Swiftblade, Mystic Ranger and SotAO

[Fizzban]

1. Does a Mystic Ranger using Sword of the Arcane Order qualify for Swiftblade?

2. Does Sword of the Arcane Order change the Mystic Ranger's spell casting from divine to arcane, or does it just allow them to prepare arcane spells still casting them as divine? Swiftblade only progresses arcane casting not divine so if the Mystic Ranger's spells are still divine its a major down grade.

3. How would you build a Mystic Ranger(SotAO)/Swiftblade?

4. Is Mystic Ranger a good Swiftblade build if possible?

Thanks

Fizzban

[Coidzor]

Well, you prepare Wizard spells. Your casting and saves for the wizard spells are based off of Intelligence. Your CL from Mystic Ranger would stack with your Wizard CL if you had one.

I can't remember the pre-requisites for Swiftblade, but most people on the forums seem to interpret Ranger+SotAO as allowing to qualify as arcane casting for PrCs.

I think it largely depends on the DM whether they're subject to Arcane Spell Failure or not.

[Keld Denar]

Its legal. The "goodness" of it is debatable, since you wouldn't have the high level spell slots to do any of the really cool tricks like Time Stop. It would be decent though. You might want to get some Pearls of Power III to make sure you don't burn out after the 2nd combat though.

[Eldariel]

Its legal. The "goodness" of it is debatable, since you wouldn't have the high level spell slots to do any of the really cool tricks like Time Stop. It would be decent though. You might want to get some Pearls of Power III to make sure you don't burn out after the 2nd combat though.

Basically, it's awe-inspiring until level 10 or so, when it's basically a full-casting (with multiple lists) full-BAB full-skill class and then wanes off when the spell progression ends. So...yeah, 1-10 it's awesome (Tier 1, easily) and 11-20 it's decent (Tier 3 or so). Of course the break point isn't that accurate, but still, not getting level 6 spells is a bummer.

[Coidzor]

Well, you need a minimum 15 Wis and 15 Int (but, you can get that through items + base stats depending upon levels and wealth, probably need at least 13-14 Wis to start and then Int can be pumped up with items if bumping it for the skills isn't necessary) for all of your spells and better stats depending upon what you're going to cast that will demand saves(probably the Wizzie casting, if you cast like that at all, which probably is not a good idea with the MADness of SotAO), and your combat stats (which, if ranged, you could do Zen Archery and a higher Wis). If there was an equivalent Mystic Paladin to the whole Mystic Ranger, Sublime Chord would actually synergize with the existing MADness there...

Is possible to get a CHA of around 19 after items and Tomes/Wish in order to get Sublime Chord 9ths (or at least level 6+ spells) with PrCs like Abjurant Champion and Swiftblade though.

So you'd need to dedicate wealth to stat-boosting items, have a powerful pointbuy, campaign in a world which allows Tome inherent bonuses around ECL 13-15, or roll well in order to pull that off by dipping bard at 11th and then taking sublime chord and advancing sublime chord casting with more gishy PrCs.

Or be playing in a lower level campaign or not care about topping off at 5th level spells.

[true_shinken]

1. Does a Mystic Ranger using Sword of the Arcane Order qualify for Swiftblade?

It's debatable. Sword of Arcane Order never states if wizard spells prepared on your ranger slots are arcane or not. I could see a DM swinging both ways. I'd rule it as doable, since I love Mystic Rangers and Swiftblade makes them more workable around the time their utility dwindles, so I'm biased.

2. Does Sword of the Arcane Order change the Mystic Ranger's spell casting from divine to arcane, or does it just allow them to prepare arcane spells still casting them as divine? Swiftblade only progresses arcane casting not divine so if the Mystic Ranger's spells are still divine its a major down grade.

It's debatable. Text is fuzzy. RAW, Ranger casting is divine and SoAO does not change that. But the way the feat is worded and the way it stacks with Wizard casting... you could think it should count as arcane. I really don't know which way I should rule.

3. How would you build a Mystic Ranger(SotAO)/Swiftblade?

• Mystic Ranger 11/Swiftblade 9. Simple, easy, elegant.
• Mystic Ranger 6/Abjurant Champion 5/Swiftblade 9 for extra awesomeness.
• Mystic Ranger 6/Prestige Bard 2/Sublime Chord 2/Swiftblade 10. This is messy, as you jump around from prc to prc. But you get the required 6th level slots for Swiftblade's Innervated Speed.

4. Is Mystic Ranger a good Swiftblade build if possible?

I'd say yes. It's as gishy as it gets.

[Eldariel]

I'd say yes. It's as gishy as it gets.

There's the pity of lacking slots needed to use Innervated Speed naturally, but other than that it's a perfect fit.

[Coidzor]

Ooo, I forgot about Prestige Bard, and it adds up to the same as dipping 1 level in bard except it gets the bard spell list for all arcane casting levels accessible, and better saves.

Though unless you do something to add Perform to class skills (does Mystic Ranger get it added to the skill list? I don't seem to recall that it does), you're not getting in with cross-class ranks until 13th level for something that requires 8 ranks, I think. Is (level+3)/2 for cross class, IIRC.

[true_shinken]

Though unless you do something to add Perform to class skills (does Mystic Ranger get it added to the skill list? I don't seem to recall that it does), you're not getting in with cross-class ranks until 13th level for something that requires 8 ranks, I think. Is (level+3)/2 for cross class, IIRC.

No, it does not get Perform as a class skill.
You could take Aereni Focus/Versatile/Apprentice for it, though.

[gorfnab]

[*]Mystic Ranger 6/Prestige Bard 2/Sublime Chord 2/Swiftblade 10. This is messy, as you jump around from prc to prc. But you get the required 6th level slots for Swiftblade's Innervated Speed.

Sublime Chord requires 13 ranks in Knowledge: Arcana and Listen. How are you meeting this prereqs at level 8? What you could do though is Mystic Ranger 6/ Prestige Bard 2/ Swiftblade 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Swiftblade 8.

[true_shinken]

Sublime Chord requires 13 ranks in Knowledge: Arcana and Listen. How are you meeting this prereqs at level 8? What you could do though is Mystic Ranger 6/ Prestige Bard 2/ Swiftblade 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Swiftblade 8.

The levels were obviously not meant to be taken in that order. It's just a build stub.
But thanks for clarifying that anyway.