Armor for arcane casters [Prestige Class]

[woc33]

In a campaign im currently playing i have a level 5 cleric, he worships Boccob and as the spell and magic domains, I designed him as a full support character. The cleric is about to take a level in sorcerer with the variant from phb2 (on level 6th). At level 10th he will take the Mystic Theurge Prc, that means he won't have any class features at levels 7th-9th.

What my DM and i thought about is looking for a Prc he can use for those 3 levels that grants full spellcasting abilities in addition to some useful class features. We couldn't find a class that fits to the character, so we homebrewed one, but i'm not sure if its balanced. The main idea of the class is that it's based on giving an arcane caster with melee abilities the ability to cast spells without failure in close combat.

*note: the class is unnamed, i'd be happy to accept an offer for a cool name for it.

Requirements:
BAB: +2
abilities: con 14+
skills: concentration 8, spellcraft 8
feats: proficiency with light or heavier armor, proficiency with light or heavier shields, proficiency with all simple weapons.
spells: ability to cast 1st level arcane spells.
*note: any other idea for a requirement will be apreciated, as long as it doesn't involve higher arcane spellcasting abilities, skills or feats, maybe something with a roleplaying aspect.

hd- d6
bab - 1/2
saves - fort: good, ref: poor, will: poor
spellcasting - full
class features:
1st: armored mage (light) - same as the duskblade's armored mage (light) special ability, allows using light shields and light armors without spell failure.
2nd: combat casting.
3rd: somantic weaponry (complete mage 47).
*note: its possible we'll drop the combat casting bonus feat from the class feature list, in case its unfair giving him 2 bonus feats for free.

Is it overpowered? or maybe underpowered? maybe just very unbalanced? I'd like to hear what other people think about it.

[Roderick_BR]

You could try the Spellsword from Tome & Blood, though I think you need to be able to cast at least 2nd level arcane spells.
Or try a Geomancer, that allows you to use some class features from one caster class to another, like using armor (from cleric/druid) with low-level arcane spells (of bard/sorcerer/wizard) origin.

[Fax Celestis]

You could just take four levels of Battle Sorceror.

As far as the PrC itself goes, it looks fine. I'd personally say make Combat Casting a prerequisite and trade the Combat Casting class feature for the Arcane Strike feat in CWar, but that might make it more martial than you're looking for.

I also don't see a problem with giving it either two good saves (Fort/Will), or leaving the saves as-is and giving it 3/4 BAB.

Also, what're it's class skills?

[woc33]

You could just take four levels of Battle Sorceror.

Thats a good idea, ill see if my DM approves it, though it still doesn't solve my need for class features on those wasted levels, but with that variant its possible i'll give up on that.

As far as the PrC itself goes, it looks fine. I'd personally say make Combat Casting a prerequisite and trade the Combat Casting class feature for the Arcane Strike feat in CWar, but that might make it more martial than you're looking for.

Again, thanks, though i won't use the arcane strike feat, the objective of being able to enter melee is in case i run out of spells, our dm has a habbit of putting us through long dungeons so we go cheap on spells.

I also don't see a problem with giving it either two good saves (Fort/Will), or leaving the saves as-is and giving it 3/4 BAB.

oh, thanks, thought i would have made it too strong if i gave it one of those.

Also, what're it's class skills?

heh. i *knew* i forgot something... i'll work on it, but the skills are not an issue, probabaly a few class skills and 2+int skill points.