Prestige classes for primary classes used to gain the full rate of spells for domain bonus and specialization, making the prestige classes for spellcasters overly good compared to a straight wizard or cleric. The change in the rules (if you do not continue going up as a primary, you do not gain the benefits for that class) and A PC that takes 5 lv in a prestige class loses 2-3 bonus abilities, including the rather potent keystone 8th level ability, making the prestige class choice more dicey. Given that, does the below example of a prestige class seem balanced?
The Alchemist
Required: Brew potion, Alchemy 5+ ranks, either K-Religion (if an arcane caster) or K-Arcane (if a divine caster) 5+ ranks
LV..ATT...F...R...W..Ability
1....+0..+2..+0..+0..Albemic, Potion Lore, cast +1
2....+1..+3..+0..+0..Poison Use, cast +1
3....+1..+3..+1..+1..Alchemical Synthesis, cast +1
4....+2..+4..+1..+1..Spell Potion, cast +1
5....+2..+4..+1..+1..Brew 5th level potion, Living Albemic, cast +1
Albemic: the Alchemist can drink a potion and delay its effects for up to his Alchemist level in hours before it triggers. Triggering it before this time requires a move action on the Alchemist’s part.
Potion Lore: The alchemist gains 3 known spells from any primary caster list, but only for the purpose of brewing potions of that spell. Each additional level in the Alchemist class adds 3 more such spells. These spells must be chosen from a level the PC can brew potions for (so max of 3rd level spells until 3rd level and 5th level alchemist). These spells do not allow the alchemist to treat these spells as being on their spell list except for the brewing of potions.
Poison Use: The alchemist is able to handle poisons without risk to himself. His frequent use of dangerous chemicals gives him the ability to avoid accidentally poisoning himself.
Alchemical Synthesis: The alchemist can add an alchemical component to a spell he is casting, increasing the casting time to a full round. For example – an Alchemist includes a dose of alchemical fire to a grease spell – upon the grease spell going into effect, creatures that pass through it are treated as if they had been struck by alchemical fire. This may be done a number of times per day equal to the PCs level in the Alchemist class.
Spell Potion: The alchemist is able to convert a magic potion into a medium to hold a spell (of a level no higher then the Alchemist can brew a potion). The potion loses its magic and instead holds a spell the Alchemist casts into the potion. It must be a spell that qualifies for creating into a potion, and it retains its magic nature for 12 hours.
Living Albemic: the Alchemist can now hold up to 3 potions within himself, per the Albemic ability, except that he can hold them for up to 10 hours. This still requires a move action, and only 1 potion can be triggered in a round.
Bump
Serious - prior to Paizo, this class would definitely need a level w/out a caster level, but now with the bonuses casters gain every level, I'm not sure it does. Given what casters have to lose now, is the class balanced with a caster level every level?
So:
He can delay potion onset time.
He can make potions his class wouldn't otherwise allow.
He can use poison.
He can add 2d4 damage(if i remember correctly) to a spell, by increaseing the casting time to a full round action.
He can turn a potion into another potion.
He can hold 3 potions in himself.
This class seems to me to be alot like Loremaster.
Well written in and of itself, but not really worth taking.
An interesting schick for an NPC maybe but with little game effect for the player who takes it.
Yes, you can make a couple extra potions or maybe dab a little extra damage on to a spell but in an overall sense you are gaining little.
(compare it to say, the Archmage. A class that gives full spell casting, and actually *gives* you something in exchange for the class abilities you are giving up.. things you can use in battle and such).
The things you have here are good ideas- but would probably be better served as feats that chain off of Brew Potion.
Just me .02.
-S
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Tough call.
Any loss of caster level is really quite a trade; the ability you get in return generally has to be pretty awesome to justify it.
I'm inclined to agree that a lot of the old classes from 3.0 were overpowered...but in 3.5, they really went the opposite direction and nerfed the hell out of them. It seemed like every other caster prestige class lost their first level of casting.
With the boost to the core classes, the 3.0 full caster progression seems much more tolerable than it was before.
There are other caster-based prestige classes from splat books that begged for at least limited caster progression; Master of the Unseen Hand should have probably gotten a caster level at 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, for example. Arcane archer should have been an every-even-level caster increase, akin to the Songblade from Complete Warrior; another Elven martial/caster gish mix.
I'm pretty happy with the core rules for Pathfinder, but I'm quite curious how prestige classes will work. Obviously all of the old ones need some serious tuning, and that near-mandatory "lose one caster level" hit on spell based prestige classes is something that needs revisiting.
The initial loss will be the abilities gained by a PC at 6-10th (an enchanter would lose...)
6th Heroism (Sp): You can cast heroism 1/day.
8th Aura of Despair (Su): You can emit a 30-ft. aura of despair for a number of rounds per day equal to your caster level. Enemies within this aura take a –2 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
10th Hold Monster (Sp): You can cast hold monster 1/day.
Rather expensive. But when that same PC reaches 20th level, his loss is instead:
16th Power Word Stun (Sp): You can cast power word stun 1/day.
18th Power Word Kill (Sp): You can cast power word kill 1/day.
20th Legendary Charm (Su): You can cast dominate monster 1/day with a duration of permanent. You can only have one such creature in your service at a time. If you cast this spell again, the first creature is immediately released.
The loss increases in intensity. So, what was a calculated loss at 6th level, becomes an untenable loss at 20th. So, should the gains of a prestige class for a caster class scale? The gained benefits are based on caster level, not a static bonus. Perhaps a feat that allows a specialist to re-capture lost abilities (a specialist w/this feat is treated as 3 levels higher in his specialty for purpose of benefits only, perhaps). Perhaps prestige classes should cease to be, instead becoming chains of feats available only under specific cases?
Note - still, sorcerers and wizards differ dramatically. The sorcerer is at risk of losing only a:
1) a Bloodline feat
2) a Bloodline power
Bards, Clerics and druids face a more serious loss, however (the cleric may, short term, only lose 1 level of domain powers (2 domains), but by 20th, he loses 2 levels of domain powers (4 powers total) - and his most powerful abilities to boot, 2 9th level spells, 1/day each.
The abilities gained by the above noted alchemist class pales in comparison. So, what to do?
Oh, that 1 bloodline power for a sorcerer at 20th is pretty darn good, though. I dismissed it too easily. For example...
Demonic Might (Su): At 20th level, the power of the Abyss flows through you. You gain immunity to electricity and poison. You also gain resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, and gain telepathy with a range of 60 feet.