Pale Master 1st level [Archive] - Wizards Community

Pale Master 1st level [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
captianhowdy
08-17-07, 07:24 PM I noticed looking at the Pale Master the other day that under the Spellcasting section, there is no "--" like there normally is when you gain no spells. Is this a typo in favor of or agianst the 1st level?
Roam7
08-17-07, 08:48 PM Not a typo, many casting prestige classes don't give spellcasting advancement on the first level.
captianhowdy
08-17-07, 09:44 PM Are you fammilar with it though? It doesnt give ANYTHING 1st level, not just no spellcasting
StevenO
08-17-07, 11:33 PM You should probably think of that first level of Pale Master as almost a doubly long stretch between levels.

It seems you spend PM1 contemplating your relationship with death and undead an only have a little time to devote to the basics (HD, skills, save, and BAB) before you start getting into things at PM2.
captianhowdy
08-18-07, 02:31 AM Ahh that makes alot of sense. Never thought of it in that light
iceifur
08-18-07, 10:45 AM You should probably think of that first level of Pale Master as almost a doubly long stretch between levels.

It seems you spend PM1 contemplating your relationship with death and undead an only have a little time to devote to the basics (HD, skills, save, and BAB) before you start getting into things at PM2.

You could be right; however, my take on it is that the writer of the PrC had a brain-fart and temporarily forgot how to write a decent class progression. ;)
The_Shaman
08-18-07, 02:26 PM I'm with iceifur on that one, to be honest. If you meditate on something as important as life and death enough to spend 1 level of XP on it, you'd expect someone as intelligent as a wizard or as determined as a sorcerer to get something out of it :) .
claypigeons
08-18-07, 04:04 PM Are we forgetting the capstone ability?

Seriously, I'd be willing to lose one level of casting in exchange for INFINITITE ZOMBIES.

That's the only reason to take levels in the Pale Master, because besides that, it sucks.

Again, because it's important... INFINITE ZOMBIES.
The_Shaman
08-18-07, 04:30 PM I dunno, I would prefer 10/10 casting over potentially infinite zombies, but it's just my style. Heck, the free animate dead already helps your army-recruitment efforts.
StevenO
08-18-07, 06:00 PM You could be right; however, my take on it is that the writer of the PrC had a brain-fart and temporarily forgot how to write a decent class progression. ;)
This may be true.

Although many would want to fill in that "dead" slot with a spellcasting advancement I wouldn't. Perhaps the most thematic thing to do would be add a specific bonus feat at first level, how about Tomb-Tainted Soul?
The_Shaman
08-18-07, 06:16 PM It's a possibility, especially as you get a lot of similar features later on. I once had the idea to give them item creation feat/s that only work for necromancy spells as a prerequisite of sorts for the undead armor affinity - if they are such masters of such items, they should also know how to create them.

Alternatively, one could just move the no-spellcasting level, say to lvl 10.
JellyPooga
08-19-07, 12:03 PM I hated that the Pale Master got nothing at 1st level and I thought that the flavour could do with a little rewriting, so I re-visioned it (see my sig).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
captianhowdy 08-17-07, 07:24 PM	I noticed looking at the Pale Master the other day that under the Spellcasting section, there is no "--" like there normally is when you gain no spells. Is this a typo in favor of or agianst the 1st level?
Roam7 08-17-07, 08:48 PM	Not a typo, many casting prestige classes don't give spellcasting advancement on the first level.
captianhowdy 08-17-07, 09:44 PM	Are you fammilar with it though? It doesnt give ANYTHING 1st level, not just no spellcasting
StevenO 08-17-07, 11:33 PM	You should probably think of that first level of Pale Master as almost a doubly long stretch between levels. It seems you spend PM1 contemplating your relationship with death and undead an only have a little time to devote to the basics (HD, skills, save, and BAB) before you start getting into things at PM2.
captianhowdy 08-18-07, 02:31 AM	Ahh that makes alot of sense. Never thought of it in that light
iceifur 08-18-07, 10:45 AM	You should probably think of that first level of Pale Master as almost a doubly long stretch between levels. It seems you spend PM1 contemplating your relationship with death and undead an only have a little time to devote to the basics (HD, skills, save, and BAB) before you start getting into things at PM2. You could be right; however, my take on it is that the writer of the PrC had a brain-fart and temporarily forgot how to write a decent class progression. ;)
The_Shaman 08-18-07, 02:26 PM	I'm with iceifur on that one, to be honest. If you meditate on something as important as life and death enough to spend 1 level of XP on it, you'd expect someone as intelligent as a wizard or as determined as a sorcerer to get something out of it :) .
claypigeons 08-18-07, 04:04 PM	Are we forgetting the capstone ability? Seriously, I'd be willing to lose one level of casting in exchange for INFINITITE ZOMBIES. That's the only reason to take levels in the Pale Master, because besides that, it sucks. Again, because it's important... INFINITE ZOMBIES.
The_Shaman 08-18-07, 04:30 PM	I dunno, I would prefer 10/10 casting over potentially infinite zombies, but it's just my style. Heck, the free animate dead already helps your army-recruitment efforts.
StevenO 08-18-07, 06:00 PM	You could be right; however, my take on it is that the writer of the PrC had a brain-fart and temporarily forgot how to write a decent class progression. ;) This may be true. Although many would want to fill in that "dead" slot with a spellcasting advancement I wouldn't. Perhaps the most thematic thing to do would be add a specific bonus feat at first level, how about Tomb-Tainted Soul?
The_Shaman 08-18-07, 06:16 PM	It's a possibility, especially as you get a lot of similar features later on. I once had the idea to give them item creation feat/s that only work for necromancy spells as a prerequisite of sorts for the undead armor affinity - if they are such masters of such items, they should also know how to create them. Alternatively, one could just move the no-spellcasting level, say to lvl 10.
JellyPooga 08-19-07, 12:03 PM	I hated that the Pale Master got nothing at 1st level and I thought that the flavour could do with a little rewriting, so I re-visioned it (see my sig).