Knight Phantom early entry help

[Jervis]

This might seem like a weird request, but this is one of those PrCs that always interested me. Its no Ab Champ, but its fun for a Gish. For those not aware, Knight Phantom is a 9/10 spellcasting full BaB prestige class for arcane casters in the book 5 nations. I was trying to find a way to qualify for earlier entry because of two reasons. First off, its actually pretty good and getting in early would allow a Gish to start not sucking faster. Secondly, its probably easier to gain early entry into this than it is to get it for any other Gish PrC, with fairly mild requirements.

The class has some of the lest complicated requirements of any Gishing PrC i've seen, only needing all martial weapons, still spell, ride 4 ranks, and the ability to cast phantom steed. The later seemingly locks it to level 6 at the earliest but its easy enough to meet it with a SLA or domain cheese. The lesser dragonmark of passage meets the Phantom Steed requirement, but doesn't get us much closer because that feat normally requires skill ranks impossible to get before level 6, which pushes entry to level 7. Loosing a caster level lets you get the feat at level 4, allowing you to take your first level at 5. Its also theoretically possible to gain access with the spider domain and versatile spellcaster, letting you theoretically get it as early as ECL 4 with enough cheese, though gaining that domain on anything that can qualify isn't the easiest thing on the planet. And honestly i don't know of a very easy way to do it.

So that brings us to the impasse. Is there any way to reasonably get into this earlier than ECL 5?

[Kaleph]

I believe that a 3rd level wizard (casting 2nd level spells) may copy phantom steed into its spellbook, take sanctum spell as its 3rd level feat, select a dragonblood pool as its sanctum, gain a 3rd level slot and prepare phantom steed into it.

The wizard must be able to cast some spells spontaneously (e.g. spontaneous summoner UA variant) to make good use of the dragonblood pool.

[Ruethgar]

Let’s see, a White Dragonspawn Abomination of any non-listed race(Kobold for example) can get +7 sorcerer casting at level one and qualify. Since they would be a dragon, they could also pick Loredrake for +9(doesn’t specify only True dragons, just heavily implies).

Along those lines, any dragon race(Hatchlings are ECL 0 and silver gives +2 Cha) can get Loredrake for 1 level early entry. Kobolds specifically can also get Greater Draconic Rite of Passage for 1 more level, down to 3.

A rune staff and versetile caster, probably with precocious apprentice, can get you in earlier.

An Archivist can scrawl down a cantrip version of Phantom Steed as caught by a Spellhaording Dragon and cast by a Mind Mage.

Similarly, Expanded Knowledge and Practiced Manifester on an Awakened Animal Ardent. Assume Advanced Monkey for ECL 1 and ML 5. So 2 more levels and you have your Phantom Steed via Expanded Knowledge an StP Erudite power, which is also still a spell(technically).

Speaking of Awakened Animal, back to the double wish to get Spellweaver casting and you have minimum Sorc casting of 5 at level one, pick Sorc as your first level and you qualify.

[Darg]

Wizard with two feats: Alacritous Cogitation and Versatile spellcaster would let you cast Phantom steed at wizard 3 as long as you copy the spell into your spell book. This means a level 5 entry.

Spontaneous Summoning Wizard with 2 flaws: Versatile Spellcaster, Sanctum Spell, Extra Slot x2 with a backstory that somehow gave them their masters spell book with a level 2 spell in it or something or somehow get a second level spell into your spell book and have someone perform the Dark Chaos shuffle to update those extra slots to second level. This can get you in at level 3

[Elves]

Primary Contact feat (Cityscape) for +1 skill rank. Retrain it after entering the PRC.

[Rebel7284]

Necropolitan Duskblade 1

- Ride as a class skill
- Still spell as feat
- Spellstiched with phantom steed

Can enter knight phantom at level 2, although the Duskblade spell list is not terribly exciting to progress.

Spellstiching is a little expensive so this might require some WBL-abuse to pull off. 13000GP and 6500XP is quite a price tag, so even though you should have at least second level WBL (necropolitan makes you lose a level), that's some intense spellcasting services costs.

If you use one of the ways to expand your class skill list, you can enter as Wizard 1, which would be even better.

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?451088-Alternative-ways-to-get-new-Class-skills