I posted this over at the Wizards message boards, but I thought I'd try here also...
I just started running the Shackled City Adventure Path. My group's only arcanist is a sorceror who is thinking about going for Master of the Unseen Hand. I'm worried that without caster level progression for 5 levels (character levels 11-15 I believe) the party is going to be sorely lacking in arcane options.
It seems strange to me that the Master of the Unseen Hand loses out on five levels of caster progression. I was considering giving him +1 level of arcane spellcasting at levels 2 and 4 of the prestige class. Would this be overpowered? Has anyone else come up with anything along these lines?
Thanks in advance!
I posted this over at the Wizards message boards, but I thought I'd try here also...
I just started running the Shackled City Adventure Path. My group's only arcanist is a sorceror who is thinking about going for Master of the Unseen Hand. I'm worried that without caster level progression for 5 levels (character levels 11-15 I believe) the party is going to be sorely lacking in arcane options.
It seems strange to me that the Master of the Unseen Hand loses out on five levels of caster progression. I was considering giving him +1 level of arcane spellcasting at levels 2 and 4 of the prestige class. Would this be overpowered? Has anyone else come up with anything along these lines?
Thanks in advance!
You don't need an arcane spellcaster to complete the adventure path. There are some points in the adventure where being able to cast certain spells is a definite boon (Oblivion comes to mind), but the campaign doesn't hinge on these points. And if worst comes to worst the arecanist can allways use a scroll.
I'm not familiar with the unseen hand prestige class, but from a game mechanics point of view a +1 spellcaster level is pretty powerfull. Usually, a presitige class that offers a +1 spellcaster level does little else for the class at that level. If you place the +1 spellcaster level on top of all the other boons from that prestige class, I can immagine it will become overpowered.
I'm not familiar with the unseen hand prestige class
Master of the Unseen Hand is the telekinesis expert from one of the Complete books, can't remember which at the moment.
About giving MotUH spell progression: I don't have the book in front of me at the moment, but I would think that giving MotUH +1 progression would clearly make it way overpowered. A MotUH sacrifices spell progression to make one of his abilities/spells more powerful, so by giving him full progression anyone who takes the class gets something for nothing.
The Master of the Unseen Hand has enough firepower without needing the arcane spell progression.
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IMO there are significant potential concerns with the MotUH -- not least of which is good BAB (+1 BAB/level).
His MotUH level stacks for for casting telekinesis, and his "telekinetic wielder" BAB is caster level + INT!
This makes him potentially *very* strong in combat (at least for a wizard), and given the MotUH's abilities he's primarily combat-focused, there's realtively little utility stuff added.
Obviously these aren't likely to cause problems with most players, but if you suffer from munchkins I'm sure they'd only be too happy to abuse this with some bizarre character concept (obviously using "character concept" quite loosely here!).
The wording of "telekinetic wielder" is vague on the matter, but personally I'd read "any weapon related feats ... do not apply ..." to include proficiency -- so all telekinetic weapon attacks are non-proficient.
If you want to give MotUH +1 caster level at 2 & 4 then I'd suggest:
1) drop BAB down to poor
2) remove the exiting "improved caster level" class feature
3) tweak the requirements a bit -- eg need mage hand as well as telekinesis (and maybe featherfall, levitate or fly), and require "spell mastery" for telekinesis
This should make the character rather more rounded and less open to abuse.
I guess that my biggest issue is that his spells per day doesn't increase.
If he takes all five levels of Master of the Unseen Hand continuously then for character levels 11-16 he'll only be able to cast his specialized spell 3 times per day (or four times per day if he gets his CHA up to 20 or 21). Five levels of work to be awesome with a spell that you can't use that often? It seems kind of strange to me...
Five levels of work to be awesome with a spell that you can't use that often? It seems kind of strange to me...
it's the trade-off of every prestige class, and the point of specializing. Do one thing very well, and everything else less so.
i would have him play it as is. but have him start out at 13th lv instead.
there is a feat in comleat divine/arcane/mage, that alows you to increase your caster lv. to +4, called:
"Practaced Spellcaster
choose a Spellcaasting class that you possess. your spells cast from that class are more powerful.
Prerequisite: spellcraft 4 ranks.
your caster lv. for the chosen spellcasting class increases by 4. this benefit can't increase your caster lv. to higher than your hit dice. however, even if you can't benefit from the full bonus immediately, if you later gain hit dice in levels of nonspellcasting classes,(MotUH) you might be able to apply the rest of the bonus... (examples given...)
...this feat dose not affect your spells per day or spell known. it increases your caster lv. only, which would help you penetrate spell resistance and increase the duration and other effects of your spells."