Now, we all know that not getting caster progression and levels for gained abilities is bunk. No one in their right mind does something like that, since if you loose a total of two levels ever in spellcasting classes(in one progression ie wizard, sorc, cleric, druid, etc.) then you might as well be someone’s cohort, because they are just as good as you at spellcasting.
A few alternatives came to mind:
1. For constant abilities, have the ability take up a magic item slot. For example, a Pale Master looses the ring and gauntlet/gauntlet slot for his “touch” abilities, his armor slot for his bone armor, and so on…
2. Loose spell slots, like the Archmage. Since most abilities are fixed in power levels anyway, loosing a number of fixed slots is actually an even trade in power. For example, the blood mage from tome and blood could trade out his “and now I go into you and then burst out of someone else in range once a day” Blood Walk ability for a 5th level slot (basically a D-door and a damaging effect, which I estimate at around a 6th level, but we drop it a level since you need a two bodies to make it work). Since all PrCs are written with an intended minimum character level, it makes a powerful ability costly when you first get it when you only have a few slots of that level, and then less costly as you grow in power with more spell levels and slots.
3. Make it a restricted spell list. Blood Walk is a fifth level spell that any Blood Mage can cast, and Pale Touch is a spell that any Pale Master can cast.
4. Use the abilities like spontaneous conversion, like good clerics and healing spells.
5. Some combo of any of the above options.
Loosing caster progression?
Moderator: Moderators
Re: Loosing caster progression?
Most of those sond like good ideas, but one in particular is genious:
Spell-like abilities are basically worthless to spellcasters once they get high enough level, so doing the logical thing and making them spells would balance them in almost all respects. Of course, it would only be fair to have them know it automatically, and in the case of the Mind bender, letting them spontaniously convert to Dominate woulden't be *that* unbalanced.
I still believe in the idea of some spellcasting PrCs loosing one caster level at 1st, which is really the ultimate balancing tool for otherwise too good PrCs.
-Catharz Godsfoot.
Guest (Unregistered) at [unixtime wrote:1084310957[/unixtime]]
3. Make it a restricted spell list. Blood Walk is a fifth level spell that any Blood Mage can cast, and Pale Touch is a spell that any Pale Master can cast.
Spell-like abilities are basically worthless to spellcasters once they get high enough level, so doing the logical thing and making them spells would balance them in almost all respects. Of course, it would only be fair to have them know it automatically, and in the case of the Mind bender, letting them spontaniously convert to Dominate woulden't be *that* unbalanced.
I still believe in the idea of some spellcasting PrCs loosing one caster level at 1st, which is really the ultimate balancing tool for otherwise too good PrCs.
-Catharz Godsfoot.