Find a prestige class!

[WarKitty]

Ok, I've been combing through for a class that meets these requirements and just haven't found anything. So let's see if anyone has something. I need a class for a bard/cleric, meeting the following requirements:

(1) Advances both divine and arcane spellcasting
(2) Has diplomacy and perform as class skills
(3) Doesn't require druid-only stuff like "animal companion," or random stuff like "evasion" - nothing that I'd have to take a level dip to get.

Got anything, playgrounders?

[Yuki Akuma]

Be human, take Able Learner, laugh at the silly notion of "class skills" and take Mystic Theurge.

Be sure to get into Sublime Chord before Mystic Theurge so your Bard spellcasting is worth advancing. (Although, granted, that means you don't get much Cleric spellcasting.)

[Hawk7915]

According to my brief google-fu, there are only five classes that advance divine and arcane casting simultaneously. Of those, only one are feasible for your build: Mystic Theurge, from the SRD. Easy enough to enter, but has no class features and terrible everything but will (bad skills, bad HD, bad attack).

- Arcane Hierophant requires animal companion.

- based on your post, I assume your heart has already been broken by the outrageous prereqs of Fochulan Lyrist .

- Greenwhisper is easy to qualify for (8 ranks perform, 8 ranks Know: Nature, 5 ranks Survival) but its Dragon Magazine material and explicitly only advances Druid casting.

- I thought Yathrinshee, from Drow of the Underdark, would do it. However, even if having to be a female drow who worships Kiransalee the goddess of death with "Lich Loved" from BoVD wasn't harsh enough...you have to be able to cast Spectral Hand specifically as an arcane spell, which isn't on the bard spell list

I may have missed one, but Theurge is looking like it too me. Perhaps one of the veterans can provide more insight, though.

EDIT: Missed the "class skills" thing. Theurge and Yathrinshee have neither skill, but Able Learner fixes that problem as mentioned above if you start as a Human Bard (which then means no Yathrinshee, but you'd need tricks to qualify for it anyways).

[Urpriest]

- Arcane Hierophant requires animal companion.

False. It just requires trackless step. It advances animal companions, but it doesn't require you to have one.

Trackless step might be as much of a problem, unless you can use the Bamboo Spirit Folk race (which gets trackless step, though since the class mentions trackless step class feature this may not qualify. Ask you DM.)

[Hawk7915]

False. It just requires trackless step. It advances animal companions, but it doesn't require you to have one.

Trackless step might be as much of a problem, unless you can use the Bamboo Spirit Folk race (which gets trackless step, though since the class mentions trackless step class feature this may not qualify. Ask you DM.)

Blah, fail for me. Arcane Hierophant is probably the best option if you can "cheat" on trackless step then. Sure most of your class features are 100% worthless for this build, but it gets a d6 HD, 3/4 BAB, 4 skill points, and has Diplomacy in-class.

Also, a quick feat hunt reveals This feat from Dragon Magazine, which would solve your performing woes a little bit.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Ask you DM.)

Speaking of, just ask your DM to let you have Diplomacy and Perform as class skills as a Mystic Theurge?

[Kylarra]

Able learner effectively does it without needing to homebrew, assuming you don't mind being a human (or changeling).

[Psyren]

A ring of evasion can cheat you into Fochlucan Lyrist; problem solved.

[Amphetryon]

Step 1: Use Shape Soulmeld and Open Least Chakra to get evasion (and uncanny dodge) via Impulse Boots.

Step 2: Allow your bard/cleric to learn Druidic via the Bardic Tutelage feat in Champions of Valor.

Step 3: Bard/cleric fulfills other requirements and becomes a Fochlucan Lyrist.

Step 4:???

Step 5:Profit!

[WarKitty]

A ring of evasion can cheat you into Fochlucan Lyrist; problem solved.

That is just tempting any DM entirely too much.

Step 1: Use Shape Soulmeld and Open Least Chakra to get evasion (and uncanny dodge) via Impulse Boots.

Step 2: Allow your bard/cleric to learn Druidic via the Bardic Tutelage feat in Champions of Valor.

Step 3: Bard/cleric fulfills other requirements and becomes a Fochlucan Lyrist.

Step 4:???

Step 5:Profit!

Will have to look at it. I am hoping to get in early enough to not be completely useless.

[Ozymandias9]

As an alternate suggestion, see if you can combine the Prestige Bard and Divine Bard Variants. This option would, unfortunately, tend to run about 1 spell level behind straight cleric.

[Psyren]

That is just tempting any DM entirely too much.

It's a lot easier to fit into a campaign than Bamboo Spiritfolk, dragon magazine feats and random Incarnum soulmelds.

[Yuki Akuma]

It's a lot easier to fit into a campaign than Bamboo Spiritfolk, dragon magazine feats and random Incarnum soulmelds.

Able Learner is even easier.

[Psyren]

Able Learner is even easier.

...If you're human (or changeling.)
Note that I did not deny the viability of this route.

[true_shinken]

It's a lot easier to fit into a campaign than Bamboo Spiritfolk, dragon magazine feats and random Incarnum soulmelds.

Bamboo Spiritfolk is just fine. Losing all your class features because of dispel magic? Yeah, that's a problem.

[Psyren]

Bamboo Spiritfolk is just fine. Losing all your class features because of dispel magic? Yeah, that's a problem.

The campaign is set in Rokugan?
Let's not derail into the "your class features depend on the cosmic keystone of your prerequisites" chestnut.

[Yuki Akuma]

The campaign is set in Rokugan?
Let's not derail into the "your class features depend on the cosmic keystone of your prerequisites" chestnut.

You're the one who brought up using an easily-dispellable magic item to qualify for a PrC.

[WarKitty]

To be fair this is a theoretical character at this point. Or rather, I really want to play the character, but haven't found the combo of DM/free time to field her. She originates in a system other than D&D that ended up not working. One where a diplomancer charisma-based divine bard was a perfectly acceptable combo.

[Psyren]

You're the one who brought up using an easily-dispellable magic item to qualify for a PrC.

Soulmelds can be suppressed just as easily, wasting your time AND feats

I would check with your DM to see if Fochlucan's evasion requirement can be waived, it's a pointless restriction anyway and the class has everything you want.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Most people tend to use Ur Priest when going Bard/Divine, because they get 9th level spells with as many caster levels. With the Bard variant which has a high Fort save (Savage Bard variant, I think), you can qualify for UrPriest by level 7, two level dip in Ur Priest, then one into Sublime Chord, and finish with Mystic Theurge. 9th level arcane and divine casting by 10th level. Barely. Only downside is Ur Priest requires a couple of obnoxiously useless feats and an Evil alignment.

[WarKitty]

Most people tend to use Ur Priest when going Bard/Divine, because they get 9th level spells with as many caster levels. With the Bard variant which has a high Fort save (Savage Bard variant, I think), you can qualify for UrPriest by level 7, two level dip in Ur Priest, then one into Sublime Chord, and finish with Mystic Theurge. 9th level arcane and divine casting by 10th level. Barely. Only downside is Ur Priest requires a couple of obnoxiously useless feats and an Evil alignment.

Ur Priest Evil Alignment bleh.

*cue rant on stupid PrC fluff requirements and not being able to stat stuff properly*

[Darrin]

(1) Advances both divine and arcane spellcasting
(2) Has diplomacy and perform as class skills
(3) Doesn't require druid-only stuff like "animal companion," or random stuff like "evasion" - nothing that I'd have to take a level dip to get.

Green Whisperer might work (Dragon #311 p. 70). Not with cleric, though... it explicitly advances bard and druid spellcasting. No diplomacy as a class skill, either.

[WarKitty]

Green Whisperer might work (Dragon #311 p. 70). Not with cleric, though... it explicitly advances bard and druid spellcasting. No diplomacy as a class skill, either.

So basically, it doesn't work.

Those two aren't negotiable.

[Tyndmyr]

To be fair this is a theoretical character at this point. Or rather, I really want to play the character, but haven't found the combo of DM/free time to field her. She originates in a system other than D&D that ended up not working. One where a diplomancer charisma-based divine bard was a perfectly acceptable combo.

If the goal is merely "divine bard/diplomancer", may I suggest divine bard?

I would then suggest advancing sorc/divine bard via MT until you qualify for sublime chord. Dip into that briefly, then advance that and divine bard via MT. Even without early entry tricks, this ends up being pretty powerful, and of course, bard has no trouble with the class skill bit, ditto sublime chord. So, there'll be some juggling to figure out the optimal way to allocate skill points, but you have a crazy powerful divine bard.

[WarKitty]

If the goal is merely "divine bard/diplomancer", may I suggest divine bard?

I would then suggest advancing sorc/divine bard via MT until you qualify for sublime chord. Dip into that briefly, then advance that and divine bard via MT. Even without early entry tricks, this ends up being pretty powerful, and of course, bard has no trouble with the class skill bit, ditto sublime chord. So, there'll be some juggling to figure out the optimal way to allocate skill points, but you have a crazy powerful divine bard.

Well, part of the goal was
(1) to have the full complement of healing spells available (not just the cure line)
(2) to have charisma keyed as the primary ability rather than wisdom.

I was actually thinking of trading cleric for favored soul just to avoid MAD problems.

[Psyren]

Well, part of the goal was
(1) to have the full complement of healing spells available (not just the cure line)
(2) to have charisma keyed as the primary ability rather than wisdom.

I was actually thinking of trading cleric for favored soul just to avoid MAD problems.

You can solve (2) on a Divine Bard with the Dynamic Priest feat from Dragonlance. It doesn't work for Favored Souls though (they use Wis for DCs and Cha for spells known, which is ridiculous; it should be the other way around!)

[Eldariel]

Well, part of the goal was
(1) to have the full complement of healing spells available (not just the cure line)
(2) to have charisma keyed as the primary ability rather than wisdom.

I was actually thinking of trading cleric for favored soul just to avoid MAD problems.

You could just build Sublime Chord with Battlefield Medic and Wyrm Wizard in the mix. That'd have you covered. And it's Charisma-based by nature.

[Amiel]

There's the Fochluran Lyrist

It advances both divine and arcane spellcasting, includes both Perform and Diplomacy as class skills, and doesn't really have weird prerequisites; all you will need are some levels in rogue and bard, and a divine class of your choice.

As suggested, perhaps ask your DM if you are able to fulfil the evasion requirement with a magic item?

[Raging Gene Ray]

There's the Fochluran Lyrist

all you will need are some levels in rogue and bard, and a divine class of your choice.

As suggested, perhaps ask your DM if you are able to fulfill the evasion requirement with a magic item?

You need to be able to speak druidic. Unless you get your DM to swallow a backstory about a Druid somehow teaching you their secret language and losing all their class features, that divine class will have to be druid.

And I think the OP wants as much casting as possible. And when you're a full caster, a 2-level dip into a non-casting class isn't an easy thing.

EDIT: Aren't there two obscure Dragon Magazine feats that let Bard and Cleric levels stack for turning and bardic music?

[grimbold]

the inherent thing is that mystic theurge sucks
its literally a trap. Just trust me don't go the way of the mystic theurge you will regret it.
however there is a prestige class in ultimate prestige classes vol1 called the arcanist which is like the mystic theurge but it has tougher entry requirements except for the fact that you only need to be able to cast 1st level divin and arcane spells.
wait what levels are you in bard and cleric?