E6 Prestige Class Guide

[Yora]

Most prestige classes can be taken at 6th level, which makes them possible options for E6 characters. However, many good Prestige Classes show their strengths only at higher level, while in an E6 game most can be taken only for a single level, if at all. Therefore, most guides and recommendations are not of much use for an E6 game.
At this point, this thread comes in.

This thread is meant to be a compilation of Prestige Classes available and useful for E6 characters. Since I don't have access to all books and really don't have any actual experience with CharOp, additional input is highly welcome.
If you think a class is missing from the list, please write up a section for it (or ask that some other users do one) and I'll link it in the first post, or feel free to point out mistakes in existing sections. Participation is highly encouraged.

• Abjurant Champion (CM)
• Anima Mage (ToM)
• Alienist (CAr)
• Assassin (SS)
• Ashworm Dragoon (DMG)
• Beastmaster (CAd)
• Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape)
• Cancer Mage (BoVD)
• Chameleon (RoD)
• Church Inquisitor (CD)
• Divine Oracle (CD)
• Dragonmark Heir (ECS)
• Elocator (XPH)
• Fist of the Forest (CC)
• Horizon Walker (DMG)
• Ilithid Slayer (XPH)
• Ironsoul Forgemaster (MoI)
• Mage of the Arcane Order (CAr)
• Master Inquisitor (ECS)
• Master of Masks (CS)
• Master of Shrouds (LM)
• Mindbender (CAr)
• Moonsea Skysentinel (CoV)
• Mortal Hunter (BoVD)
• Pious Templar (CD)
• Pyrokineticist (XPH)
• Ruby Knight Vindicator (ToB)
• Runesmith (RoS)
• Sand Shaper (SS)
• Scorpion Wraith (SoX)
• Shadow Sun Ninja (ToB)
• Silver Key (Dragonmarked)
• Soul Eater (BoVD)
• Spymaster (CAd)
• Thief Acrobat (CAd)
• Thrallherd (XPH)
• Unseen Seer (CM)
• Walker in the Waste (SS)
• War Shaper (CW)
• War Weaver (HoB)
• Wild Mage (CAr)
• Wildrunner (RotW)

[MeeposFire]

Dragonmark heir just so you can actually have more than one level? Warshaper works too if you are a changling or similar.

[dextercorvia]

Up to two levels of Fist of the Forest (CC) can be taken in E6. In those levels you gain Con to AC, 10' Fast movement that explicitly stacks, Feral Trance, 1d8 Unarmed Damage, Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike (overcome DR/magic with UAS). In exchange, you are a wild child, unable to sleep indoors, etc.


Fist of the Forest (CC)

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Requirements: BAB+4; 4 ranks in Handle Animal, Survival; Great Fortitude; IUAS; Power Attack; RP
Benefits: AC Bonus(Con to AC), Fast Movement (10' explictly stacks), Feral Trance, 1d8 Unarmed Damage, Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike (Ki Strike)
Useful for: Barbarian/Rangers/Fighters that want to smash stuff with their fists.

[DoctorGlock]

You get some minor benefits out of master specialist which you can ge into as early as 3rd IIRC.

[Yora]

Assassin (DMG)

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Requirements: Assassins really only require 8 ranks in Hide and Move Silently, as well as 4 ranks in Disguise. Best way to get them is a two levels in bard or rogue, but ranger also works. And you need to be evil.
Benefits: The assassins main feature is his death attack, but at a DC of 11 + Int modifier it's highly unreliable. +1d6 Sneak Attack damage makes it an interesting alternative to a level of rogue, though. While poison use is all but useless, the ability to prepare such gems like disguise self, jump, or sleep once per can be a real life saver if you don't have access to magic items. The downside is the +0 to BAB, Fort, and Ref.
Useful for: If you currently have an uneven number of rogue levels, a level of assassin increases your Sneak Attack damage by +1d6. With high Int you get even two spells per day, which makes it a real alternative to the 6th level of the rogue class that only has +1 Trap sense and +1 to BAB and all saves.

Elocator (XPH)

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Requirements: The Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attacks make the class a clear no-go, unless you already planned to take them. You also need 8 ranks in Concentration and a power point reserve.
Benefits: The elocators one class feature is to ignore difficult terrain when moving. If you plan to run a lot during combat, this is really useful. You also get a +2 bonus to Reflex and Will, which makes up for the +0 to BAB. And you also get +1 manifester level and new powers, which makes it really interesting for psychic warriors and multiclass psions.
Useful for: This class works best for psychic warriors focused on movement. Since you also get full manifesting, taking the -1 penalty to BAB would be the only thing you lose, which makes it a very good choice for such characters. Fighters who have a power point reserve from a racial trait could also qualify, if they find a way to get the ranks in Concentration through multiclassing.

Horizon Walker (DMG)

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Requirements: A horizon walker needs 8 ranks in Knowledge (geography) and the Endurance feat. If you're a ranger who maxed Knowledge (geography) you qualify, everyone else shouldn't bother.
Benefits: All you get is Terrain Focus for one type of terrain, which grants you a +4 bonus to one skill and a +1 bonus to attack and damage against creatures of a selected environment.
Useful for: If the game takes place mostly or completely in a single type of environment and you're a ranger who really really hates one type of local creatures, it might be worth considering, if you don't have any real use for the second combat style feat. If you're not a 5th level ranger who will fight only in a single environment, there are many much better choices for 6th level.

Ilithid Slayer (XPH)

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Requirements: This class is easy to get in and can even be taken at 5th level by a 4th level ranger. However, he wouldn't get any benefit from the second level and characters who would can't take it. You also need a power point reserve.
Benefits: You get Ilithids as a Favored Enemy and can sense them at 60 ft. If you'r character is an ilithid hunter and has a power point reserve, and the campaign will have lots of ilithids to fight, this is really good. If you're a ranger 5 and have taken aberrations as your favored enemy twice, +6 bonuses to attack and damage at 6th level is a lot! In that case it might even be worth it to spend a feat on Wild Talent. This is E6, there will be lots of more feats later on.
Useful for: Obviously rangers with favored enemy aberration. If you have the +4 BAB and the Track feat, it's also worth considering for other characters in such a campaign. And with DM permission, it could also be applied to other creatures as well.

[veven]

Church Inquisitor can be entered at level 4. You get a free domain (inquisition), detect evil at will, immunity to charms, and automatic saving throws vs illusions. Full caster advancement too. I played a cloistered cleric 3/church inquisitor 3 in E6 and had a blast.

[Yora]

Pyrokineticist (XPH)

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Requirements: You need to get 8 ranks into Concentration, even though the class does not have any use for it. Also, you need a power point reserve, even though the class doesn't manifest powers at all.
Benefits: Why even bother? 15 ft. reach rangd touch attack to deal 1d8 points of fire! That's why! You also get +2 to Fort and Ref saves, but only +0 to BAB.
Useful for: In a low level game, the ability to deal 1d8 points of energy damage with a touch attack all day can be really nice. Rangers would probably benefit the most, since they have Concentration but can deal with losing a caster level.

Spymaster (CAd)

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Requirements: If you're a rogue focusing on lies and deception, you should already have all the required skill ranks and feats.
Benefits: You gain the ability to prepare a cover identity which provides you with considerable bonuses when impersonating that person. Great for heist adventures or spy campaigns with lots of time for preparation.
Useful for: Really only worth it for rogues. Bards could also easily qualify, but they would benefit more from another level in bard.

Thief Acrobat (CAd)

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Requirements: All you need is high ranks in Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble, which most rogues should already have, especially when climbing on roofs is one of their specialities.
Benefits: Doesn't seem much at first, but when climbing and balancing is your trade, this class is pure awesome. You basically double your speed when doing your acrobat stuff and no longer provoke Attacks of Opportunity. And if you do slip you can stand up as a free action.
Useful for: I'd go so far to say that there's no reason to play a rogue 6 when there's any way you could also play a rogue 5/thief acrobat 1. Yes, you lose +1 BAB, Fort, and Will, but this class puts the monkey into skill monkey. If you want to play an acrobat, you HAVE to take this class!

[*.*.*.*]

You get some minor benefits out of master specialist which you can ge into as early as 3rd IIRC.

I think you can get into master specialist after 1st level if you use precocious apprentice and are a human.

[Calimehter]

I can't say as I've looked at them *all* by any means, but I've looked at a few of them for my own E6 campaign:

Assassin is pretty neat, especially given that the 'capstone' level for Rogues is a bit meh. Gets you spells (albiet limited) and an extra sneak attack die.

Invisible Blade, Dread Commando,and Nightsong Enforcer work along the same lines as Assassin, but are probably not as good by most counts. They still bear mentioning though, as their specific benefits (while small at 1st level) are at least more useful than Rogue 6, and they don't have the "gotta be evil" problem/controversy/arguement that Assassin can have.

Bloodhound (CAdv) is kind of interesting, in that you can take 2 levels of it in E6 with the right build. For a ranger-type character, it gets you swift tracking and a potentially neat out-of-combat-ready-action mechanic against select foes. The need to pick a 'mark' might not make it suitable for some adventure concepts, though.

War Weaver (HoB) misses out on quiescent weaving, but still gets the useful Eldritch Tapestry ability with just 1 level.

Dervish (CWar) gets you a bunch of neat stuff right at its entry level level, but it has a tricky set of prereq's to get into, especially since you really need to be TWFing with a scimitar (and eventually plural scimitars) to get the most mileage out of it. I've taken a few stabs at it, but this is one of those that might be a fun exercise for the CharOps crowd. :)

Chameleon (RoD) looks pretty slick, even if it is only accessable to very specific races and builds. 2nd level spells for a 1 level investment?? Can't say as I've ever used one, and the fluff is a bit odd (if you care about such things), but it looks neat.

[Zonugal]

Some other quick prestige classes to jump into for a rogue are the Master Inquisitive and Silver Key from Eberron.


They both have a lot of nifty abilities in the three levels accessible to you.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Mindbender (CA), which you can actually get two levels of if you take Fey Heritage and Fey Power (CM) or use Primordial Giant or any number of other low-level CL bonus tricks.

Master Specialist (CM) which you can get four levels of via early entry shenanigans (Improved Krau Illumian, Precocious Apprentice, Beguiler 1/ Wizard 1 with Versatile Spellcaster, etc.).

[Kaeso]

Up to two levels of Fist of the Forest (CC) can be taken in E6. In those levels you gain Con to AC, 10' Fast movement that explicitly stacks, Feral Trance, 1d8 Unarmed Damage, Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike (overcome DR/magic with UAS). In exchange, you are a wild child, unable to sleep indoors, etc.

True, but you're a better monk than a 6th level monk!

[Yora]

I noticed that CC classes have rediculously easy prerequisites. If there's any way that a prestige class might be suitable for your character, the prerequsites are set in a way that your character automatically has all of them at 5th level. You really have to go out of your way to not be able to take the classes at 6th level.

[Essence_of_War]

Ruby Knight Vindicator is the only way to get Thicket of Blades in E6 and it is accessible for your 6th level.
RKV:

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Requirements: Turning, two skills at 4 ranks, 1 at 8 ranks, be able to initiate devoted spirit maneuvers.

Benefits: This does not progress spellcasting at 1st level, but it does give a stance. If you enter this as a Cleric 2/Crusader3 it is the only path that opens up Thicket of Blades from class features w/o requiring you take additional "martial stance" feats in E6.

Useful For: Tankish Crusader builds that are trying to do battlefield control.

[dextercorvia]

Mage of the Arcane Order (CArc)

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Requirements:8 ranks in Knowledge Arcana, Cooperative Spell, another metamagic feat, 750gp, prepare and cast 2nd level arcane spells.
Benefits: Spellpool (Leave a slot open to prepare any first 1st-3rd level arcane spell as a FR action in place of a spell. Repay later), Guild membership (Basically access to a library and lab), Advances Arcane Casting
Useful for: Wizards, Sorcerers etc. with the Arcane Preparation feat, Clerics with the Spell domain.

Mindbender (CArc)

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Requirements: Nongood, 4 ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive; Charm Person as a spell or SLA;Arcane CL 5
Benefit: 100' of Telepathy (Opening up acces to the feat Mindsight), Advances arcane casting, Good fort save is nice, too.
Useful for: Any arcane caster that can get the skills and the spell.

Wild Mage (CArc)

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Requirements: Chaotic, 4 ranks in Know:Planes, UMD, 8 ranks in Spellcraft, Magical Aptitude, any metamagic feat, Arcane CL 1
Benefit: Advances arcane casting, Wild Magic (Changes CL to -3+1d6)
Useful for: Any arcane fullcaster with the Practiced Spellcaster feat. See also, Spellgifted Trait.

[gorfnab]

Mage of the Arcane Order (CArc)

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Requirements:8 ranks in Knowledge Arcana, Cooperative Spell, another metamagic feat, 750gp, prepare and cast 2nd level arcane spells.
Benefits: Spellpool (1st-3rd level spells), Guild membership, Advances Arcane Casting
Useful for: Wizards, Sorcerers etc. with the Arcane Preparation feat, Clerics with the Spell domain.

MotAO is awesome on a Beguiler chassis.

Beastmaster (CAdv) - Take this and the Natural Bond feat for a 7th level equivalent Druid Animal Companion.

[riddles]

Beastmaster (CAdv) - Take this and the Natural Bond feat for a 7th level equivalent Druid Animal Companion.

Take 5 levels of paladin and devoted tracker as your first e6 bonus feat - mini supermount.

[Yora]

Mage of the Arcane Order (CArc)

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Requirements:8 ranks in Knowledge Arcana, Cooperative Spell, another metamagic feat, 750gp, prepare and cast 2nd level arcane spells.
Benefits: Spellpool (1st-3rd level spells), Guild membership, Advances Arcane Casting
Useful for: Wizards, Sorcerers etc. with the Arcane Preparation feat, Clerics with the Spell domain.

Mindbender (CArc)

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Requirements: Nongood, 4 ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive; Charm Person as a spell or SLA;Arcane CL 5
Benefit: 100' of Telepathy (Opening up acces to the feat Mindsight), Advances arcane casting, Good fort save is nice, too.
Useful for: Any arcane caster that can get the skills and the spell.

Wild Mage (CArc)

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Requirements: Chaotic, 4 ranks in Know:Planes, UMD, 8 ranks in Spellcraft, Magical Aptitude, any metamagic feat, Arcane CL 1
Benefit: Advances arcane casting, Wild Magic (Randomizes CL)
Useful for: Any arcane fullcaster with the Practiced Spellcaster feat. See also, Spellgifted Trait.

Nice, but could you maybe add a short line what the special abilities are good for? Especially with the Mage of the Arcane Order I have no idea what Spell Pool actually does without looking it up, and why I would want to have it. Without going into the specific mechanics, of course.

[Yora]

Runesmith (RoS)

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Requirements: If you're a dwarven fighter/wizard, you qualify.
Benefits: You gain +2 to Fort and Will and a full arcane spellcasting level. Also, your spells no longer have somatic components, which lets you ignore spell failure.
Useful for: Any dwarf who casts arcane spells and wears heavy armor. But a fighter/wizard, paladin/wizard, or cleric/wizard gets the prerequisites feats for free, while other combinations have to invest feats to qualify.

Wildrunner (RotW)

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Requirements: You need some ranger skills and Endurance, but a barbarian/rogue could also qualify, if you take the feat. It's also elf or half-elf only.
Benefits: +1 BAB, +2 Fort, +2 Ref, Fast Movement, and Trackless step.
Useful for: This one is for elven rangers. The real drawback compared to a ranger 6 is not getting the first boost of your animal companion. Improved Combat Style shouldn't really matter, since all you get from now on is free feats.

Scorpion Wraith (SoX)

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Requirements: BAB +4, 8 ranks in ranger skills, Blind Fight, Improved Initiative.
Benefits: You get an increase in BAB and Sudden Strike +1d6, so you can get a BAB of +6/+1.
Useful for: One level of ranger is the best way to get into this class. The other levels can be about anything, but it's probably most useful if you're going for +6 BAB.

[Gullintanni]

Church Inquisitor (CD)

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Requirements: Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral, Will +3, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, Able to cast Zone of Truth as a divine spell. Member of a lawful good church or religious order.
Benefits: At will Detect Evil, Inquisition Domain (1 level)
Immune to Charms, Pierce Illusion (3 levels)
Advances Divine Casting
Useful for: Bonus domains! More importantly grants a +2 Will save. Use this for early entry into Master of Shrouds PrC. See below.

Master of Shrouds (LM)

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Requirements: Any nongood. Will +5, Concentration 5 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 5 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks, Augment Summoning feat, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Benefits: Extra Turning feat, advances Rebuking, advances Divine casting (CL -1), Summon Undead (Shadow)
Useful for: Shadow summons remain useful, what with being incorporeal and having no save, STR damage touch attacks, until around ECL 13. E6 usually caps out at ECL10-12 encounters, ergo your Shadows will be useful forever. You can do this 3+Cha mod times per day. If you enter with Church Inquisitor, you can progress your Divine casting to 5/6 and retain 5/6 rebuking as well. The fluff can be difficult to marry, in that you must be a Lawful Neutral character who is also a member of a Lawful Good church, but for certain gods (Wee Jas, Heironeous, Moradin) this kind of thing makes sense. If you can't stick Church Inquisitor in the middle, you'll have to lose two divine caster levels in order to meet the Will save requirements fast enough to squeeze two levels out of this PrC. Not worth it IMHO. Church Inquisitor is all that makes this work.

Assassin (DMG)

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Requirements: Assassins really only require 8 ranks in Hide and Move Silently, as well as 4 ranks in Disguise. Best way to get them is a two levels in bard or rogue, but ranger also works. And you need to be evil.
Benefits: The assassins main feature is his death attack, but at a DC of 11 + Int modifier it's highly unreliable. +1d6 Sneak Attack damage makes it an interesting alternative to a level of rogue, though. While poison use is all but useless, the ability to prepare such gems like disguise self, jump, or sleep once per can be a real life saver if you don't have access to magic items. The downside is the +0 to BAB, Fort, and Ref.
Useful for: If you currently have an uneven number of rogue levels, a level of assassin increases your Sneak Attack damage by +1d6. With high Int you get even two spells per day, which makes it a real alternative to the 6th level of the rogue class that only has +1 Trap sense and +1 to BAB and all saves.

A solid use for this IMO would be Swashbuckler 3/Rogue 2/Assassin 1. Assassin gives you the prerequisites for Daring Outlaw. You end up with 4d6 Sneak Attack, Int and Str to Damage, free Weapon Finesse, solid HD (3d10, 3d6), Evasion, decent saves (Fort 3/Ref 6/Will 1) and all the benefits of Assassin 1. Plus lots of skills and very little MAD.

[kestrel404]

Anima Mage (ToM)

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Requirements: Non-good, Intimidate 4, Know(Planes) 4, Any metamagic, Cast 2nd level spells, bind 2nd level vestiges. With sufficient cheese, you can meet these requirements at 1st level. With only mild cheese you can manage by 2nd level. And with no cheese at all you can easily meet the requirements by 3th level.
Benefits: Dual progression spellcasting & binding, and an extra spell slot for your highest level spells. At 3rd level you can get +2 initiative. But at 5th level (which is just possible with sufficient investment and creativity) you get a free metamagic use.
Useful for: This is a very nice prestige class for E6 because in many ways it gives you something for nothing. At the cost of 2 feats early in your career (bind vestige and improved bind vestige), you can qualify for the 'bind a 2nd level of vestige' without actually taking any levels of binder. If the GM allows retraining feats, this is actually only a temporary tax, since once you've gotten into the class, you'll be able to bind vestiges independently and can turn those feats into something useful (just make sure that 'improved bind vestige' turns into 'improved binding' so that you can continue to bind 2nd level vestiges. Possibilities include Wizard 3/Anima Mage 3 (for minimal cheese), Beguiler 1/Binder 1/Anima Mage 4 for moderate cheese (requires you to have Versatile Spellcaster at level 1, Improved Binding at level 2 and skill points can be tricky) or Dread Necromancer 1/Anima Mage 5 (requires 5 feats at 1st level, including one that grants Knowledge (Planes) as a class skill)

[Fouredged Sword]

I can't do a full post right now, but warweaver can be gained by wizards and sorcerers, and can just be squeased into by a bard with versitile spellcaster + heighten spell. This makes for a great buffer wizards or sorcerer.

A bard with this is one of the few ways to cast mass cure spells at this level.

[Talya]

Ruby Knight Vindicator is the only way to get Thicket of Blades in E6 and it is accessible for your 6th level.

Or, you know, Martial Stance feats. (It's not like feats are so hard to come by in E6.)

[Essence_of_War]

Shadow Sun Ninja (ToB)

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Requirements: 8 ranks in a monk/SS class skill, imp unarmed strike, BAB +3, 2nd level maneuvers from Setting Sun or Shadow Hand.

Benefits: Advances monk/unarmed SS abilities, gives 1 maneuver known, increases IL, Touch of the Shadow Sun (healing/damage touch attack), save boost!

Useful for: Probably best for unarmed swordsages, even still, this may be a tough call vs. just getting another SS level, monk2/SS3 can get in also (although you're losing an additional point of BAB).

Abjurant Champion (CM)

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Requirements: BAB+5, combat casting, ability to cast arcane spells and at least 1 abjuration. In E6, I believe this means you must be either a Duskblade or a Hexblade.

Benefits: Full BAB, boosts casting progression, boosts will saves, extended abjuration, abjurant armor.

Useful for: Squeezing in an extra level of Hexblade casting while missing the dead level at Hexblade 6, and getting some potentially useful class features instead.

Or, you know, Martial Stance feats. (It's not like feats are so hard to come by in E6.)

I think I should re-word, I didn't mean to imply that it was THE ONLY WAY, but rather that it was the only way to get it from class features w/o devoting extra feats. Thanks for pointing that out

[Eloel]

Thrallherd (XPH)

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Requirements: Be a Telepath or a Wilder with Expanded Knowledge (mindlink). Get the Inquisitor feat. Spend a couple skillpoints.

Benefits: Thrallherd! Basically, a L5 cohort, and a bunch of lackeys who are replenished every day. If you can't find a use for ever-regenerating followers, you're not trying hard enough.

Drawbacks: You lose a level of manifesting. Ouch.

Useful for: Anyone who can meet the prerequisites, pretty much.

Worth noting: Wilders have cha-based manifesting, which synergizes well with Thrallherd. Yet they lose out on 3rd level powers. Psions get their 3rd level power, yet are MAD.

[Caliphbubba]

Unseen Seer (CM)

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Requirements: Hide 8, Search 8, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Spellcasting:1st level arcane spells, and at least 2 divination spells.
Benifit: +1 Spellcasting, and 1d6 of precision damage
Useful For: No idea really, I've never played E6. it's too bad there isn't away to get 2 levels in it. The second level is money.

[Totally Guy]

Prestige Paladin from the class variants on the SRD woule perhaps be viable.

You could go Cleric 4/Fighter 1/Prestige Paladin 1 to have a character with 5BAB and casting as a 5th level Cleric.

Substitute Fighter for another full BAB class to taste.

[Yora]

Thrallherd (XPH)

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Requirements: Be a Telepath or a Wilder with Expanded Knowledge (mindlink). Get the Inquisitor feat. Spend a couple skillpoints.

Benefits: Thrallherd! Basically, a L5 cohort, and a bunch of lackeys who are replenished every day. If you can't find a use for ever-regenerating followers, you're not trying hard enough.

Drawbacks: You lose a level of manifesting. Ouch.

Useful for: Anyone who can meet the prerequisites, pretty much.

Worth noting: Wilders have cha-based manifesting, which synergizes well with Thrallherd. Yet they lose out on 3rd level powers. Psions get their 3rd level power, yet are MAD.

While this does work, is it really a good idea? Instead you could take a level of psion or wilder and take Leadership as your 6th level feat. The only benefit of 1 level of thrallherd is a Leadership score +1. That hardly seems worth losing an entire manifester level in any situation I could think off.

[Gullintanni]

While this does work, is it really a good idea? Instead you could take a level of psion or wilder and take Leadership as your 6th level feat. The only benefit of 1 level of thrallherd is a Leadership score +1. That hardly seems worth losing an entire manifester level in any situation I could think off.

If this works as written, being able to get a 5th level cohort in E6 is otherwise impossible, so you're able to pick up a benefit here that literally no other combination of classes can possibly achieve. That said, I'm not sure Manifester 5/Cohort 5 is worth the tradeoff vs. Manifester 6/Cohort 4.

...although Cohort 5 could be another caster with 3rd level spells. YMMV?

[Eloel]

If this works as written, being able to get a 5th level cohort in E6 is otherwise impossible, so you're able to pick up a benefit here that literally no other combination of classes can possibly achieve. That said, I'm not sure Manifester 5/Cohort 5 is worth the tradeoff vs. Manifester 6/Cohort 4.

...although Cohort 5 could be another caster with 3rd level spells. YMMV?

They are also expendable. That makes a huge difference, imo. Suicide missions made easy!