due to BaB requirement).

[weckar]

Craft is INT, Profession is WIS.

We also interpret

Must have spent the entire previous level using all 3rd level spell slots to exclusively cast haste.
as being valid if there are no 3rd level slots available, as all are being used.

[Gemini476]

Five-level prestige classes don't have epic progression - that's just ten-level ones.

[Thaneus]

Five-level prestige classes don't have epic progression - that's just ten-level ones.

Yeah but its a valid option to proceed this. That someone has played himself in a corner if he wants more spells.

[noce]

I'd continue to raise caster level only.
There is no rule limiting caster level at 5 for PrCs, so by the rules you get +1 caster level as normal.

No spell advancement, though.

[ShurikVch]

Note: you can advance some other casting:
If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a swiftblade, they must decide which class gains each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

[Hiro Quester]

Craft is INT, Profession is WIS.

We also interpret

as being valid if there are no 3rd level slots available, as all are being used.

That's a fairly standard legit interpretation. From the class designer:




Speaking from an intent perspective (which I know counts for very little in the optimized forums) the idea is for the swiftblade candidate to use all spell slots (of the level in which haste is gained) to cast haste. The Dungeonscape book did not exist when Brian and I originally created the swiftblade, leaving us completely unaware of the trapsmith prestige class when it was finally released. If we had been aware, the special prerequisite would have read...

Special: Must have spent the entire previous level using all spell slots of the level in which haste is gained to exclusively cast haste.