[3.5] Early Entry Divine PrCs

[Thurbane]

I'm a fan of the Favored Soul class, but it's class features are pretty disappointing.

I'm looking for any full casting PrCs I can find, and the earlier the entry level, the better. Also, the fewer entry reqs, the better.

I would have access to the ACF where I can have Knowledge (religion) instead of Knowledge (arcana) as a class skill.

I've already got my eye on Divine Disciple and Contemplative, but those are ECL 9 and ECL 11 entry, respectively. I could bring Divine Disciple down to ECL 7 with some Versatile Spellcaster/Heighten Spell cheese, but I'd rather not have to blow those feats.

Ruathar is an easy ECL 7 entry, or ECL 5 with cheese, but the class features aren't amazing.

All suggestions welcome.

TLDR? Looking for easy/early PrC for a Favored Soul to enter, and not lose any casting.

Cheers - T

[Saintheart]

For completeness -- Runecaster is ECL 6 and provides 10/10 divine casting, but the problem is that, being a spontaneous caster, you pretty much can't use its class features without a DM ruling that Arcane Preparation can apply to divine spells.

[WhamBamSam]

An Aasimar can enter Paragnostic Apostle at 3rd level by virtue of their Daylight SLA.

A Dragonwrought Kobold automatically qualifies for Singer of Concordance at any time via dragon auto-qualifcation.

A Favored Soul might have a little trouble with the skill prereqs and can't get Zone of Truth until a level later than Cleric, but Church Inquisitor is a classic early-access divine PrC.

Loses one level of casting, but Ordained Champion can be entered at 5th level and is pretty good. Similarly, Human Paragon is a tolerable 2/3 that you could jump into whenever.

Divine Oracle or Mystic Wanderer are easy to enter at 6th and give some decent things as stopgaps before you qualify for Divine Disciple.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Divine Oracle in CD has an entry level limitation of 8 skill ranks, rather than a spell level requirement. It has one feat prerequisite that you can get from visiting the Frog God's Fane in CS. It gets decent features for the first four levels, and is otherwise great for jumping off to a higher level prestige class.

Paragnostic Apostle in CS is great for a dip, as you generally only want as many levels as the number of class features you intend to take.

A single level dip into Ardent with Practiced Manifester to learn higher level powers gets you into Psychic Theurge (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040925b). Be sure to use Substitute Powers (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a). You can go FS 4/ Ardent 1/ Psychic Theurge 10 and have 8th level powers in addition to your spells, just take Ardent at 3rd level since feats are selected prior to spells/powers when leveling up. If you use magic/psionics transparency use Illumian with the Krau sigil and delay completing Psychic Theurge by two levels with a FS-advancing prestige class and you'll be able to learn 9th level powers. Sadly if a Favored Soul goes Illumian they'll likely go Aeshkrau or Uurkrau and completely dump Wis, so it turns an optimal choice against you by forcing you to be MAD.

[Endarire]

Complete Divine has Church Inquisitor which can normally enter at level 4. (A FvS may need to be level 4.)

[Kalkra]

Malconvoker can be entered early if you can snag Summon Monster III, although you'd probably need contemplative for that, so it kinda defeats the purpose of early entry. Goes nice with Thaumaturgist.

Also, I'll mention that Mad Faith and/or Eldritch Corruption go a long way towards meeting spell requirements.

[Fouredged Sword]

May I recommend just taking the spontaneous casting ACF for cleric rather than favored soul? It's everything a favored soul is, but now with domains to match your god and class features.

Though my favored early entry loses two levels of spellcasting. You CAN get into walker in the waste at level 2 though, and be a dry lich at level 11.

[noce]

Sentinel of Bharrai does not require casting (but advances it) and can be entered by a level 5 Favored Soul.

[Thurbane]

Nice suggestions everyone.

Even though I don't like race-reliant builds, I'm intrigued by Aasimar entry into Paragnostic Apostle. The LA +1 hurts, though, and Lesser Planetouched aren't generally allowed in our games.

I can't think of any other races that get access to a 3rd level SLAs, and none of the feat options to get 3rd level+ SLAs only seem to come online at 6th level, or require other LA adjusted races.

The skill reqs for PA are a little problematic as well, and would probably require investment in a feat that gives all Knowledge skills.


May I recommend just taking the spontaneous casting ACF for cleric rather than favored soul?

Nope - like many tables, the optional base classes in UA are not used alongside regular classes at any of our tables.

We use Cloistered Cleric etc. as "ACFs", but not things like Spontaneous Cleric or Generic Spellcaster which are straight out power-ups of existing classes.

The Mystic from DLC might be considered, but is a little setting specific for most of our games.

[Endarire]

@OP: Spontaneous caster Cleric differs from Complete Champion's ACF of Spontaneous Domain, where you can spontaneously cast spells from one domain you have instead of cure or inflict spells. I used this to get a spontaneous summoning Cleric.

Savage Aasimar (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) doesn't get you daylight immediately, but it's a Native Outsider with +2 CHA and no LA! (You also don't need to finish the savage progression of this article's creatures, unlike in Savage Species.)

Heighten Spell + ways to reduce or replace this feat's cost (Easy Metamagic, Divine Metamagic, etc.) help you enter PrCs earlier.

[Thurbane]

@OP: Spontaneous caster Cleric differs from Complete Champion's ACF of Spontaneous Domain, where you can spontaneously cast spells from one domain you have instead of cure or inflict spells. I used this to get a spontaneous summoning Cleric.

Ah, I may have misunderstood, thank you.

Still, I have no interest in playing a Cleric instead of a FS.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I just realized Favored Soul doesn't get Kn: Religion as a class skill, just Kn: Arcana. I guess you could Knowledge Devotion into it, then Frog God's Fane into Divine Oracle for one to four levels before taking whatever else you've got your eye on.

[Thurbane]

I just realized Favored Soul doesn't get Kn: Religion as a class skill, just Kn: Arcana. I guess you could Knowledge Devotion into it, then Frog God's Fane into Divine Oracle for one to four levels before taking whatever else you've got your eye on.

We use this option at our tables: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x


Knowledge Specialty (Ex): At 1st level, a favored soul can choose whether to make Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) a class skill. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed.

[Edea]

I just realized Favored Soul doesn't get Kn: Religion.

I'm sure there was a good reason. Nothing at all to do with copy-pasting Sorcerer and slapping "divine" on it. No sir.

[Thurbane]

I'm sure there was a good reason. Nothing at all to do with copy-pasting Sorcerer and slapping "divine" on it. No sir.

The annoying thing was they had a chance to correct it when it was reprinted in CD (after first appearing in MH). At least they gave us a web article, I guess...

[bean illus]

... with some Versatile Spellcaster/Heighten Spell cheese, but I'd rather not have to blow those feats.


It's not exactly like your wasting feats. Versatile Spellcaster is super useful, and Heighten has uses. Frog Fane your Iron Will, and start collecting Domains.

[Anthrowhale]

As an aside, the UA spontaneous cleric is not a power boost over the cleric generally since the spell selection is much more limited. It's also not a pure power boost over the favored soul, because the number of chosen known top level spells for a favored soul is substantially larger than for the spontaneous cleric (3 vs. 1 or 2). I would generally consider the power level here cleric > spontaneous cleric > favored soul, but for certain purposes either inequality could be reversed.

[Thurbane]

So, assuming I can get Lesser Aasimar to fly, something like FS 3/PA 5/DD 5/Contemplative 7 (or any combo of DD and Contemplative that equals 12 levels).

I'd need to lock in the Education feat for PA skill reqs (and a minimum Int of 12). Is the ECS version of this feat the last published?

[WhamBamSam]

So, assuming I can get Lesser Aasimar to fly, something like FS 3/PA 5/DD 5/Contemplative 7 (or any combo of DD and Contemplative that equals 12 levels).

I'd need to lock in the Education feat for PA skill reqs (and a minimum Int of 12). Is the ECS version of this feat the last published?You might also be able to manage with Knowledge Devotion and getting a Knowledge skill from Paragnostic Assembly affiliation, though maybe it's not possible to get the necessary affiliation score in time.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

The feats Apprentice Philosopher and Apprentice Spellcaster from DMG2 can add Kno:Religion to your class list, give you a couple extra skill points, and be traded away later for Mentor which is a limited version of Leadership.

[Bullet06320]

I'd need to lock in the Education feat for PA skill reqs (and a minimum Int of 12). Is the ECS version of this feat the last published?

Education – ECS, FRCS, PGtF, Ghostwalk - only at first level
ecs june 2004 looks like last published
frcs 2001
pgtf march 2004
ghostwalk june 2003


Scholar - Kingdoms of Kalamar: Player's Guide - all knowledge skills and a bonus on 3 and does not need to be taken at 1st level


https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?491181-Alternative-ways-to-get-new-Class-skills&p=20885236#post20885236

[ShurikVch]

Contemplative may be entered at ECL 10 - if you're OK to take at your 9th level Primary Contact feat for +1 on Knowledge (religion); feat may even be retrained later, when you have enough "normal" ranks to qualify...

Divine Disciple may be entered at ECL 6 - if your PC is a disciple of some LE power, and make Faustian Pact for 4th-level spell slot...