Is there an alternative to Magical Knack?

[Alchemist 23]

I've got a player with 1 level in fighter. Apart from that he's full caster levels. Magical Knack seems like a waste. Is there a trait that gives +1 caster level and something else?

I spent 2 hours digging and came up with nothing. Please help.

[Trevor86]

There is nothing that flat out increases the level at which your character preps spells (I assume you mean this by your question, like something that would allow a cleric 2 to prep spells as if he were a cleric 3, worded the way the prestige classes grant additional levels of the respective spellcaster class). Some very expensive items and consumbales can do this, but only at hhigh levels. If a cheap or easy way existed, everyone would have this since you could then dip into any martial class as a caster without any penalty. Also, something like this as a trait would be incredibly overpowered.

The only thing that resembles what you're asking as a lowish cost permanent solution is I think prestigious spellcaster, but that is only for prestige classes who lack an increase in bonus levels of spellcaster at one of the PP's levels and requires favored class: that prestige class.

[Bloodrealm]

My Eldritch Archer/Hexcrafter Magus has a 1 level dip in Vanguard Slayer, and I couldn't find anything like this, either, so I just stuck with Magical Knack. It would be nice to have something that gave you just what you need as well as, like, a +1 bonus to a skill or something, but restoring that 1 lost caster level is probably still worth the trait.

[Bloodrealm]

Trevor86 wrote:

There is nothing that flat out increases the level at which your character preps spells (I assume you mean this by your question, like something that would allow a cleric 2 to prep spells as if he were a cleric 3, worded the way the prestige classes grant additional levels of the respective spellcaster class).

What they mean is that Magical Knack fills in up to 2 missing caster levels, but the character is only missing 1.

[baggageboy]

There's bifurcated magic if you are a half elf, but that's about it. That's probably not helpful either.

[pad300]

https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ohch?Restoring-Spell-progression-after-1-leve l

Here you go...

[Gummy Bear]

pad300 wrote:

https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ohch?Restoring-Spell-progression-after-1-leve l

Here you go...

And here it is again, BUT LINKED! :D

[Ryze Kuja]

Take another dip in fighter, or another class?

[deuxhero]

There's Practiced Spellcaster with 3.5 material, but that's even more of a waste

[Azothath]

InrSeaMag p22-23.
Guilds have an entrance fee, exam(DC to enter), and yearly costs, guild benefits run off Fame. Examples are given. GMs are likely to introduce custom guilds.
Guild - Eclectic Training(5 Fame) p22: Chose one spellcasting class you have at least 1 level in and increase effective caster level in that class (includes number of spells you know and can cast per day) by +1 up to your maximum HD. Single-classed spellcasters should still pick a class to which this bonus applies, since this bonus is retroactive.
Guild - Esoteric Training(35 Fame) p22: +1 on Eclectic goes to +3(limited by HD). Second spellcasting class gains +1 effective caster level.

for PFS, Addt'l Resources skips over these pages thus they are not legal for PC usage within Paizo's PFS Organized Play.

[Azothath]

Magical Knack is great as traits go. It's totally silly that your character has to pick this before/at level 1 and before you know what you will do with the character. Thus retraining from UltCmpgn (which skipped over retraining traits). RAW options are Additional Traits feat(gain 2 traits).

An older version(3.5) as a Feat had the caster level go up to 4. As you are in a home game you can bring that into your game if you are unhappy with the trait.

I'd ask the player why he picked up a level in fighter. What is he trying to accomplish? There may be other ways to achieve that goal.

As this is advice and it is a home game I'll throw out there that gaining one weapon proficiency for a feat is basically unbalanced. You should gain 2-3 weapon proficiencies for non-exotic weapons within a weapon group or style for that feat. To avoid abuse the GM might assign specific weapons or provide more complex guidelines if he homebrews in such a rule.