Is this Divine Prestige Class a viable alternative for Multiclas Fighter/Clerics?

[cassal]

Here is a stab I took at a divine version of Abjurant Champion at the request of a player in the campaign I am DMing.

We are using 3.5e rules.

The general flavor of the class is meant to be a divine templar-esque kind of fighter, a protector of the weak or shield of the innocent type. It is intended to be a prestige class for Fighter with a dip of Cleric or Paladin, combining all the martial prowess of a fighter with a clerics or paladin's religious pious nature for defending the weak.

Is this homebrewed prestige class balanced?



Stalwart Protector

The divine champion focuses his divine abilities both to augment his personal defense and to hinder enemy spellcasters. Perfectly suited for martial stalwarts who dabble in divine magic, this class offers characters the ability to improve their combat skills in ways neither soldiers nor spellcasters can.

Requirements

Alignment: Any non-evil

Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 1st-level divine spells, and worship a deity whose domain includes healing, although they do not need to have chosen healing as a domain.

Base Attack Bonus: +4

Class Features
LevelBase Attack BonusFort saveRef saveWill saveSpecialCaster Level
1+1+2+0+2Healing Grace+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
2+2+3+0+3Swift Cure+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3+3+3+1+3Divine Summons+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4+4+4+1+4Divine Boost+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5+5+4+1+4Divine Fury+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class


Hit die: d10

Skill points: 2 + Int

Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an stalwart protector, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Healing Grace (Su): Stalwart Protectors are a boon to the downtrodden and heal others more effectively than themselves. Any time you cast a conjuration spell that heals hp of another player you can increase the amount healed by your stalwart protector class level.

Swift Cure (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you can cast Cure spells as a swift action, as if you had applied the Quicken Spell feat to them (but without any change in level). The maximum level of spell you can quicken in this way is equal to your class level.

Divine Summons (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, any creatures summoned by you have the Saint or Sanctified template applied to them if normal they have th.

Divine Boost (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you gain the ability to burn Turn/rebuke uses to empower your martial abilities. As a swift action, you can spend one or more of your Turn/ Rebuke uses to grant yourself one of the following insight bonuses for 1 round.

Bonus on attack rolls equal to the number of uses spent.
Bonus on weapon damage rolls equal to twice the number of uses spent.
Bonus to AC equal to the number of uses spent.
Bonus on saving throws equal to the number of uses spent.
Resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic equal to 5 × the number of uses spent.

Divine Fury (Ex): At 5th level, you master the art of combining your militant and divine training. From this point on, your caster level in a chosen Divine spellcasting class is equal to your base attack bonus (unless it would otherwise be higher). For example, a 7th-level fighter/1st-level cleric/5th-level stalwart protector has a base attack bonus of +12 (and thus a caster level of 12th). You can apply this benefit to only one divine class to which you have added spellcasting levels by your advancement as an stalwart protector.

[nonsi]

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That's the first level-1 entry point PrC I've ever seen.
You should ask yourself if that's what you really want, especially given that the Cleric is already one of the 3 most powerful classes in the game.

[noob]

It is not as good as being a regular cleric: the effects are probably not worth the lost will saves(and skill points which are needed for entering other better prcs).
(ps: clerics can use a martial weapon at level 1 when they have the war domain)

[Network]

This would be easier to read with a table. I made one for you, so feel free to quote this post and copy-past the table in the original post.
LevelBase Attack BonusFort saveRef saveWill saveSpecialCaster Level
1+1+2+0+2Healing Grace+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
2+2+3+0+3Swift Cure+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3+3+3+1+3Divine Summons+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4+4+4+1+4Divine Boost+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5+5+4+1+4Divine Fury+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class


First, the requirements are too easy. In general, it should take 5 levels in other classes to meet the requirements for a prestige class. I recommend to add Requirement: "Base attack bonus: +4" and "Base Fortitude save: +5". This can easily be met by any combination of cleric and fighter levels totalizing 5 (4/1, or 3/2, or 2/3, or 1/4), or by a 6th-level cleric or paladin, and guarantees that the class can't be entered too soon.

Most of the class features are about on the power level you were aiming for, but I think Divine Summons is currently too strong. Amongst other benefits, the Saint template grants immunity to acid, cold and electricity. This is a bit strong to apply to all summons, considering that a cleric loses only Turn Undead for entering the class. I respectfully disagree with the above commenter that losing on base Will save is a major investment, because they will only be 1 point behind a full-classed cleric over the course of 5 levels (Will +7 for a cleric 11 compared to Will +6 for a cleric 6/stalwart protector 5).

[ATHATH]

Network, the class has a poor Will save progression, not a good one; your table doesn't reflect that. I'm more concerned about the poor skill point progression, but it's not that bad (depending on what PrCs you plan to enter and feats you plan to take).


It is not as good as being a regular cleric: the effects are probably not worth the lost will saves(and skill points which are needed for entering other better prcs).
(ps: clerics can use a martial weapon at level 1 when they have the war domain)
I'd actually argue that this is superior to a regular Cleric by a significant margin. The Saint template is preeeeeeeetty good (and since your summons are using the template instead of you, you don't really have to worry too much about the requirements of sainthood (can Saints fall like Paladins? It doesn't really matter; just summon a new Saint chimpanzee if one of them falls). The extra BAB for qualifying for PrCs is pretty nice, too, as is the free Quickening for your cure spells.

You should probably at the very least make this PrC require proficiency in ALL martial weapons, not just one, or else elves and Clerics with the War domain can easily get into the PrC without touching a full BAB class.

[Maat Mons]

It is intended to be a prestige class for Fighter with a dip of Cleric or Paladin

I don't really see how this incentivizes anyone to take levels of Fighter. It looks like a nice option for clerics, since it's easy to get into, doesn't give up any casting, and provides some substantial benefits.

If someone has been playing a martial character, and they suddenly decide they want spellcasting, this doesn't solve the underlying problem that they're going to be super behind on what levels of spells they have access to.

honestly, the fact that players can never "catch up" if they try to branch out into a second area on a preexisting character is a flaw that is very deeply-embedded into the system. And you're not going to fix it by making a prestige class.




You should probably at the very least make this PrC require proficiency in ALL martial weapons, not just one, or else elves and Clerics with the War domain can easily get into the PrC without touching a full BAB class.

Even if it did require proficiency with all martial weapons, the militia feat still gives that with no class level investment. For that matter, so does the Outsider type, which can be gotten in various ways.

[cassal]

This would be easier to read with a table. I made one for you, so feel free to quote this post and copy-past the table in the original post.

Thanks! I have integrated it above.


First, the requirements are too easy. In general, it should take 5 levels in other classes to meet the requirements for a prestige class. I recommend to add Requirement: "Base attack bonus: +4" and "Base Fortitude save: +5".

Fair enough, I also think this helps pushing it into a fighter prestige class instead or a cleric one.


Most of the class features are about on the power level you were aiming for, but I think Divine Summons is currently too strong. Amongst other benefits, the Saint template grants immunity to acid, cold and electricity. This is a bit strong to apply to all summons, considering that a cleric loses only Turn Undead for entering the class.

Again fair, but I made this a tad more powerful to compensate for the potential lack of high level spells. I am curious where you got that they lost Turn Undead as that is NOT the intention and should be removed/reworded if that is the case.


I'd actually argue that this is superior to a regular Cleric by a significant margin. The Saint template is preeeeeeeetty good (and since your summons are using the template instead of you, you don't really have to worry too much about the requirements of sainthood (can Saints fall like Paladins? It doesn't really matter; just summon a new Saint chimpanzee if one of them falls).

The extra BAB for qualifying for PrCs is pretty nice, too, as is the free Quickening for your cure spells.

You should probably at the very least make this PrC require proficiency in ALL martial weapons, not just one, or else elves and Clerics with the War domain can easily get into the PrC without touching a full BAB class.[/QUOTE]


I don't really see how this incentivizes anyone to take levels of Fighter. It looks like a nice option for clerics, since it's easy to get into, doesn't give up any casting, and provides some substantial benefits.

It's not to incentivize fighter. It's to incentivize cleric for a fighter.



If someone has been playing a martial character, and they suddenly decide they want spellcasting, this doesn't solve the underlying problem that they're going to be super behind on what levels of spells they have access to.

honestly, the fact that players can never "catch up" if they try to branch out into a second area on a preexisting character is a flaw that is very deeply-embedded into the system. And you're not going to fix it by making a prestige class.

That is something I 100% agree with. In fact, I agree with it so much that I'm avoiding the issue altogether. This was never meant to an uber-maxed PrC. just a way for a fighter to be a decent divine spellcaster, without giving up to much of what makes him a fighter. The build I had in mind was along the lines of the build mentioned in the Divine Fury class feature: FGTR 4/CLC 1/SP 5. Spellcating to up to 3rd level. This was intentional, as i wanted to create a fighter that had a little bit divine favor, the idea is that they go on to continue with pure fighter or a more martial PrC.