(III)
C)
Casting System Ability Prereq AnswersSpellcasting Level Increases
1) a. {null->0,1} Wizard 1 or Magical Training feat (1st level only) = 1st or 0th level (prepared or perhaps spontaneous) See 4) for the divine casting alternative
b. {1->2} Precocious Apprentice (1st level only) = 2nd level casting (prepared or spontaneous your choice)
c. {2->3} Dragonsblood pool [CM149] 2k = 3rd level spell slot for 1 year since thanks to sanctum spell, 3rd level spells can be cast.
d. {3->4} Versatile Spellcaster [the second 3rd level slot is a bonus slot from high casting stat] = +1 level by sacrificing 2 of your highest spell slots (spontaneous only means spontaneous divination domain for wizards)
e. {0->1,2->3,4->5}Sanctum Spell (1 metamagic) = +1 spell level as long as within your sanctum. Makes Precocious Apprentice become a slot (require Versatile Spellcaster in the feat-only version).
f. {5->6} Improved Sigil (Krau) [must be illumian] = +1 free "as if heightened" to picked, verbal spells [note this
psuedo-heighten works even whilst the other sketchy DMM+heighten shenanigans don't because heighten doesn't have a metamagic cost ("increase in the metamagic feat") for DMM to negate]
g. {7->8} Eldritch Corruption [non-good, with allies, preferable undead] = 3/day +2 free spell level bumps for 2 instances of 2 con damage to an ally.
h. {8->9} Earth Sense + Earth Spell + Heighten = +1 when you heighten a spell using a higher level slot than original
i.
practical/easy metamagic this requires minimum of 1 which can't piggy-back off Krau sigil feat due to 'as if' language
TOTAL: 1 level or an extra feat along with a decent race and 9 feats gives 9th level spells
Note: at your option practical metamagic would save a feat, but it requires skill rank shenanigans. Meaning a Illuman (krau) spontaneous divination
Wiz 1 with 2 flaws who worships an elder evil near a medium level warforged word of creation heartfire fanner could
cast 9th level spells after some reformatting (assuming he had the int).
2) Spontaneous arcane casting is supposed to be more limited. But any spontaneous casting (divination wizard ACF anyone?) works so we just follow the normal casting bumps up to 4th in this case. Magical artisan is vague so it seems it could go either way.
3) The beauty about early casting methods is that (except for one) they all work with arcane and divine. So add a cleric level to that Wizard using the above methods and you can easily manage 5th level spells.
4) Similar to 1) but uses the Mad Faith feat instead of Precocious Apprentice [requires first level divine casting] and dragonsblood pool for 3rd level casting if you can stomach severe depravity (be necropolitan and have high charisma). You can also save out on the feat sink that earth spell is. Illuman (krau)
Cleric 1 with 2 flaws and near a medium level warforged word of creation heartfire fanner could
cast 9th level spells after some reformatting if he either worships an elder evil or takes 2 feat-granting domains (assuming he had the wis).
5) Warlock Invocations are rather specific. Just look them up and compare which is sooner. Take whichever one you feel like using. In this case they are lesser and require Warlock 6 or 1 + 5 casting bumps.
Edit:
Many PrC's require the ability to cast (manifesting specifics nearly follow this format as well). There are too many for me to attack individually. Here's how you get at them individually though:
Check the spell
here.
Check
my casting class index for classes that cast it, cross-referenced of most every source
here for estimating earliest ECL via
the thread you are looking at.
Otherwise, abuse extra spell/slot (see my spell-casting section for how to cast 10th level spells so you can gain even that pesky specific 9th level one) or find a way to gain it as an SLA. The latter is more scattered than would ever be worth it to compile.
Psionics
6) a. You need to be a psionic character with the ability to manifest. I suggest Hidden Talent as the go-to.
b. For early manifesting you will want to pay for a psychic chirurgery to learn the power level required.
c. Normally 2*power level - 1 in PP is needed to cast a power. We are going to drop that number:
If your DM allows it
this 3.0 feat is technically legal and will give you -1ML after you grab a psicrystal
i.
Torc of Power Preservation: -1pp
ii. Earth Power [Earth Sense]: -1pp while on earth and focused. Unfortunately this is explicitly not usable with midnight augmentation)
iii. Ardent Dominant Ideal does not help because it is only for augmentation or metapsionic powers. Note that Psions are able to manifest just as high as borked ardents ("A psion can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.") the only difference is when they
learn their powers:
iii. Midnight Augmentation: When you blow your focus 1 power gets -1pp per essential invested up to max of power's level (max -9pp excluding essentia cap). Remember your essentia cap is 1 under ECL6, 2 under ECL12, 3 under ECL18, and 4 if above.
1. Obviously we will want that essentia cap maxed to get that lovely -9pp with Psycarnum Infusion. I'm of the opinion it doesn't give any free pp except for 1 first level power each day. But if your DM disagrees he might ban the combo. In that case consider getting
2. Divine Soultouch [con13, turn/rebuke undead]: once a round spead 1 turn to give you an essentia that can go above your limit
3. Improved Essentia Capacity: +1 essentia capacity up to con mod
4. Incandescent Champion 4 gives a 1/day +1essentia capacity. It is enterable at ECL 2 with a warchanter (or ECL1 with a suitable bard also). Only use this if you REALLY need to enter something early.
d. Two things to pay for, 6+ feats, and 4 levels could mean -9pp, bringing 9th level chirurgery power(s) into ML8 range. See 2) for how to get that ML8
7) Boosting ML is way easier, but much more tied to manifesting progressions than CL is to casting progressions. Here are the ways:
a) Practiced Manifester (Psycraft4): +4 but up to limit of ML=ECL, great for RHD
b) *Overchannel: +1 if below ECL8, +2 if below ECL15, +3 after
b) *Wild Surge: Does not stack but can give +1-6. Unfortunately by Wilder19 you still wish you were a psion.
c) Stygian Archon (2 negative energy powers): +1 for only negative energy powers but requires focus to maintained so it is
not compatible with midnight augmentation.
c) Envoy Cognizance (Know Planes1, Psicrastal Affinity, Elemental Envoy, and must have it adjacent to you): +1 while utilizing chosen envoy's energy type
c)
Life Mantle: +1 for powers on the life mantle list. Note Psions can cheese it out to get this. Poor Divine Minds.
d) Mind Mage (Dragon 313) 8-10 gives ML 8-10, @ level 10 its +10CL all day as well.
e) Magic Mantle forces your DM to use the broken magic-psionics transparency. Reserves of strength, every CL boost known to man, and too many other things know boost your ML. Yuck.
Using 8)iv. and 7)'s Hidden Talent, overchannel, and practiced manifestor gives 7th level powers at ECL4
regardless of your class, assuming you can get the cash and feats. Going Incandescent Champion 4 will get you 8th level powers. I am not concerned about 9th level powers since that's where you want to end up for after PrC, not start.
Incarnum and Meldshaping
8) Getting Essentia is easy. Take feats, play an azurin (they rock) or take a meldshaping class. I suggest the first two.
9) Take Incarnate 4 or the Open Least Chakra feat three times (requires con13, level 6)
10) Incarnate or Totemist 2 isn't bad but Shape Soulmeld x3 works too.
11) Totemist 2 is the only way to get it
12) Shape Soulmeld and level 12 work as does 6 of any meldshaping class (I'm unsure about Soulborn though)
Initiator Classes and Martial Maneuvers
13) Either dip Swordsage or Warblade 1 xor buy 3 Novice Tigerclaw versions of Crown of the White Raven (1.5k) or take Martial Study 3 times.
14) Either dip Warblade 1 xor buy 2 Novice Ironheart versions of Crown of the White Raven (1.5k) or take Martial Study and Martial Stance.
15) Dip any base initiator class or buy 2 Novice Stone Dragon versions of Crown of the White Raven (1.5k)
16) Dip Swordsage 1 or Warblade and Crusader or buy 3 versions of Crown of the White Raven and take martial study three times.
Binding
17) If you want binding progession you must go Binder 1.
17) Improved Binding = +2 EBL
17) Major bloodline = +3 EBL (eventually)
17) You can grab another level of binder and still not worry about XP penalties if you don't have any other base classes above level 2. This will (by ECL12) grant you juicy 4th level vestiges.
17) Any higher level vestiges generally aren't worth another 3 binder levels (the progression starts getting very bad later on)
18) You can use the bind vestige + improved bind vestige feats (practiced binder isn't worth adding) to qualify but the consensus is that you won't gain any new binding ability from your PrC's progression (basically don't do it unless you don't care about binding and are an anima mage)
Shadowcasting
19) Either take Shadowcaster 3 or (due to linguistic ambiguity) buy two Greater Shroud of Nights (36.63k)
