Class and Level Geekery XIX - Nobody Cares about that Stuff Anymore

[Tubercular Ox]

A reasonable doubt standard says not to list anything we do not know beyond a reasonable doubt. There is in fact reasonable doubt about the DS and casting as there are MANY prestige classes that do exactly what DS would need to do to allow a lower bard level than 16.

Were I Timy I wouldn't be trying to invoke the reasonable doubt standard. I'd hammer this one:

For this purpose, we assume that the comic strictly follows the 3.5E D&D rules. We are aware that The Giant has stated that he doesn't always follow the rules, because his goal is to write a story and not to write session reports from a D&D campaign. Nevertheless, in this thread we assume the rules are being followed anyway, and see what stats, feats, and skills could explain what happens. Essentially, that means we're taking the rules side of the comic more seriously than its author does; if you like, you can assume a little footnote on every factoid of this thread that says "* or The Giant used a houserule". Why? Well, because it's Geekery. If Star Trek fans can do it, then so can we

If Dashing Swordsman advances casting, that would be a house rule that Rich introduced. ITT, we assume Rich is using 3.5E D&D rules, even when we know he sometimes doesn't. Since the claim that Dashing Swordsman levels could provide casting can be included by adding "*or The Giant used a houserule", then it doesn't need to be included in the OP at all, because it is automatically included in everything we could possibly post.

But even if we pretend that stuff we make up whole cloth isn't a house rule because we attached it to a different house rule Rich has already confirmed, my question is why Dashing Swordsman is considered superior to Lyric Thaumaturge, or any other prestige class that also advances full casting. I'm gonna bring up that context thing again and suggest there's no context to suggest Elan took Lyric Thaumaturge, just like there's no context to suggest that Dashing Swordsman advances casting.

You're basically saying that evidence could appear in the future to settle the issue, and that future-evidence creates reasonable doubt. I'm not saying it's impossible, but if it never happens, if we never see Elan demonstrate a single new Dashing Swordsman ability until past the end of the comic, I would not feel like the smart guy if I'd been arguing that new Bard spells might represent new Dashing Swordsman levels, with no additional evidence. Nor would I feel especially dumb if I interpreted new Bard spells as new Bard levels and then had to retract what I said when Rich told us otherwise. You fooled me, Rich! Good job!

That being said, I still support 14+/1+ (16+), I just don't like what this thread does to "reasonable doubt."