Dark Scholar: Viable Option? ~3.5~

[Tokuhara]

Looking through Slaughtergarde, I stumbled across the Dark Scholar PrC. I read over it and am now wondering why many optimizers seem to avoid this class like the plague.

For those who haven't read Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde, it's a PrC based on "The Ebon Cabal," an order of neutral (primarily) arcanists who search for "Forbidden Lore" and search for Ultimate Knowledge.

From the class features, it offers 9/10 casting, lots of Knowledge Devotion synergy, and some excellent bonuses to spells, spellcasting, and saving throws. Granted, the aging thing is less than useful, nor the lack of other ascensions, but maybe a dip into this followed by some dips into Lorekeeper, MotAO, and Archmage could make a Scholar who knows literally every spell in the books, knows everything that anyone could know (Dark Scholar gives you Bardic Knowledge), and truckloads of spellcasting with silence on 7th level and below spells (it makes all spells 2 levels and below your max treated as Silent Spells)

So my major question is why this class seems to not be implimented in many wizard builds? Is it because the book is less than common, or is it because I'm missing some inside joke on how bad this class secretly is, considering that it appears to have potential to be quite powerful when coupled with excellent other optimizing tricks of the trade.

[ex cathedra]

I would assume that it's because of the obscure source, as 9/10 caster progression coupled with relevant class features is generally enough to make a PrC viable, assuming that it has reasonable requirements.

Personally, I've never heard of the book (which I found somewhat surprising), and I'll look into acquiring it. It might have some interesting material, and I'll be better suited to commenting on the class' usefulness.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

This definitely looks dippable but not terribly useful for the long haul. Bardic Knowledge is always something nice to have even when you've got +yes for most of your knowledges.

Looking over the lists, you'll probably want to delay taking the class if you intend on taking it to completion. The will save booster is jank due to your good will save. The caster level boost to divination and illusion is okay, but not worth the lost caster level. The boosts to ave DCs to enchantment and necromancy are okay if you're trying to milk the largest DC possible. The free silent spells are very nice and with Sanctum Spell, you can have it apply to all your spells. The reserve magic domain ability is nice, but UMD could easily have gotten you there by that point. The last two abilities are similarly meh, but one of them at least allows for more CL boosts for a morning buff routine.

Overall, I'd probably dip into this on a Sanctum Spell-using War Weaver if I had the levels and caster level to spare for the free silent spell effect.

[TooManyBadgers]

Not many people seem to know about Knight of the Raven, either, and that's a fine class. And Ravenloft is at least a setting a lot of folks have heard of.

This is just obscure. I can't find a single review of it, it doesn't even have an entry on the wizards page.

--looks up--
So it's like Paragnostic apostle, but with harsher requirements, 1 lost CL and two dead levels? I don't get it.

[gorfnab]

It's an okay prestige class. It kinda reminds me of Paragnostic Apostle in most ways. Lots of little abilities to choose from based on how many ranks in certain knowledge skills you have and a Lore ability (Bardic Knowledge). Wizard 5/ Paragnostic Apostle 2/ Dark Scholar 10/ Paragnostic Apostle 3 - this could be a decent build for an extremely bookish wizard. 20+Int mod Lore checks at 20th level is not too shabby either. Basically Dark Scholar could work okay as a wizard prestige class for a knowledge focused wizard. It would probably work great for an NPC know-it-all type wizard.

[Tokuhara]

It's an okay prestige class. It kinda reminds me of Paragnostic Apostle in most ways. Lots of little abilities to choose from based on how many ranks in certain knowledge skills you have and a Lore ability (Bardic Knowledge). Wizard 5/ Paragnostic Apostle 2/ Dark Scholar 10/ Paragnostic Apostle 3 - this could be a decent build for an extremely bookish wizard. 20+Int mod Lore checks at 20th level is not too shabby either. Basically Dark Scholar could work okay as a wizard prestige class for a knowledge focused wizard. It would probably work great for an NPC know-it-all type wizard.

So using Dark Scholar with Lorekeeper and Archmage is a good idea? Like:

Wizard 5/Paragnostic Apostle 2/Dark Scholar 10/Lorekeeper 2/Archmage 1?

[gorfnab]

So using Dark Scholar with Lorekeeper and Archmage is a good idea? Like:

Wizard 5/Paragnostic Apostle 2/Dark Scholar 10/Lorekeeper 2/Archmage 1?

Not really. The only Loremaster ability worth getting at that level is the bonus feat secret but you would need an Int of 24 to do it. Archmage has just never really appealed to me. Besides, Archmage and Loremaster have horrible near useless prereqs that eat up a lot of feats. A build like the one you posted would leave very little room for any other feats but the combined prereqs of Archmage and Loremaster .Skill Focus x2, Spell Focus x2, Metamagic x3 = 7 feats used. If you're not human and not using flaws that would eat up all of your feats.

[Tokuhara]

Not really. The only Loremaster ability worth getting at that level is the bonus feat secret but you would need an Int of 24 to do it. Archmage has just never really appealed to me. Besides, Archmage and Loremaster have horrible near useless prereqs that eat up a lot of feats. A build like the one you posted would leave very little room for any other feats but the combined prereqs of Archmage and Loremaster .Skill Focus x2, Spell Focus x2, Metamagic x3 = 7 feats used. If you're not human and not using flaws that would eat up all of your feats.

I always use flaws. And with lots of +int items, you can win with any secret

[TooManyBadgers]

Given the Dark Scholar's lost caster level, the skill requirements for individual class abilities and the limited number of useful abilities, I wouldn't bother taking it before level 18.

Once you have 9th level spells, you're pretty much free to do whatever you want, without any real drawbacks. Before you have 9th level spells, the cost is just too high.

[Tokuhara]

Given the Dark Scholar's lost caster level, the skill requirements for individual class abilities and the limited number of useful abilities, I wouldn't bother taking it before level 18.

Once you have 9th level spells, you're pretty much free to do whatever you want, without any real drawbacks. Before you have 9th level spells, the cost is just too high.

That said, you can still get 9th level spells even with the lost caster level. Really, one level for some good class features isn't a bad trade

[Thurbane]

Not many people seem to know about Knight of the Raven, either, and that's a fine class. And Ravenloft is at least a setting a lot of folks have heard of.

Nitpick - EtCR (the book in which KotR appears) is not set in the world/demiplane of Ravenloft - it is set in a valley which is deisgned to be dropped into any game world. In Chapter 1, the book gives ideas for setting the adventure in FR, Eberron and even d20 Modern.

[TooManyBadgers]

That said, you can still get 9th level spells even with the lost caster level. Really, one level for some good class features isn't a bad trade

Having good class features is the key to that statement. The DS's small numeric bonuses really don't meet that mark. See Recaster or War Weaver for examples of what's worth a trade.

If you want it for a game, yes, DS is probably fun. If you're wondering why it wouldn't come up in optimization exercises, it's because it really isn't that good.