Arcane disciple class varient

[Rleonardh]

D6 hp
Same Bab
Same saves
No turning
No domains even though you get magic domain spells
Free metamagic or item creation feats
Can learn any bard/wizard spell up to level 8.(highest spell level - 1)
Up to medium armor and simple weapons.


What do you guys think about this varient? Think it's a magazine one.

Yes cleric and Cloistered Cleric are better, just looking at different clerics as they my favorite class to play.
Maybe even for monster classes.

[Anthrowhale]

What do you guys think about this varient?
It's Dragon #311, I believe. It's possible to make it 0-9.

It's quite good, particularly if there happens to be only one full caster in the party. It's similar to Archivist that way.

[pabelfly]

D6 hp
Same Bab
Same saves
No turning
No domains even though you get magic domain spells
Free metamagic or item creation feats
Can learn any bard/wizard spell up to level 8.(highest spell level - 1)
Up to medium armor and simple weapons.


What do you guys think about this varient? Think it's a magazine one.

Yes cleric and Cloistered Cleric are better, just looking at different clerics as they my favorite class to play.
Maybe even for monster classes.

Not natively getting turning sucks but you can dip to get it other ways anyway if you want to do some DMM shenaningans. Otherwise looks pretty solid, especially if you start adding a few domains to your roster through dips.

[Maat Mons]

It’s pretty good. One thing you left out of your description is that you only get to pick one spell to graft onto your list for every class level. The way you phrased it, it comes off sounding like you can go around learning any spells you can lay your hands on, the way an Archivist can. With how many good spells the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list has, it’s hard to only pick only a few you’ll ever have access to.

The value of Arcane Disciple is, relatively speaking, diminished by the existence of Archivist. If your DM doesn’t allow tricks, an Archivist can’t just nab any Wizard spell. But as long as you can get ahold of scrolls crafted by Clerics with various domains, there are actually quite a few good spells from that list you can get access to. Plus, you should be able to find scrolls of Druid spells pretty easily. And if your DM doesn’t think it’s too cheesy, pilfering from the Ranger and Paladin spell lists can get you some spells at a lower level than normal.

If you head into a prestige class, you no longer get Arcane to Divine each level. On the one hand, it’s nice to have an incentive to stick with the class. On the other hand, you’re kind of locked into the class. Domains and Turn Undead can continue to be useful after you prestige out. But a lot of low-level spells cease being effective at high levels, so an Arcane Disciple who opts for a prestige class may find their defining feature loosing effectiveness. Trading prestige-class-friendly class features for a class feature that isn’t prestige-class-friendly limits your options.

It may be worth noting that one of the best features of domains is that they can give you access to spells from other lists. Granted, most domains have at least one spell that’s already on the Cleric spell list. And even the domains that give off-list spells every level probably have at least one spell you wouldn’t have picked yourself. So, you’re going from having up to 18 off-list spells chosen by someone else, to having 20 off-list spells you can hand pick. That’s nice. But you’re also going from maybe getting spells at the same level they appear on other lists, to definitely getting them later. That, plus losing Turn Undead and domain granted powers, is probably enough to balance it. The inability to use prestige classes feels like it’s over-compensating.

[Rleonardh]

I can definitely see this class added to monsters.
Most likely will make a bbeg using this class or a mid boss encounter.

Half orc fighter 2 arcane disciple 11
Human cleric 4 barbarian 9 (pounce and whirling frenzy mini charger)
2 chimera 😈

[cython]

I mainly use this class for FR Elf NPC clerics as cultural differentiation between the different races. Since in elven society, faith and magic are more interwoven compared to other societies. Also, use Master of Radiance to gain Turn Undead and Contemplative to gain domains. I focus on capturing the theme rather than the optimization aspects of Elf clerics.