No way this feat is this powerful...

[raistlin807]

Practiced Spellcaster...am I reading this wrong, or does it really let you cast spells as if you were 4 levels higher in your casting class than you actually are? I see a lot of Multiclass build options, but I wanna know if going as a straight Wizard with this feat is as awesome as my treacherous mind is leading me to beleive.

[SurlySeraph]

No. It only improves your caster level; it doesn't give you more spells.

[Farmer42]

Also, it only improves you CL to your HD or by +4, whichever comes first, so if you go pure wizard, it doesn't do anything.

[Aerogoat]

A Wizard 5/Commoner 4 with Practiced Spellcaster would cast spells like a 5th level Wizard, only their effects would be similar to those cast by a 9th level Wizard.


So he would be able to cast a Fireball at a range of 760ft to do 9d6 damage, but he would still have the same number of spells per day and the same spell levels available as he did when he was just a level 5 Wizard.

[raistlin807]

Ok, I already understood that it didn't grant more spell slots. But it is confirmed that it does not grant bonuses to your DCs and effects and such?

[Gralamin]

Ok, I already understood that it didn't grant more spell slots. But it is confirmed that it does not grant bonuses to your DCs and effects and such?

It increases /level effects, such as range or damage assuming you have lost caster levels. DCs would not change.

[The_Snark]

Your DCs aren't affected by your caster level, so no.

You can't cast higher-level spells than normal, nor do you get more spell slots. A wizard 3/fighter 4 with this feat is still only casting 1 2nd-level spell a day. That 2nd-level spell would act as if it was cast by a 7th-level character, which means it probably lasts longer or does more damage.

It's useful, but only if you multiclass, in which case you need the boost in order to keep up.

[Kantolin]

Another way to look at it is that it alleviates a penalty rather than provide a bonus - and it doesn't completely get rid of the penalty either.

[Starbuck_II]

Your DCs aren't affected by your caster level, so no.

Unless, you are casting Poison because that DC is based on caster level.

[Craig1f]

You need to compartmentalize a few concepts:

caster level: used as a variable in certain spells. Typically for range, duration, and for defeating spell resistance. Typically does not affect DC

class level: affects spells per day and spells known or memorized. Can often stack with prestige classes.


So, if you've ever played a cleric, you know with certain domains (like healing, or good) the domain power will be something like "casts Cure spells at +1 level"? Well, if you're casting healing spells at +1 level, that doesn't grant you more spells known. It just means that instead of doing 1d8+3 at level 3, you do 1d8+4.

Practiced spellcaster is great mainly because it allows a character, who has multiclassed, to still be effective against creatures with spell resistance.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Practiced Spellcaster is for gishes or people who lost a couple of caster levels through Prestige Classing to Mindbender or Geometer or something. Multiclass casters who was to keep their damage and durations competitive. All it really does is take away a part (the less useful part) of the penalty a primary caster takes for multiclassing.

It is completely, completely useless for a straight Wizard, since your total caster level is capped at your Hit Dice.

[The_Snark]

It can also help out single-classed paladins and rangers, come to think, but they might have better things to spend feats on.

[marjan]

It can also help out single-classed paladins and rangers, come to think, but they might have better things to spend feats on.

And skill points, since it requires 4 ranks in spellcraft.

[Raider]

It's still pretty nice, too bad I'm barely ever spellcasters

[GoC]

Would Practiced Spellcaster help a dragon?

[Tiak]

if that dragon could cast spell (which most can) then i would say yes.

[Toliudar]

Not just dragons - any creature with natural spellcasting ability that's less than their hit dice. But...yup, really helps those buffs stay around a bit longer.

[Tiak]

so could a muliclass fighter, ranger, barbarian, wizard, kobolt vampire with a level of shadow dancer use the feat?

[Tiak]

sorry, somtimes i just like making trouble.

[Tokiko Mima]

If you're a gish who's worried about maxing Caster level, though, I would look at the capstone of Abjurant Champion (Martial Arcanist) which makes your Caster Level equal to your Base Attack Bonus, unless doing so lowers it. As a bonus, Abjurant Champion is a 5 level full BAB, full spellcasting PrC with tons of class abilities that are great for gishes.