Homebrew Nitpicking: Nitpick this Prestige Class.

[Xar Zarath]

I created this prestige class just because it rattled in my brain. Try to see if there are any changes for it. Basically I wanted to allow a wizard to be able to use cleric/druid spells but not to actually need those classes.

Basically turn this:
Independent Research

A wizard also can research a spell independently, duplicating an existing spell or creating an entirely new one. into a prestige class. So here goes:

Magick’s Apprentice

Hit Die
d4.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Magick’s Apprentice, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills
Knowledge (arcana) 15 ranks, Spellcraft 15 ranks, Religion 15 ranks.

Feats
Skill Focus (Spellcraft)

Spells
Ability to cast 7th-level arcane spells

Class Skills
The Magick’s Apprentice class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level
2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Magick's Apprentice
Level Base
Attack Bonus Fort
Save Ref
Save Will
Save Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 The Universal Dialect +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 The Universal Sight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Magick’s Grace +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Magick’s Mind +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 The Universal Power +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the Magick’s Apprentice prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Magick’s Apprentices gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day/Spells Known
When a new Magick’s Apprentice level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th-level spells before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th-level spells before he became a Magick’s Apprentice, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Magick’s Apprentice for the purpose of determining spells per day.

The Universal Dialect (Su)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains a permanent Tongues and Comprehend Languages (as the spell, caster level 13th) as a supernatural ability.

The Universal Sight (Su)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains Arcane Sight (as the spell caster level 14th) as a supernatural ability.

Magick’s Grace (Ex)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains the Native Outsider subtype, however the Magick’s Apprentice does not need to eat or sleep and stops aging. Bonuses from aging still accrue.

Magick’s Mind
The Magick’s Apprentice gains a +5 bonus to will save.

The Universal Power
The Magick’s Apprentice is endowed with the gift of pure Magick and now understands the writings of divine and natural sources of Magick. The Magick’s Apprentice can now scribe cleric and druid spells. Moreover he is able to develop arcane versions of druidic and cleric spells.
This does not increase any spell slots he might have or be able to use divine magic items or even gain spellcasting in divine spellcasting classes. Rather, the Magick’s Apprentice must still locate cleric and druid spells to scribe them into his spellbook as arcane versions.

[Afgncaap5]

Well... it's not a bad idea to base a prestige class around that, though I'm not sure what's really being given up apart from, say, advances to familiar power. The capstone ability basically increases the Wizard's already formidable spell list to potentially include the majority of all other divine spells, meaning the list of spells a wizard can't have is decreased to, uh...well, things from other classes that are exclusive to them, like Wu Jen or Bard or Ranger spells that don't show up elsewhere.

Personally, I think that the spells should be treated as if they're a higher level than a Cleric or Druid might cast them natively. A wizard being able to cast all of the Cure spells is intriguing, but a wizard able to cast literally any cleric or druid spell (even with the caveat that the wizard must first locate the spell as a magical writing) is a straight upgrade over most things. Admittedly, most wizard prestige classes already *are* straight upgrades, but still.

Also, what you're building the class around is held off here until the capstone. I think you'd be better served if you found a way to incorporate that into the class as you level up. Something like...

Magick's Lore: At first level, and every level thereafter, you may learn a number of Cleric or Druid spells equal to one plus your Wisdom modifier. The level of the spells learned is less than or equal to your Magick's Apprentice level.

Magick's Patience: At first level, and every level thereafter, the Magick's Apprentice may designate two Cleric or Druid spells that he or she is aware of that are equal to the highest level of Arcane spell they can cast or higher. The Magick's Apprentice may choose these spells as the spells learned as they take their level, instead of the spells that they would usually learn. (If the spells are not automatically learned during level up, the Magick's Apprentice must find written copies of the spells.) From that point on, The Magick's Apprentice may prepare these spells as if they were arcane spells.

...or something like that. I'd then include an ability that allows a wizard taking this class to learn other spells, but possibly modified in some way.

(You might also get better notes than mine in the Homebrew forum.)

-Edit-

Do you have a place in a campaign world where you see Magick's Apprentices as fitting in to a world's background? That might help to inform some of the direction of the class.

[aimlessPolymath]

Nitpicking? Okay.


Skills
Knowledge (arcana) 15 ranks, Spellcraft 15 ranks, Religion 15 ranks.

Knowledge(Religion)
Capitalize Arcana.
Also, skill points don't match up with entry level from 7th level spells. You get 7th level spells at level 13. At that level, you have maximum rank 16 in those skills. Might not be intentional; hard to tell.


Table: The Magick's Apprentice
Level Base
Attack Bonus Fort
Save Ref
Save Will
Save Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 The Universal Dialect +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 The Universal Sight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Magick’s Grace +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Magick’s Mind +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 The Universal Power +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
Despite being called a table, this isn't one.



The Universal Dialect (Su)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains a permanent Tongues and Comprehend Languages (as the spell, caster level 13th) as a supernatural ability.

The Universal Sight (Su)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains Arcane Sight (as the spell caster level 14th) as a supernatural ability.

Magick’s Grace (Ex)
The Magick’s Apprentice gains the Native Outsider subtype, however the Magick’s Apprentice does not need to eat or sleep and stops aging. Bonuses from aging still accrue.

Magick’s Mind
The Magick’s Apprentice gains a +5 bonus to will save.

You lose practically nothing from these levels- not even spellcasting!
1st level class feature: Comprehend Languages doesn't work like you think. It doesn't work like anyone thinks, really. Go reread the text of the ability.
Ability names are generally formatted as
Name (Ex): text of feature

Static caster level is odd, but OK- it's just really odd because you enter the class as your 14th level, as I mentioned above, so the static caster levels are one level low.

Magick's Mind is a good class feature, if slightly redundant due to being a caster. Everyone doesn't want to ever fail a Will save.


The Universal Power
The Magick’s Apprentice is endowed with the gift of pure Magick and now understands the writings of divine and natural sources of Magick. The Magick’s Apprentice can now scribe cleric and druid spells. Moreover he is able to develop arcane versions of druidic and cleric spells.
This does not increase any spell slots he might have or be able to use divine magic items or even gain spellcasting in divine spellcasting classes. Rather, the Magick’s Apprentice must still locate cleric and druid spells to scribe them into his spellbook as arcane versions.
Class does not require Scribe Scroll, so the class can now scribe scrolls of spells they don't know.
Independent Research (http://www.dndsrd.net/arcaneSpells.html), which it is heavily implied you are referencing, is a wizard-only ability- if they did not possess it before, they do now, but only for divine spells.
Ability lets the apprentice scribe spells into his nonexistent spellbook.


That's all my nitpicks. That said, I agree wholly with Afgncaap5's points about the raw power of this class- the ability to learn spells from each of the major classes is an incredibly powerful option. The fact that the class sacrifices exactly none of its spellcasting power is just the cherry on top of that.

[Xar Zarath]

Thanks for the nitpicking. Will see what I can do. Don't know whether I will see this class in use, more because it was rattling around and thought I put it into place and see what came of it.

Thanks any way.

[Afgncaap5]

I recommend working on it a bit. It's a solid idea for a prestige class, and the way you're visualizing it is definitely more interesting than the Mystic Theurge (a class that I like more than most people, from what I can tell, so I'm not trying to set a low bar when I say that.) The issue is that the core concept is a powerful one, so balancing a class around it may take some rebuilds, revisions, and polish.

Thanks for sharing!