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laszlo_spamhole@freemail.hu wrote:
> Jasin Zujovic wrote:
>
>> What's the group's collective opinion on the sublime chord PrC, from
>> Complete Arcane?
>>
>> Basically, it's a bard PrC which lets the bard reach 9th-level spells
>> (from both bard and Sor/Wiz) lists by character level 19th, in exchange
>> for weakening his BAB, skills and music (debatable, since you get some
>> new music types from the PrC itself).
>
> IMO, it's fine. There are a couple of broken class combos with it which
> probably should be disallowed, but if it's used as it was intended,
> then it's nice and balanced.
The "character optimisation" posters on the Wizards of the Coast fora love to
use prestige classes (like, say, the mystic theurge) in combination with *other*
prestige classes which give wackily accelerated spellcasting (like, say, the
ur-priest), which can produce some very powerful characters . . . but I think
90% of the problems can be solved if you disallow the use of "+1 spellcasting
level" prestige class features to advance the spellcasting granted by a prestige
class.
The sublime chord, in fact, is the first use by Wizards of the Coast of a
mechanic Monte Cook first used way back in the first "Book of Hallowed Might" -
namely, a prestige class with its own spell progression that doesn't begin at
1st level a la ur-priest et alia. I am so completely *for* this solution I
cannot begin to express my approval. Monte's version, for what it's worth, is
called the hallowed mage; as the name suggests, it's a multiclass facilitator
for clerics and wizards. Apart from a specific list of hallowed mage spells
drawn from the cleric and wizards lists (and cast as divine spells), the
hallowed mage also learns to ignore up to 30% worth of arcane spell failure at
3rd level, and 100% at 10th. They also add all their spellcasting class levels
together to determine caster level.
I'll quote Monte on the reasoning for the design:
"It is currently very difficult to have a multiclassed spell user, such as a
cleric/wizard, that does not pay for her increased versatility with a dramatic
decrease in power. Compare the power of a 10th-level cleric/10th-level wizard
with that of a 20th-level cleric or wizard, for example. The ability to cast
both Cone of Cold and Cure Critical Wounds does not compensate for the inability
to cast Wish or Miracle.
"Where are spells of 1st through 3rd levels? The hallowed mage represents an
attempt to create a class that fuses the divine and arcane spellcaster into one.
Since the class requires that a character already be able to cast 3rd-level
divine and arcane spells, the hallowed mage spell list starts out at 4th level
with a limited fusion of mostly 4th-level wizard and cleric spells. Why not just
call these 1st-level hallowed
mage spells? Because that would artificially alter magic item pricing,
spellcasting pricing, saving throw Difficulty Classes, and other aspects that
rely on spell level to accurately measure relative power."
As a sample, this is the hallowed mage's 4th-level spell list:
Confusion
Cure Critical Wounds
Detect Scrying
Dimension Door
Dimensional Anchor
Ethereal Prison (new spell)
Halo of Glory (new spell)
Ice Storm
Minor Creation
Solid Fog
Summon Monster IV
Truth's Wings (new spell)
Wall of Fire
Wall of Ice
The "Book of Hallowed Might" was published in 2002, by the way.
I've been
lamenting the lack of use this design has had ever since I acquired my copy.
--
Christopher Adams - Sydney, Australia
What part of "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" don't you
understand?
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mhacdebhandia/prestigeclasslist.html
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mhacdebhandia/templatelist.html
Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the
leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to
danger. It works the same in any country.
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