I tried to find clarification online, but I was unable to find exactly what I wanted. I'm planning to take the technomancer prestige class at level 7 with my wizard in an iron gods campaign. It appears that I wont get 4th level spells until my second level of technomancer (character level 8). My question, when I am a wizard 6/technomancer 1, is my caster level 7 for determining spell effects/duration? If I wouldn't be CL 7, would you suggest I take magical knack at character creation or should I stick with reactionary?
My gut tells me that CL will go up, even at 1st level of technomancer, but because I can't find the ruling I need help. Thanks in advance!
The rules are very clear.
You are wizard 6 and then take a level of technomancer looking at the prestige class it clearly says you do not gain a level of arcane spellcasting as a 1st level technomancer therefore you have the casting ability of a 6th level wizard and are caster level 6, when you take Technomancer 2 you gain a level of wizard casting and have the casting ability of a 7th level wizard.
If instead of taking a level of technomancer you took a level of fighter would you expect your caster level to increase? No, so why would Technomancer be any different
Don't trust your gut just read the rules!
I see your point. My gut feeling came from viewing the ranger and paladin classes. The class description states that they are caster level -3. There is no such verbiage with the technomancer. It is effectively a caster class, my thoughts would be to use what's in the chart as when to add new spell levels. Thoughts?
I looked up some of the other prestige classes and they have the verbiage I was looking for. I would assume that the same would apply to the technomancer. Thank you John, you were very much correct.
I'm actually thinking I will not be a technomancer, since I don't gain 2 new spells each level (major bummer), unless I'm misinterpreting something.
Buying spells or Finding them isn't hard to do.
I see your point. My gut feeling came from viewing the ranger and paladin classes. The class description states that they are caster level -3. There is no such verbiage with the technomancer. It is effectively a caster class, my thoughts would be to use what's in the chart as when to add new spell levels. Thoughts?The only way you can justify that "gut feeling" is by deliberately ignoring the Technomancer's class progression chart where the rate of spell casting progression is absolutely clearly spelled out.
Don't make assumptions about any class. Read ALL of the class material.
Well... I didn't want to assume, that's why I came here, to get a more precise ruling. I couldn't find what I was looking for in the class material. Notably missing is the following (copy/pasted from arcane archer):
"Spells per Day: At the indicated levels, an arcane archer gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an arcane archer, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day."
It would have been nice to have something similar in the class material for the technomancer.
Not to belabor the point, but it can be spelled out more plainly than that... by including the verbiage that I just posted for the arcane archer. Why include the "Spells per Day" information for one, and not for the other? The arcane archer also has a table.
It's moot now anyways, I've selected magic knack so I don't lose a CL when I prestige.
Extra caster level of the knack won't get you extra (i.e. 4th level) spells though... , it just gets you the following:
"...but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level.
In the event that a class feature or *other special ability* provides an adjustment to your caster level, that adjustment applies not only to effects based on caster level (such as range, duration, and damage dealt), but also to your caster level check to overcome your target's spell resistance and to the caster level used in dispel checks (both the dispel check and the DC of the check)."
(and concentration checks, and you'd be able to cast an arcane scroll with CL7 and less UMD problems...
Yep, that I understand. Thank you for your response though! :)
no probs, I had to plug it into a character sheet thing to check myself as I was only around 70% sure... (I don't usually play casters where it matters, but am at the moment as I've got the same thing with Evangelist coming up)