Those rules actually conflict with each other. Under scaling powers, it states certain things continue to advance. The last paragraph imposes a hard limit of 20 for any class and requires multiclassing including prestige classes. From the looks of it you are using the last option.
Ok that is really strange. I would either allow leveling up past 20 or cap everything at level 20.
Other than being able to cast higher level spells going past 20 does not gain you as much as another class can. With the exception of the Mystic Theurge you will probably be better off with taking a normal class instead of a prestige class that boost class features.
For example instead of going into Dragon Disciple a sorcerer could take levels of Paladin instead. The CHA to save and defensive abilities of a paladin synergize well with the sorcerer. There caster level will be lower, and their breath weapon will do less damage, but overall they gain more from paladin then dragon disciple.
Another good combination would be a sorcerer 20 / scaled fist unchained monk. Your AC and saves are going to be really good. You will have improved evasion.
For the most part prestige classes are actually weaker than normal classes. The other thing to consider is that normal classes usually have a capstone ability that is pretty good. Taking 10 levels of 2 prestige classes means you are giving up the capstone ability. Take a 20th level phoenix bloodline sorcerer. What is a prestige class going to give you that is better than being brought back to life with true resurrection once per day.
The best reason to take a prestige class is because that class offers you something unique. The Mystic Theurge can in this case give 2 different level 9 spell lists. That is something worth taking. Eldritch Knight on the other hand does not offer a lot more you could not get by taking 10 levels of a martial class.
Since you have an extra 10 levels to play with you can gain some decent abilities of another class. For example, if I wanted to make an elven warrior skilled in both combat and magic, I would probably take 10 levels in ranger instead of going eldritch knight. Doing so I gain better fortitude and reflex saves, 3 combat feats and endurance, a huge amount of skills, some nature focused abilities, favored enemy and favored terrain and 3rd level casting from another spell list. Then take 20 levels of wizard for arcane casting.
Looking over the hellknight and the hellknight signifier there does not seem to be a lot of synergy.
ohh taking my build for 'Shenron the wish granting dragon...Oracle' up to level 30 instead of 20 should be nice.
he is set as 10 oracle\10 exalted so just bump the oracle fully, to get 20 oracle and 10 exalted.
beside the other class abilities he'd have costless spell like abilities per day of:
Miracle 1/day, resurrection 1/day, limited wish 2/day and the exalted level 10 ability 'Perform miracle'(which i like to nickname 'limited miracle') 1/day. all without the gp cost that comes with normal casting of such spells. (also have 'bless water' to make free holy water 1/day but saving 25gp at this level is chump change)
He would also have all level 0 spells from all classes as sla at will (had this ability ever since 1st level).
So...what's your wish?
I'm glad you like it.
do note. since here he actually get more then 11 levels in oracle he doesn't need to take the Elf fav class bonus that my build use to gain the 2nd limited wish from the dragon magic revolution. so you can use it for something else.
my build had to use it since it only got 10 levels of oracle.
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Elf (Advanced Race Guide pg. 23): Add +1/6 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.
Dragon Magic (Sp): Your draconic power grants you a limited form of access to arcane magic. Select one spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list that is 2 levels lower than the highest-level spell you can cast, or two spells that are both at least 3 levels lower. You can cast each of the selected spells once per day as a spell-like ability. At 11th level, you can cast each selected spell twice per day.
here's a another pitch (that should have been an obvious):
Swashbuckler 20\Duelist 10
going with crane style tree (Style, Wing, Riposte) and the Unhindering Shield feat can end up with a super high ac end result. (to max it one can also take a halfling (+1 for size to hit and ac) with the Cautious Fighter feat and the Aldori Caution trait)
with +10 to int (which has another benefit in the archtype i'll talk later) that get him to +26 dodge, +4 more in melee, +8 more when provoking aoo for moving all for -1 to hit - when fighting defensively (and +1 for size, +1 for Shield Focus when using a buckler- needed for the above feat).
getting two signature deed feats for the Bleeding Wound dead and the Deadly Stab dead will mean dealing his dex modifier as bleed with every attack, (or str\con\dex BLEED damage if he spend a panache) and every critical threat (15-20 with rapier) which is also auto confirmed has a death attack added.
add to this that he deals 30 precision damage with each hit to an enemy that can take such damage.
and now the twist of the knife. going for inspired blade archtype, which lose the Bleeding Wound deed but gain Inspired Strike instead. so using signature dead on that will add his int to all of his attack with the rapier and whenever he hit but roll under 14 he can spend a panache to make it a critical (since he's crit range is already 14-20).
this archtype also gain one more point of damage with the rapier training over normal swushbuckler and add his int to the amount of panache in his pool beside his cha.
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so to make it easier the build is:
halfling or human with racial heritage(halfling) inspired blade 20 / duelist 10 with:
- Aldori Caution (trait)
- Cautious Fighter, if halfling\human with racial heritage (feat)
- dodge, mobility feat for the archtype (and crane style tree feats)
- crane style, wing, riposte (feats)
- signature deed x2 : Inspired Strike, Deadly Stab (feats)
- Unhindering Shield (feat)
- Shield Focus, for the above (feat)
used 10/20 feats for this character. 15 from levels 5 from swashbuckler
can go with full weapon focus\specialization with rest etc.
max up his int and dex, cha is a 3rd option.
Those rules actually conflict with each other. Under scaling powers, it states certain things continue to advance. The last paragraph imposes a hard limit of 20 for any class and requires multiclassing including prestige classes. From the looks of it you are using the last option.
Those rules actually conflict with each other. Under scaling powers, it states certain things continue to advance. The last paragraph imposes a hard limit of 20 for any class and requires multiclassing including prestige classes. From the looks of it you are using the last option.They don't fully contradict, as it's a hard limit on class levels, but not class features. So a Sorcerer could never be Sorcerer 27, but they could get level 27 Sorcerer Spellcasting by being a Sorcerer 20/Dragon Disciple 10, as the class features still stack into epic level proportions.
A character could become a 27th level Fighter, and would continue to increase all “class abilities that have a set, increasing rate, such as … [his] bonus feats and weapon training,” but could not gain bonus attacks. Similarly, a character could become a 27th level Sorcerer, but would only increase her skill points, saving throws, base attack bonus, spellcasting, and gain new bloodline feats.
The final paragraph simply presents capping at 20th level and multiclassing into another class or prestige class as the simplest solution, in that you don’t have to extrapolate class features beyond 20th level. Nothing in that text prohibits a 27th level Sorcerer from picking up levels in another class or a prestige class.
getting two signature deed feats …
This really comes down to how a given GM treats the rules, but I don’t think you can take a feat more than once unless it states you can do so.
Bloodrager 20 would gain way more from:
--1 Dip in fractured mind for an effective +8 to will save and wand access to spiritualist spells
--1-2 levels in mutagenic mauler, for the otherwise hard to get mutagen.
--A dip in Swashbuckler. You can opportune parry and ripose with a 2 handed weapon, you just dont get panache back.
--2 levels in Paladin or Antipaladin to improve saves
--A dip in Oracle for a nearly full lame curse and instant rage cycling
So, just from optimization:
Bloodrager 20/fractured mind 1/Mutagenic Mauler 1/Paladin2/Oracle 1/Swashbuckler 1 leaves us 4 levels to play and gets:
--STR mutagen; Opportune parry and riposte; Smite; CHA to saves; Rage Cycling;
Other options are vivisectionist (also mutagens, and sneak attack).
Very Very few prestige classes are good.
Oh, if you are character level 30, the obedience/divine boon feat lines are great.
Instead of using a Magus for a caster that can cast why not use a full 9th level caster and take 10 levels of a marital class? A sorcerer 20/ Paladin 10 would be pretty good. Take the Phoenix Bloodline and you get a 60’ fly speed with good maneuverability and return to life 1 per day. Paladins have some of the best defenses in the game which makes them tough to take down. Throw in a free true resurrection per day and it makes it even harder to take them out. Your BAB will be 20 instead of the 25 of the magus/eldritch knight, but your saves are going to be out of this world.
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This is amazing. I thought there was a prestige class that worked well with Swashbuckler, but for some reason, I couldn't think of it at the time, so I just ignored it.
To be frank it doesn't work unless you can go 20 swashbuckler\x duelist. 10\10 is clashing same abilities for less then a pure 20 swashbuckler.