How about "+1 level" for all spellcasting prestige classes?

[Ridley's Cohort]

Look how innocent the Loremaster special abilities are, and it is controversial about whether it is overpowered or not.

If a Wizard or Sorceror is not giving up spell casting levels all they really have left to sacrifice is spell access: severely restrict their spell list or spells known.

That is pretty tough to balance out as it is not "fun" to no longer cast Fireballs, frex.

 

[EOL]

+1 spells per level is especially for the sorcerer a very dangerous thing, because essentially if you give the sorcerer ANYTHING as part of the prestige class then it's unblanced becuase they don't trade anything (not even bonus feats like the wizard.) I would be very careful about a blanket +1 spell casting level.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

+1 spells per level is especially for the sorcerer a very dangerous thing, because essentially if you give the sorcerer ANYTHING as part of the prestige class then it's unblanced becuase they don't trade anything (not even bonus feats like the wizard.) I would be very careful about a blanket +1 spell casting level.

There is one niggling issue with the Sorceror class. Advancing in spellcaster level does not gain them additional spells known. (In the case of the Wizard, you would not get to write 2 new spells into your spellbook.)

From the SRD: "Thus, when a new loremaster level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained" [emphasis added]

If the benefits of the PrC are not front loaded, the Sorceror could be losing out on some very precious spells. Especially because you will eventually have higher level slots with only lower level spells to fill them. If you are a metamagic enthusiaist, that might work out OK.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

If sorcerers couldn't learn spells when taking a prestige class, then what's the point for sorcerers to do so? Are there any prestige classes that say specifically that a spellcaster increases his spell's known normally (as per the +1 ability)?

Personally, I take the +1 spellcasting to mean more spells/day and spells known. Otherwise, bards and sorcerers are a little worse off than most.

 

[Dark Psion]

"But why would you want *easier* access to some prestige classes, they are supposed to be difficult to qualify for and they are supposed to provide power at a cost. I really don't like this idea at all. "

I'm not talking about easier access, I'm saying if your Rogue/Wizard becomes an assassin, he shouldn't be starting over again casting magic. He already knows more about magic than a typical assassin. I would keep spell list seperate, I've taken the spells to psionic powers convertions from "If Thoughts Could Kill" and limited most of them to prestige classes, a Psion doesn't manifest Fireballs, but a Pyrokineticist can.

"For some Prestige Classes, this will not work well. Bladesinger, for instance, would be much nicer if it added to spellcaster level, but...one of his abilities is to cast a Bladesinger spell as a free action every round. To give this ability to a high level wizard would be very unbalanced. "

Forgot about the Bladesinger and the Sorcerer can become unbalanced very easily.

"There is one niggling issue with the Sorceror class. Advancing in spellcaster level does not gain them additional spells known. (In the case of the Wizard, you would not get to write 2 new spells into your spellbook.) "

+1 level gives Psions new powers discovered, additional power points, additional 0 level manifestations and improved psi-crystal abilities, so it should give Sorcerers new spells known and cast/day and improved familiar as well.

 

[EOL]

There is one niggling issue with the Sorceror class. Advancing in spellcaster level does not gain them additional spells known. (In the case of the Wizard, you would not get to write 2 new spells into your spellbook.)

It's been many moons since I was active on the boards (new boards were a good excuse to dive back in), but this is a question which has arisen before and I believe the sage or some equal luminary has clarified that they do in fact get more known spells. The difference in power would be extreme. This is made up for by the skill ranks most PrC require which are much more difficult for sorcerers with their lower Int (compared to the average wizard.)