I was looking at the Pathfinder's Loremaster the other day and remembered why I was kinda disappointed in it. It doesn't give much leeway for any classes other than Wizard because of the Intelligence based abilities. But then I realized; The Witch! They're arcane intelligence-based casting that won't suffer from a reduced BAB (like the Magus does). I googled the idea but I didn't find a single result. Now that I think about it, that may be my answer.
Anyway, what does the general public think about a Witch Loremaster?
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I was looking at the Pathfinder's Loremaster the other day and remembered why I was kinda disappointed in it. It doesn't give much leeway for any classes other than Wizard because of the Intelligence based abilities. But then I realized; The Witch! They're arcane intelligence-based casting that won't suffer from a reduced BAB (like the Magus does). I googled the idea but I didn't find a single result. Now that I think about it, that may be my answer.
Anyway, what does the general public think about a Witch Loremaster?
Personally I think PrCs are a thing of the past. Paizo has done a fantastic job, through buffing abilities and archetypes, to make core classes appealing.
A Witch Loremaster would have less powerful hexes and less hexes to throw around. Hexes are her strongest ability and the niche of the class. The loremaster doesn't bring any appealing abilities to the table. A witch's tongues hex can be intelligently roleplayed to work like secret language. Qualifying for loremaster requires three feats that could be better used for buffing your spells or survivability.
If you're set on becoming a loremaster, a 3 level dip for +2 on two saves would probably be best. Otherwise keep cackling your foes to their graves :)
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Honestly, loremaster as a PC adventurer class seems like a lost cause. The loremaster's signature ability, Secret, is just not that great. I suppose if you already qualify, a one level dip for the bonus feat isn't completely out of the question. But "+1 on attack rolls"? Seriously? If you're looking for a lore type add-on without losing much spellcasting, you're better off with Pathfinder Savant.
For an NPC, loremaster is a fine class.
Yeah, I kinda thought that would be the case. 1-20 just seems like the only good way to do the Witch. I was just curious if there were any theories or pet project characters like this out there.
I agree that PrCs maybe much less popular than before.
Has anyone tried transforming Loremaster into a base class?
You mean a Divination Wizard? :P
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Yeah, I kinda thought that would be the case. 1-20 just seems like the only good way to do the Witch. I was just curious if there were any theories or pet project characters like this out there.
You mean a Divination Wizard? :PI agree that PrCs maybe much less popular than before.
Has anyone tried transforming Loremaster into a base class?
Perhaps a subschool which provides the bonus to knowledge skills.
If it is possible to meet the prerequisites for loremaster via bard, that's the way I would personally go. I just don't know off hand if the bard gets access to enough divination spells. I assume they do, but I'm not certain.
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If it is possible to meet the prerequisites for loremaster via bard, that's the way I would personally go. I just don't know off hand if the bard gets access to enough divination spells. I assume they do, but I'm not certain.
Oh yes.
0: Detect Magic, Know Direction, Read Magic
1: Comprehend Languages, Identify
2: Detect Thoughts, Locate Object, Tongues
3: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Scrying, See Invisibility
That's just from the core rulebook, and you only need seven out of those eleven, only one of which has to be third-level.
Sweet! Well there you go then, I'd take bard into loremaster over wizard/witch/anything else.
The player of the witch in my Pathfinder game will only go for a prestige class that grants hexes (not that any such classes exist yet -- but we are holding out hope that the upcoming prestige class book will cover it). To him, hexes are actually more important than spells.
Oh, that witch player does not want to become a loremaster, for the reason that I cited. Loremaster was a good deal for D&D 3.5 wizards, who gave up a bonus feat every 5 levels for all of the Loremaster goodies, with the same spell progression either way. In Pathfinder, the core classes have much more to give up, even before you consider favored class bonuses.
Honestly, loremaster as a PC adventurer class seems like a lost cause. The loremaster's signature ability, Secret, is just not that great.
Most of the other abilities are not that great either.
A +10 bonus to identifying magic items? The DC is already fairly small, you can take 10, and you can retry after one day.
Bonus languages? Whoopee. By level 11, casting Comprehend Languages or Tongues is not a hardship.
Legend Lore/Analyze Dweomer once a day? By level 17 (!), a level 6 spell 1/day is not terribly interesting.
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Then don't sing any songs of old, don't take any perfomance skills at all. Though performance oratory would be appropriate to lecture the young whipper-snappers.
Human IQ 20 (we are goign for sage after all) 12 skill points.
All 10 knowledges, Linguistics, and either Spellcraft or Perform Oratory. Now if you really want to use your favored class for skill you can pick up the otehr skill mentioned though most would use it for extra known spell.You can play that character a wisened sage not as some silly minstrel.
The Archivist Bard Archetype is built for precisely this. He loses out on Performance skills being useful, but gains some snazzy lore and intellect related options.
And probably a better pure scholar than a Wizard with Loremaster.
Loremaster's big thing is that it lets you play the expert scholar of magical lore specifically, i.e. a master scholar prepared spellcaster with 9th level spells.