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View Full Version : Question about Suel Arcanamach... s? ...es? ...ii?



Benime
2009-01-08, 05:30 AM
I'm hoping to play a character who will be martially focused until level 8, at which point I will take Suel Arcanamach to level 7 and then take 5 levels of Abjurant Champion. I know my caster level would be at least 12 for my Suel Arcanamach spells.

However, if I do so, would I gain more spells per day/spells known than what the chart in Complete Arcane indicates since Abjurant Champion gives you more spells per day/spells known?

In other words, would my base spells per day/spells known be:

4/4/3/3/2 spells per day with 4/4/3/3/2 spells known with a caster level of (at least) 12

or

4/4/4/3/3 spells per day with 4/4/4/3/3 spells known with a caster level of (at least) 12?

I know I can't gain higher level spells or the chart would have already indicated that (since Suel Arcanamachs gain a new spell level every two levels and there is no 6th level spell slot/spell known at 10th level in the PrC).

Also, if I take Practiced Spellcaster with a focus on my Suel Arcanamach levels, can I increase my caster level for those spells to (at least) 16?

Thank you in advance.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-01-08, 06:06 AM
There's not much reason to take Suel Arcanamach past the 4th level, especially if you're taking a prestige class(es) to max out the spellcasting. I'd even jump into it after level 6, since getting spellcasting sooner is better than getting it later. Something like X 6/ Suel Arcanamach 4/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5 would be a great start.

To answer your question on the spellcasting progression, it absolutely stops at SA 10. Getting additional levels of spellcasting ability beyond that would only increase your caster level, not your number of spells known or spells/day because the 10th level on the table is the most the class progression will grant. Keep in mind that with Abjurant Champion 5 your caster level will be equal to your BAB, which would most likely be only one point short of your character level with the build I suggested above. Practiced Spellcaster could be applied after that, so at level 20 if your BAB is +16, you'd have a caster level of 20 with Practiced Spellcaster.

Be sure to visit the Otyugh Hole detailed in Complete Scoundrel (or pay 3000 gp at character creation and include the visit in your backstory) to get Iron Will without wasting a feat on it.

Benime
2009-01-08, 06:25 AM
Thank you for the clarification about the spellcasting progression. I was re-reading some pages from the Epic Level Handbook and it kind of dawned on me (since even base classes beyond 20th level don't gain more free slots just for gaining levels) a few minutes before I read your post.

Keld Denar
2009-01-08, 10:42 AM
Paladin, Hexblade (rebalanced), and Duskblade all make a good base for a Suel Archanamach. Paladin gives you +cha to saves and Turn Undead, which opens up Divine Feats like Divine Might, and Devotion feats like Law Devotion and Travel Devotion. Hexblade gives you +cha to save vs arcane spells, which is almost as good, and gives you Mettle and the Dark Companion ACF from PHBII which gives you a potent irresistable debuff to toss on your foes. Duskblade gives you Arcane Channeling at 3rd, which can apply to your SA spells, but is probably not the best use of them.

A really good SA spell comes from the Spell Compendium (reprinted from Complete Arcane). Its the 2nd level spell Whirling Blade. A Whirling Blade is in almost every way a melee attack, which allows you to apply shanananananananagens like Divine Might from the Paladin base, or Arcane Channeling from the Duskblade base, to it to cast touch spells at a range. Its also usful for attacking foes at range in a crowded room, behind allies, or in other situations when you wouldn't normally be able to make a full attack. You can also Arcane Strike with it, and use your Dispelling Strike SA feature with it.

Also, a decent finisher to a SA build is actually the oft maligned Dragon Disciple, primarily for the stat boosts and bonus spells. Since you no longer gain levels with respect to Spells/Day, DD isn't much of a drawback, and actually increases your Spells/Day for your 5th or whatever level you desire level spells. Hope this info is helpful.