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I have a general question about how to calculate caster levels in 3.5, which can be applied to many PrCs. I'm going to explain by using a single demonstration build, as I found it extraordinarily difficult to explain my question without one (akin to explaining geography without a map).

Dungeon Guy has fifteen character levels with several types of spellcasting classes in its build. Weird (and possibly inaccurate), but easy to explain.
- Cleric(5), Wizard(5), PrC: Mystic Theurge(5)
(The Mystic Theurge is a prestige class that combines both arcane and devine casters levels)

Now we consider a 2nd prestige class that works only for wizards. The Blood Magus, for instance. Which base caster classes add to the Blood Magus' caster level? Warlocks and Wizards, but you have to choose either if you have both. Since I obviously don't have 5 Warlock levels in my build, taking the Blood Magus doesn't require me to choose between any base class.

So things should be easy then, right? Unfortunately, no. The Mystic Theurge levels make things Tricky, for they are:

• Prestige class caster levels
• A strange mix of caster levels which are or are neither divine or arcane. Or.. maybe they are, I don't know.

Do the caster levels of multiple prestige classes always add up? Do those take into account these weird hybrid divine/arcane caster levels? What would be the total caster level in my example, considering I would end up adding 10 Blood Magus levels (I would appreciate the whole calculation, not just the answer)?

You're reading too much in it. Mystic Theurge adds each lvl to one arcane class of your choice, and to one divine class of your choice.
So, your example would be Wizard CL 10, Cleric CL 10. Five levels of wizard + five of MT; Five levels of cleric + five of MT. It's spelled out quite clearly.
The Blood Magus would only add to your Wizard CL, so Wiz5/Cler5/MT5/BloodMagus5 would be Wizard CL 15, Cleric CL 10.

GawainBS wrote:You're reading too much in it.

The story of my life.

And, of course, I understand. It seems obvious enough now. Thanks for dragging me out of ignorance though, it's a big feat these days.

My very first actual PNP game is coming up in a few weeks. I figured I played enough CRPGs to make this happen. Naturally I start to worry about every little detail.

Hehe, you should try doing that with Geomancer instead of Blood Magus. I did that once, it was an epic level character with Ten in each of those four classes and it was -excruciating- to figure out everything that all the classes came with.

Hehe.

I ended up abandoning my original idea. It had something to do with (eventually) combining cleric caster levels with the Alienist. Very weird and totally incorrect..

With the approval of my DM I will be starting out following The Commoner template. So my build has one weapon proficiency, no abilities, slow saves progression, etc. It is esssentially a build that in its purest sense focusses on the skills and abilities of its prestige class levels. Any other base class will only add bagage feats and abilities that have nothing to do with the prestige class. Sneak Attacks? God no. Heavy Armor? No thanks. Spellcasting? Totally inappropriate.

I already most of the time start by thinking of an interesting prestige class when creating builds. Only this time I realized that any base class would add all kinds of fluff to the build that had virtually nothing to do with the prestige levels. For the base class that meant I was pretty much trying to emulate the Commoner class, for NPCs. So I asked the DM if I could just start out as one and it was okay.

I'm not saying anything else, since the ears have walls and stuff. :speech:

Tricky wrote:I already most of the time start by thinking of an interesting prestige class when creating builds.

Well, its usually a good rule of thumb to try and plan out what you want your Char to be later in "life". But atleast you got to figure out what your wanting to play

Trust me, that is rare.