Anyone know the official standing on early entry to a prestige class? I keep seeing it, but seems to me to be an overly overpowered cheat/trick that will require an massively friendly DM to be allowed - or am I wrong?
Early entry by default is allowed, so long as you meet the prerequisites you can advance the class.
A "clean" early entry would be like multiclassing to increase your Will Save for Master of Shrouds. A comparatively weaker PrC by design but if you entered three levels early it isn't bad (the super great though). Whereas a "dirty" early entry would be something that don't have 100% of rule support, and it probably isn't it always related to the PrC in question. Like...
A. Sage has answered that Versatile Caster can in fact be used to cast spells a level higher than you have access to, so it falls to personal interpretation on what does it mean to cast 2nd level spells. It is your class's progression that is ability to cast 2nd level spells, or the end result though various other means? We've hammered on this to a point where Op as a whole generally accepts Versatile Caster (for spellcasting) + Heighten Spell (for known). Earth Power and Sanctum Spell both operate like a free +1 bonus to Heighten Spell but lack the override-like support found in Versatile Caster, not to mention Sage ruling on Sanctum Spell doesn't interact with Extra Spell the way you wished it would.
B. Do items qualify? PrCs want X ability, there is no note as to
how X must be obtained. So yes items can work but always be mindful of of a few things: a) loss of the item means loss of all prc's class features. b) Spell Trigger items are not the ability to cast spells. c) Some DMs won't allow it.
C. The cheapass stuff no one really allows but some members like the cheese, if even for a moment. Dragonspawn Abomination chance manipulation for example can give NI Sorcerer levels of spellcasting is one. The most well known one of course is Loredrake, breaking some rule or another you can obtain two levels worth of Sorcerer spellcasting. Often you'll see these two things used together, because if your going for broke, at least do it with style. Some to no support here, for instance Gestated has more threads based on it being allowed than TD Kobolds.
Those "dirty" tricks have less to do with PrC requirements and are an "overly overpowered cheat/trick" based on obtaining something else, typically spellcasting progression, early which has it's own problems and useful effects. PrCs are just the icing on the cake so to speak.
