Optimizing the Spirit Speaker (Dragon 323)

[Zombulian]

So here’s an interesting PrC I haven’t heard much about.
It’s got really easy prereqs, casts Ranger spells on an accelerated progression off of Charisma, and has a really neat “Spirit Guide” that is basically just an Unseen Servant that gives you more abilities as you level. The capstone is kinda crap, but at 9th level of the class you get Scrying (with no material component or focus) and Legend Lore.

How could you use this? What ranger spells are even good to pair with delivering Touch at a range? How would you enter?

[Palanan]

This is an odd little PrC which I don’t think I’ve heard of before.

It’s interesting in the basic concept, but seems very weak in the execution, and I’m trying to think of what sort of character it would really work for. I suppose a ranger could take this for the faster spell progression, and maybe a wilderness rogue or wildshape monk could take this for quasi-ranger spellcasting.

Otherwise, not really sure what to do with it. Seems to hardly ever be mentioned in the Playground.

[Zombulian]

This is an odd little PrC which I don’t think I’ve heard of before.

Yeah that’s why I posted. It’s neat but I’d literally never heard of it.


It’s interesting in the basic concept, but seems very weak in the execution, and I’m trying to think of what sort of character it would really work for. I suppose a ranger could take this for the faster spell progression, and maybe a wilderness rogue or wildshape monk could take this for quasi-ranger spellcasting.

Otherwise, not really sure what to do with it. Seems to hardly ever be mentioned in the Playground.

That’s kinda my main issue. It’s a cool concept, but it doesn’t really contain too many synergies. It’s too self-contained to be something that can just be thrown into a build for 10 levels. Honestly it kinda feels like a 20 level base class idea that they didn’t want to put the work into fleshing out.
If instead of having accelerated Ranger spells and instead was a caster progressing PrC I think it’d be fun to play with. I’d even be willing to give up a few levels of progression for the spirit guide.