Caster prestige classes that DON'T advance casting?

[H_H_F_F]

Prestige classes that require casting but never advance it. It's weird, it's bad, it's interesting.

The only one I can think of is the DMG hierophant, but I doubt it's the only one. Does anybody know of any others?

I'm especially interested in ones accesible to arcane casters.

[rrwoods]

Blade Dancer (OA) requires the "ability to cast arcane or divine spells", then does absolutely nada with that ability. My favorite way to satisfy it is one level of Duskblade since it's a full-BAB class with spells at level 1. I sort of consider this to be a dip in a class that has 2/day swift expeditious retreat (or obscuring mist, maybe) as a class feature. Alternatively take it to 3 and pick up the Duskblade's main schtick.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Blade Dancer (OA) requires the "ability to cast arcane or divine spells", then does absolutely nada with that ability. My favorite way to satisfy it is one level of Duskblade since it's a full-BAB class with spells at level 1. I sort of consider this to be a dip in a class that has 2/day swift expeditious retreat (or obscuring mist, maybe) as a class feature. Alternatively take it to 3 and pick up the Duskblade's main schtick.

I like to use magical training from PgtF. Leaves all my class levels to do what I want.

Most classes that ask for casting but do nothing with it probably aren't what you'd call "caster prestige classes." They're meant for skillful types or warriors with a splash of magic. One that's very much not the latter though, is OA's eunuch warlock. You get extra slots but only at levels you could already cast for levels in other classes and some less than stellar, preselected metamagic tricks. It's just bad.

[AvatarVecna]

I don't think Master Of Many Forms meets the definition you've put forth, but...

[Troacctid]

Mystic (D274) is like a prototype eunuch warlock with no casting advancement. Eunuch warlock itself was changed to advance casting 9/10 in the 3.5 update.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Mystic (D274) is like a prototype eunuch warlock with no casting advancement. Eunuch warlock itself was changed to advance casting 9/10 in the 3.5 update.

OMG that's actually worse. :smalleek:

I was aware of the update but you know how people do with Dragon content.

[Rebel7284]

Eldritch Master is actually quite interesting: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?323862-Brainstorming-Eldrich-Master
Dragon Disciple
Arcane Duelist: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Warshaper. Polymorph is probably the worst possible way to qualify for the class, but hot damn does the class pack a punch even on a caster. To the point that it's considered a net 0 on a Druid by the PrC Tier List. For the people more savvy than I with casting/Wild Shape, how does Warshaper with polymorph compare to Warshaper with Wild Shape?

[Rebel7284]

Warshaper. Polymorph is probably the worst possible way to qualify for the class, but hot damn does the class pack a punch even on a caster. To the point that it's considered a net 0 on a Druid by the PrC Tier List. For the people more savvy than I with casting/Wild Shape, how does Warshaper with polymorph compare to Warshaper with Wild Shape?

I think everything depends on how Morphic Weapons work in your game. If you can grow a thousand tentacle attacks, it's a very different power level than if you can grow one.

[AvatarVecna]

Oh! I think Master Of The Unseen Hand qualifies? Requires casting, but can't actually advance it, beyond advancing the caster level for very particular spells?

[Nifft]

Blighter requires Druid casting but does not advance casting ... since it has its own casting instead.

In that vein, Nar Demonbinder and Sublime Chord both require casting and provide their own casting instead of advancing your base class.

[rel]

Arcane Archer should meet your reqs

[Saintheart]

Ur-Priest requires divine casting (all right, all right, arguably maybe), but then forces you to give it up and just resorts to stealing it instead. :smalltongue:

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Ah, War Chanter. Requires you to be a Bard, but doesn't progress casting.

[Troacctid]

Enlightened spirit, for all those non-eunuch warlocks out there!

[redking]

Enlightened spirit, for all those non-eunuch warlocks out there!

Tee hee. This reminds me of the time I asked my DM what mystical powers I could have for being a eunuch. He replied "if your PC actually lops off his junk I'd probably give you a free metamagic feat".

CharOp or not I wasn't going to do that.

[Kaleph]

Gnome artificer!!!

[liquidformat]

Mindspy also requires casting but doesn't improve it

[Gruftzwerg]

Warshaper. Polymorph is probably the worst possible way to qualify for the class, but hot damn does the class pack a punch even on a caster. To the point that it's considered a net 0 on a Druid by the PrC Tier List. For the people more savvy than I with casting/Wild Shape, how does Warshaper with polymorph compare to Warshaper with Wild Shape?
Morphic Weapon is an OP ability to have. (even without breaking the rules.. see response to the next quote below)
Have a look at this nice list of natural weapons (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?286497-101-Natural-Weapons) you can access with it. The way the "Attack:" line is defined in the MM, any non martial weapon mentioned in that line is a "Natural Weapon" and thus is available with Morphic Weapons. Stuff like Disintegrating Touch from an Umbral Blot (Blackball) (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/umbralBlot.htm)

I like to compare Warshaper builds by the effective uptime of the prc abilities.

Alter Self = doesn't qualify at all since it is not "Polymorph based". Just because Polymorph refers to work like Alter Self doesn't give do anything for that.

3. Polymorph = 1 min / clvl

2. Wild Shape = 1 hour / lvl of Wild Shape progression

1. Changeling race = infinite duration

You really need a good reason not to go for Changeling here. It allows early entry if you go for a full BAB class. You can even ignore spellcasting if you don't want it in your build.


I think everything depends on how Morphic Weapons work in your game. If you can grow a thousand tentacle attacks, it's a very different power level than if you can grow one.
The ruletext mentions that you can "change" your Morphic Weapons on reuse (while a previous instance is active):

A warshaper can change morphic weapons as often as it likes, even if it is using a shapechanging technique such as the polymorph spell or the wild shape class feature that doesn’t allow subsequent changes after the initial transformation.
The ability explains how to use Morphic Weapons wile a previous one is still active. The way it is worded it doesn't leave any room for other outcomes when a previous instance is still active. Thus you can't stack multiple instances of "Morphic Weapons".

[ShurikVch]

Ah, War Chanter. Requires you to be a Bard, but doesn't progress casting.
In that case, also - Dawncaller, Dirgesinger, Seeker of the Song

Kabuki Warrior (Dragon #298) required the "ability to cast three Illusion spells"

Windsinger (Dragon #294) must be "Able to cast 0-level arcane spells"

[Gruftzwerg]

I forgot I wanted to add "Hammer of Moradin" to the list. It requires divine casting but doesn't do anything for it.

But hey, maybe this is the way Moradin wants his clerics to be?

Moradin: "You wanna be an idol-cleric of mine?
Then stop acting like a cleric and start to smash some heads with your warhammer. Earn some respect you fool !!!" :smallbiggrin:

[Darg]

Hey, if we are branching out then all of them don't advance the truenamer.