Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sirius_A 05-17-05, 11:52 AM	Hey everyone, I have been away for quite awhile without any source of D&D, so I realise my opinion might be a bit outdated, and has probably been discussed on this boards for a long time now. Nevertheless, I feel I just have to say something about this... What's up with the Arcane Hierophant?! I just bought RotW, and I must say it looks like one of the strongest prestige classes up to date... Without even making an effort to make a fully optimized build, I can make a Wiz3/Drd3/Mystic Theurge4/Arcane Hierophant10, with 17 levels of spellcasting of both wizard and druid (9th level spells!), and the wildshape ability of a 13th level druid. (plus some other goodies) And this is without even making an effort! Anyway, my point is, that I would like to see some builds that are made on this boards (using the arcane hierophant of course...) among the masters of build-creation, and see if my feeling about this prestige class being one of the strongest around (as well as open to brokenness) is just. Thanks, Sirius
jedrious 05-17-05, 12:03 PM	Hey everyone, I have been away for quite awhile without any source of D&D, so I realise my opinion might be a bit outdated, and has probably been discussed on this boards for a long time now. Nevertheless, I feel I just have to say something about this... What's up with the Arcane Hierophant?! I just bought RotW, and I must say it looks like one of the strongest prestige classes up to date... Without even making an effort to make a fully optimized build, I can make a Wiz3/Drd3/Mystic Theurge4/Arcane Hierophant10, with 17 levels of spellcasting of both wizard and druid (9th level spells!), and the wildshape ability of a 13th level druid. (plus some other goodies) And this is without even making an effort! Anyway, my point is, that I would like to see some builds that are made on this boards (using the arcane hierophant of course...) among the masters of build-creation, and see if my feeling about this prestige class being one of the strongest around (as well as open to brokenness) is just. Thanks, Sirius You must have the wildshape class feature from another source for arcane heirophant to add to wild shaping
Sirius_A 05-17-05, 12:19 PM	Is that true? Because they give an example under the wildshape ability that if you are a wiz3/drd3/arc hrph4, you can wildshape as a 7th level druid. (RotW, page 108)
jedrious 05-17-05, 12:27 PM	most of the example characters are written before the classes are finalized, when the text of the class and the example contradict one another err on the side of the class
guarnasco 05-17-05, 12:29 PM	my latest build: legal by RAW (with ring of evasion for FL or using green wisperer instead of FL and assuming that what progresses bard levels also progresses SC levels) 1 domain wizard1 Summon familiar, Scribe Scroll, precocious apprenntice, MAGICAL TRAINING 2 druid1 Animal companion, nature sense, wild empathy 3 druid2 Woodland stride, IMPROVED COUNTERSPELL 4 druid3 Trackless step 5 druid4 Resist nature’s lure 6 druid5 Wild shape (1/day), WILD SPELL 7 druid6 Wild shape (2/day) 8 arcane hierophant1 companion familiar, ignore arcane faliure, Wild shape (3/day) 9 arcane hierophant2 Wild shape (Large), SKILL FOCUS 10 arcane hierophant3 Venom immunity 11 spellsingher1 Bardic music,compelling song, spellsong, evasion 12 sublime chord1 Bardic music, bardic knowledge,DRAGON WILD SHAPE 13 arcane hierophant4 Wild shape (4+1/day), channel animal 2/day 14 arcane hierophant5 Wild shape (Tiny) 15 arcane hierophant6 Wild shape (plant),channel plant 1/day, ? 16 arcane hierophant7 A thousand faces 17 arcane hierophant8 Wild shape (5+1/day), channel animal 4/day 18 arcane hierophant9 Timeless body, wild shape (Huge), ? 19 arcane hierophant10 Wild shape (elemental 1+1/day), channel plant 2/day 20 fochlucan lyrist1 Bardic music, bardic knowledge, unbound
Lord Zeb 05-17-05, 01:22 PM	Is that true? Because they give an example under the wildshape ability that if you are a wiz3/drd3/arc hrph4, you can wildshape as a 7th level druid. (RotW, page 108) This is my reading of the class as well. It does seem to be a common misconception. Quoth RoW pg 108 "However you add your arcane hierophant level to your druid level and gain the wild shape ability of a druid of the resulting level. For example, a character who is a 3rd level wizard / 3rd level druid / 4th level arcane hierophant has the wild shape ability of a 7th level druid."
Todd 05-17-05, 02:23 PM	The wildshape thing confused me at first then I realized that they were simply stating that if you took a non-druid path of entry like Ranger/Wizard/Arcane Hierophant that the PrC would not grant Wildshape since the Ranger class never would have gotten it to begin with. However Druid/Wizard/AH does get Wildshape from AH even if their druid level by itself would normally be too low.
SKB 05-17-05, 04:14 PM	Here is a simple build you can work off: Druid3/Wizard4/ArcaneHeirophant10/MysticTheurge3 Bab:12 CL:16 / 17 SL: 8th / 9th Saves: 8/6/17 Wildshape: as 13th level druid Feats: 1st Empower Spell 3rd Practiced Spellcaster [Druid] 6th Practiced Spellcaster [Wizard] 9th Natural Spell (allows spell casting in wildshape) 12th Extra Wildshape 15th Spell Penetration 18th Greater Spell Penetration
Slack & Hash 05-17-05, 06:58 PM	IF playing the Arcane Hierophant in the lower levels 1-10 I like taking a level of Beast Master (Complete Adventurer). The Beast Master does a three things. First it fills that +1 BAB requirement you are short after taking druid3/wizard3. Second it gives your character some pop at level 6, a weak level for almost any Arcane Hierophant build. Third it builds on one of the more interesting class features of the Arcane Hierophant, the merging of the animal companion and the familiar. By taking a level of Beast Master and the feat Natural Bond you will have an animal companion that is 3 levels higher than a typical druids animal companion. This is a huge power boost at level 6 when you can first take it. Having a brown bear with +2 HD is quite powerful at this level. It also plays to the Arcane Hierophants strengths by giving you a worthy target of your large number of buff spells. Not only can you augment your animal companion with all the typical druid spells, you can use wizard spells too, like Mage Armor, Shield, Mirror Image. With these additional spells your animal companion will be an offensive and defensive force. The best synergy comes when you start taking levels of Arcane Heirophant and your animal companion starts to get familar abilities. The increase intelligence is a huge boon. Your animal companion will be more like an additional party member than a pet. The increased power and intelligence the animal companion gets from being part familiar will keep the animal companion relevant your whole adventuring career. The build would look like this (you can switch when you take Practiced Spellcaster: wizard and Natural Bond depending on your preference): 1st druid 1: Practiced Spellcaster (druid), Natural Bond 2nd druid 2 3rd druid 3: Skill Focus (handle animal) 4th wizard 1 5th wizard 2 6th beast master 1: Practiced Spellcaster (wizard) 7th wizard 3 8th ... Arcane Heirophant 1-10 You do sacrifice 9th level spells doing this, and I wouldn't recommend this build if you are starting this character after level 12 or so. If you are playing this character from level from level 1 or better yet starting at level 6, I think this makes a powerful and interesting way to go into Arcane Heirophant.
SKB 05-17-05, 07:30 PM	hmm, Beast Master nice angle... Druid3/Wizard3/Beastmaster1/ArcaneHeirophant10/Nature'sWarrior3 bab: 14 CL: 14 / 13 SL: 7 / 7 Saves: 16/8/14 Wildshape: as 13th level druid Feats: 1st Skill Focus [Handle Animal] 3rd Practiced Spellcaster [Druid] 6th Practiced Spellcaster [Wizard] 9th Natural Spell (allows spell casting in wildshape) 12th Extra Wildshape 15th Track 18th Spell Penetration
Teltharis 05-17-05, 07:33 PM	Here is a simple build you can work off: Druid3/Wizard4/ArcaneHeirophant10/MysticTheurge3 Bab:12 CL:16 / 17 No need for the 4th wizard level. Just take Mystic Theurge after wiz3/druid3 that way you get 9th level spells in each. :D
SKB 05-17-05, 07:35 PM	true, the focus on Wi4 was to get Natural Spell by 9th instead of 12th, but call.
Legazy 05-18-05, 12:13 PM	what do those feats exactly do?