PrC leveling gains level in existing class?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

PrC leveling gains level in existing class?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
HighDarkTemplar
05-30-07, 03:41 PM A player of mine said that according to his brother (he is known for reading way to many rules and remembering all of them) when you took a level as a caster/manifester PrC and it stands that you get spells/powers as if you got another level in existing base class you. Is this 3.0? Personally I think it's wrong but still it sounds weird. I'd prefer some page references to a book where it stands so i 3.5.

Example:
Ted the human Wizard gains a level and decides to take it as xx PrC:
Currently he is a level 13 Wizard/Level 4 Archmage (total of 17 level)
This will according to me make him a level 18 character (level 13 wizard/level 5 archmage) with spells as a level 18 wizard. According to what my player said, he will become a 19 level character with all the hit dices etc as if he gained both a level as a wizard and a archmage.

-HDT
Matthew77
05-30-07, 03:48 PM Most prestige classes of this kind specifically say that you gain "spell casting ability" as if you had gained a level in your base class.

This means you only gain spells/day, spells known, and caster level.

It absolutely does not give you Hit points, character level, skill points, feats, ability scores, or anything else that is level dependant.

I can't think of any prestige class in 3.5 that grants 2 hit dice for one level. That would be absurd.
Salla
05-30-07, 03:50 PM I'm not quite sure I understand the question, but I'll take a crack at it.

When a PrC says '+1 level of existing spellcasting class', it refers solely to the spells per day (and spells known for the sorcerers) chart. It doesn't give double hit dice or double save bonuses.

So, when a Wiz 13/ Archmage 3 goes to Archmage 4, he has a caster level of 17, the spells per day of an 17th level wizard, 17d4 Hit Dice (not 19).
HighDarkTemplar
05-30-07, 03:55 PM Thought so, I'll just tell him that is the way I read the rules and have read it in a couple of random books here right beside me. I'm using a couple of 3.0 books in my game but saying that I have the right to change/ban features if I feel that they are just way off. Thanks for some quick replies :-)

-HDT
Neutronium_Dragon
05-31-07, 02:24 AM Perhaps he's reading too much into the Archmage's "Spell Power" ability, which increases your effective caster level by +1 for the purposes of level-dependent spell variables.

That's *all* it does. It means that your Fireball does an additional 1d6 damage, that your level is +1 higher when making an SR check, that your Summon spells last for an additional round, and so on.

It does not give you a free class level, nor does it grant you additional spells per day. (He'd still be a Wizard 13/Archmage 5 and have an 18th level wizard's spells per day, it's just that level-based functions of those spells count him as 19th rather than 18th.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
HighDarkTemplar 05-30-07, 03:41 PM	A player of mine said that according to his brother (he is known for reading way to many rules and remembering all of them) when you took a level as a caster/manifester PrC and it stands that you get spells/powers as if you got another level in existing base class you. Is this 3.0? Personally I think it's wrong but still it sounds weird. I'd prefer some page references to a book where it stands so i 3.5. Example: Ted the human Wizard gains a level and decides to take it as xx PrC: Currently he is a level 13 Wizard/Level 4 Archmage (total of 17 level) This will according to me make him a level 18 character (level 13 wizard/level 5 archmage) with spells as a level 18 wizard. According to what my player said, he will become a 19 level character with all the hit dices etc as if he gained both a level as a wizard and a archmage. -HDT
Matthew77 05-30-07, 03:48 PM	Most prestige classes of this kind specifically say that you gain "spell casting ability" as if you had gained a level in your base class. This means you only gain spells/day, spells known, and caster level. It absolutely does not give you Hit points, character level, skill points, feats, ability scores, or anything else that is level dependant. I can't think of any prestige class in 3.5 that grants 2 hit dice for one level. That would be absurd.
Salla 05-30-07, 03:50 PM	I'm not quite sure I understand the question, but I'll take a crack at it. When a PrC says '+1 level of existing spellcasting class', it refers solely to the spells per day (and spells known for the sorcerers) chart. It doesn't give double hit dice or double save bonuses. So, when a Wiz 13/ Archmage 3 goes to Archmage 4, he has a caster level of 17, the spells per day of an 17th level wizard, 17d4 Hit Dice (not 19).
HighDarkTemplar 05-30-07, 03:55 PM	Thought so, I'll just tell him that is the way I read the rules and have read it in a couple of random books here right beside me. I'm using a couple of 3.0 books in my game but saying that I have the right to change/ban features if I feel that they are just way off. Thanks for some quick replies :-) -HDT
Neutronium_Dragon 05-31-07, 02:24 AM	Perhaps he's reading too much into the Archmage's "Spell Power" ability, which increases your effective caster level by +1 for the purposes of level-dependent spell variables. That's all it does. It means that your Fireball does an additional 1d6 damage, that your level is +1 higher when making an SR check, that your Summon spells last for an additional round, and so on. It does not give you a free class level, nor does it grant you additional spells per day. (He'd still be a Wizard 13/Archmage 5 and have an 18th level wizard's spells per day, it's just that level-based functions of those spells count him as 19th rather than 18th.)