Brilliant Gameologists Forum

The Thinktank => Min/Max It! => : Amechra August 06, 2010, 07:23:55 PM

: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Amechra August 06, 2010, 07:23:55 PM
By this I mean, are there any Arcane PrCs that work like Ur Priest (i.e. you gain a spell level each level)?

This will be very useful for my Rage Mage build I'm working on...  :smirk

By the way, does MotAO test for CL for the purpose of what level you can cast? Because I have a way to get myself 2 9th level spell slots and full caster level (without all of the capabilities thereof, though. So, for argument... see Spellfury) temporarily, so would I be able to draw on the power of Spellpool 3? Because that would be shear evil.  :smirk
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Agita August 06, 2010, 07:27:24 PM
Sublime Chord is the closest thing that gets ninth-level spells. There's others, like the Suel Arcanamach or Nar Demonbinder, but those cap at 5th level and 8th level, respectively.

As for spellpool, the number of spell levels you can swap is dependant on your caster level, but the highest spell level you can swap depends entirely on your MotAO level. You need to be lvl 7 to access Spellpool III.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: bearchucks August 06, 2010, 07:34:27 PM
Beholder Mage.  Beware of thrown books or chairs when attempting this (purchasing an NPC Polymorph Any Object to turn you into a True Beholder and then acquiring the Su Antimagic Eye).  It runs like Ur-Priest on steroids.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Amechra August 06, 2010, 08:12:27 PM
So having an Illumian Barbarian (Ferocity) 1/ Ruathar 3/ Wildrunner 1/ Cleric 1/ Wizard 5/ Rage Mage 1/MotAO 7/Frenzied Berserker 1 would work as a 20th level build, right?

Feats would be tight, and flaws might be needed, but as long as you have the following: Frantic Rage at 9th, Reckless Rage, and all the prereqs sorted out, you should be fine.

Using the Illumian Word that replaces your casting stat with dexterity for the purpose of bonus spells.

Alright. Barbarian, Wildrunner, Rage Mage, and Frenzied Berserker all have a different type of Rage they can whip out.

Frantic Rage converts Str bonuses to Dex bonuses.

I've calculated that you can achieve a 46+ in the stat you use to determine your bonus spells, and you have CL 20.

You won't get off too many spells, unless you have some way to lengthen the time in a rage considerably (I think the maximum is 11+Con modifier, and you get at least 10 Con from this trick.)

So that comes out to:

5 1st, 4 2nd, 4 3rd, 4 4th, 4 5th, 3 6th, 3 7th, 3 8th, and 3 9th
or, to extrapolate the table, more like

5 1st, 5 2nd, 4 3rd, 4 4th, 4 5th, 4 6th, 3 7th, 3 8th , 3 9th.

And the best part? Since you don't cast the spells from the spellpool from your own slots, you can just grab a large amount (think as many as you can cast in a minute) of 9th level spells basically for free...

Using the bonus spells only, 159 spell levels can be exchanged. The fun part is, if you've taken extra Rage, you can do this 3/day. You have a week to pay off borrowed spells.

That's 3339 spell levels you can gain as a full round action.

Can someone say Arcane Strike?

That's +3339 to attack rolls, and 3339d4 extra damage. With my pinky.

Damn that's a lot of d4s.

8347.5 damage on average. With every attack. Why yes, Haste, I love you too.

: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: bearchucks August 07, 2010, 12:33:00 AM
--Snipped Insane Casting Trickery--

And the best part? Since you don't cast the spells from the spellpool from your own slots, you can just grab a large amount (think as many as you can cast in a minute) of 9th level spells basically for free...

Using the bonus spells only, 159 spell levels can be exchanged. The fun part is, if you've taken extra Rage, you can do this 3/day. You have a week to pay off borrowed spells.

That's 3339 spell levels you can gain as a full round action.

--Snipped Magic-Fueled Beatdown Machine--

Sorry to rain on your parade, but your spellpool stuff *does* come from your slots and you can only call a number of spell levels equal to half your caster level.  Rage bonuses are good for paying it back, though.  p.49 CArc, I'm afraid, unless errata or FAQ has changed this.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Amechra August 07, 2010, 12:54:34 AM
Dang.

Still, the Rage Mage does make it viable, no?
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Lycanthromancer August 07, 2010, 01:10:12 AM
Your best bet is using a level in bard or prestige bard on a wizard to qualify for two levels in sublime chord, then hitting whatever other PrCs you like (so long as you use them to progress your sublime chord level).

I know you want rage mage, but going ultimate magus to progress both spell-lists simultaneously is extra-nice.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Amechra August 07, 2010, 01:31:31 AM
I'm going with Rage Mage for 2 reasons.

1. To prove it can be done.

and

2. It is the only 3.5 Prestige Class that can cast in a rage that is not in dragon.

I'm aware of that class (you know, the one no one can spell) in BoED, but I didn't want to use it. Mainly for sheer style.

"Random other Wizard: Heh. You're awful at what you do, you know that?"
Rage Mage: WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME!?!?!?!?
<starts blasting other wizard with spells. WHILE IN A RAGE.


Ahem.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: The_Mad_Linguist August 07, 2010, 04:34:21 AM
Well, depends what you mean by 'casting'.  A Master of the Silent Sound (dragon 297), can fuck your shit up pretty well with his capstone while raging.  Of course, it's not so much a spell as a spell-like Greater Wish, but on the other hand, you have a guy flying into a rage, frothing at the mouth and shouting garbled profanity, and then the poor target of his ire looks up and gets hit by a plane.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: awaken DM golem August 07, 2010, 05:27:51 PM
Spell-like Greater Wish ... what  :twitch

TML, you been holding out on us ... more details please?


**

I'd bet that Bard 1 / NarD 1 and (obviously) more stuff, could get into Sub Chord.

If you don't mind being psionic and having maximal Dr#349 cheese going,
most spells can be brought over to the psi side.
So use Ardent and either Phoenix00's bloodline set-up, or my psiotheurgist stuff,
and get the "spells" early that way.
Did I mention cheese?
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: The_Mad_Linguist August 07, 2010, 05:46:42 PM
Any spell 9th level or lower as a full round SLA.  Like wish, but on steroids.  I've mentioned it several times before; the class is half progression but the capstone makes up for it.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: Havok4 August 07, 2010, 06:07:56 PM
Any spell 9th level or lower as a full round SLA.  Like wish, but on steroids.  I've mentioned it several times before; the class is half progression but the capstone makes up for it.

And the other abilities of the class are neat if nothing that could not be done with the caster levels lost from taking the class.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: The_Mad_Linguist August 07, 2010, 11:54:13 PM
Any spell 9th level or lower as a full round SLA.  Like wish, but on steroids.  I've mentioned it several times before; the class is half progression but the capstone makes up for it.

And the other abilities of the class are neat if nothing that could not be done with the caster levels lost from taking the class.

Well, getting line-of-effect to things that you shouldn't have line-of-effect to (like just ignoring a wall of force) is pretty cool too.  Overall, it's one of the few prestige classes I see as giving a decent tradeoff between lost caster levels and nifty abilities.  If it weren't for a slight vulnerability to early entry tricks, I'd say it was one of the more balanced PrCs.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: awaken DM golem August 09, 2010, 06:57:15 PM
V nice. Suck balls then rule the universe. Sounds like fun.


Magic of Faerun has Alamanther's Return trans 9.
50g M component + 1000exp
duplicates any spell or (sp) up to 8th level
that he has observed, arcane or divine.

The observed part makes the spell by itself, superior to Wizard and Archivist.
No need to make scrolls / copy into spellbook.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: PlzBreakMyCampaign August 09, 2010, 09:04:12 PM
Doesn't anyone use the search function? Simple QA, atleast.

I have an entire thread that lists every single casting class in DnD 3.5. I even rank the progression for you!

Made into one long link. I do these things as a resource for the boards... (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8664.0)
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: The_Mad_Linguist August 09, 2010, 10:08:56 PM
Doesn't anyone use the search function? Simple QA, atleast.

I have an entire thread that lists every single casting class in DnD 3.5. I even rank the progression for you!

Made into one long link. I do these things as a resource for the boards... (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8664.0)
You hardly have all of them.  You're missing Kalamar and the Diablo expansions, for example :p :p
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: PlzBreakMyCampaign August 09, 2010, 11:24:06 PM
You hardly have all of them.  You're missing Kalamar and the Diablo expansions, for example :p :p
um the Blizzard Entertainment game? WotC-legal Citation and I add.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: The_Mad_Linguist August 09, 2010, 11:26:15 PM
It's listed in the dungeons and dragons 3.5 section (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/main.asp?x=d2/diabloii,3).  The books have the logo on them...


(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/HellandBackCover_med.jpg)
Diablo II: To Hell and Back

Third edition compliant! Every level and all four acts of the computer game are represented in the tabletop mega-adventure. Now available.
: Re: Are there any Fast Progressing Arcane PrCs?
: PlzBreakMyCampaign August 10, 2010, 05:27:28 AM
I am so very confused. It seems like D2 made into a table top game... not dnd 3.5. Can I be a wu jen whilst playing that thing?

the links on the products are all dead as well. It isn't impressing me.

Besides the string "kalamar" isn't in the prestige class index (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/prc). The only things not in there are the Drag and Dung Mags and a few Dragonlance books. Everything else lost their license I thought