Building a Prestige Class for the Duskblade. Ideas?

[Stormdrake]

The title really says it all. I want to build a prestige class for the Duskblade. Never done one before so thought I would see what you all had to say. The one thing I could see would be allowing a widening of the spell list from what is listed.

[Chronos]

Making a prestige class which benefits the Duskblade isn't hard at all. Making a good presitge class, though, faces some challenges.

First, you don't want to make it so every Duskblade automatically wants to take it. There has to be something that a straight Duskblade can do, that this thing can't. Otherwise, you're not making a PrC; you're effectively just re-making the Duskblade with different listings for levels 11-20. There's not really that much room for decreasing their spellcasting ability, and if you remove or decrease the channeling ability, you lose the core concept of the class. About the only thing left is to decrease the BAB. So your PrC should probably have 3/4 BAB progression.

Second, you also want to make it so there is a point for at least some Duskblades to take it. You need to include something that a regular Duskblade doesn't get, and it needs to be good enough to make up for whatever you took away in the first step. There are many options here, of course: It looks like you're looking to improve their magical ability by expanding their spell list.

Third, you want to make it something which works better for Duskblades than for others. Think, for instance, about what would happen if a pure sorcerer or wizard got ahold of the class: Even aside from the dusky abilities the class gives, something like expanding one's spell list would come in very handy for a full caster.

Fourth, however, you also don't want to solve problem three by just declaring by fiat "Advance one level of Duskblade casting", or "Prerequisite: Five levels in the Duskblade class". That's awkward and clumsy. Unfortunately, I don't have any good ideas for solving these last two problems.

[Lochar]

Prerequisite: Arcane Channeling.

Each level gives +1 to arcane spellcasting class.

Therefore, a sorcerer could take the PrC, but requires going through three class levels of duskblade to get it.

[Arakune]

Archery focused duskblade (like a arcane archer, but one that works);
Spellcasting focused duskblade (1/2 BAB, get access to up to 9th level spell casting, more spell options);
Meele combat focused duskblade (full BAB, loses 2 caster level, some neat fighting abilities that give him great mobility and better attack options);


How to do it however, I don't know.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Duskblade/Warblade Dual-class. Prerequisites Arcane Channeling, 5 maneuvers, at least one of which is 5th level and one from each the White Raven, Diamond Mind, and Iron Heart schools. Give it the Crusader maneuver progression, d8 HD, 2+int skill points, make it lose a few caster levels, and give it some synergistic class features, and it should be a great mystic-warrior class. Someone better than me should look at the balance, but I think a minimum level of 7 and losing features from both classes will be enough to keep it on the same level as other ToB classes.

You could even have it only advance IL fully at every other level(so a 10-level PrC will give +7.5 IL), but that strikes me as too much of a nerf.

[_Puppetmaster_]

There is already an awesome PRC for duskblades: The Enlightended Fist.

You only need seven levels of it for the hold ray, it turns ranged touch spells into touch spells, making them channel-able.

[Nerd-o-rama]

!

Channeled Disintegrate! That's a good one, but requires at least one level of monk (bleh) and means you miss out on Full Attack Channel to get Hold Ray.

I like Changeling Reshaper for all the free no-time-increase metamagic while advancing spellcasting (and Expanded Knowledge), but that only works for changelings...

[_Puppetmaster_]

it does?


I could have sworn it only took Improved unarmed strike and stunning fist.


EDIT:
Looked up the requirements:

8 ranks Concentration, 5 ranks each Knowledge (arcana) and spellcraft, improved unarmed strike, stunning fist, and combat casting.

[Nerd-o-rama]

People take those as feats?

My mistake, I knew I should have looked it up. That's actually pretty easy for a Duskblade.

Hmm...nah, I've already spent too much time plotting out Rin's build. Maybe my next Duskblade. And now that I do look it up, Hold Ray is really the only thing that makes it worthwhile, and you'll either have to wait for level 20 for that or level 20 for Full Attack Channel.

[Hal]

Archery focused duskblade (like a arcane archer, but one that works);
Spellcasting focused duskblade (1/2 BAB, get access to up to 9th level spell casting, more spell options);
Meele combat focused duskblade (full BAB, loses 2 caster level, some neat fighting abilities that give him great mobility and better attack options);


How to do it however, I don't know.

Well, let's see here.

Arcane Archer: Same Duskblade spell progression, or maybe some new spells thrown in that make more sense for an archer. Add in some bonus archery feats. Have prereqs like Point Blank Shot or Rapid Shot. Capstone ability could be channeled Manyshot or Greater Manyshot (or whatever they are).

Spellcasting Focused: Duh, give the Duskblade an expanded spell list and access to more spells. The greatest weakness of the class's spellcasting is a small list and only learning one spell each level. You could potentially throw in some metamagic bonus feats, or perhaps more power in overcoming spell resistance.

Martial Focused: Bonus feats. Either from the fighter list or create a custom one, but any melee class that doesn't get bonus feats is starved for them. Alternatively, you could just grant feats that help the Duskblade without making them a choice (such as Arcane Strike). Is there a feat that lets you store a channeled spell, like the spell storing weapon ability? That would be a good capstone ability here.