B4cchus said:
I agree with Rae's modifications:
rewrite increase in CL to reflect the tbale
rewrite competence bonus to CL (where the competence bonus is equal to the MC class level)
modify the 14,000 gp to 5,000 gp
rewrite of the restriction that the imbue enchantment bonus doesn't stack with spells etc.
On the other hand i am very against reducing CL improvement from 3/5 to 2/5.
I think this nerfs the class too much for casters. I really don't like the argument that this stacks too well with the trader pc.
Clearly, the reduced costs for materials won't stack with the trader abilty. A MC gets this discount from his own guild.
I don't see a MC haggling over these already discounted priced with his own guild. I could take this in the desciption of the abilitites.
What if the MC
was also the Trader? What if she wasn't? The issue isn't the Trader's buy price, anyway. I have no problems with buying at 90%. The Trader's ridiculous sell price is a real concern (selling at 90% pretty much breaks balance assumptions on the liquidity of D&D inventory. When you are also buying at the same price and have 100% liquidity, the game becomes very unusual, particularly if you are in the business of crafting--the MC/Trader pair could (even if you disallow buying crafting materials for less) craft items for 40% cost and sell them until they run out of Craft Points to NPCs for 90% cost.
Anyway, the issue is really in the balance of MC and Eldritch Knight. Let's compare:
Eldritch Knight--loses two levels one from 1-6 (usually 1 or 6) one at 7. Can never avoid losing either of those levels for a dip.
MC--loses two levels, at 7 and 9. Can avoid losing any levels with a single-level dip and still get a bit of Imbue and Master Craftsman. A Wizard, who gets Scribe Scroll automatically, gets that PrC level for free beyond the skill point assignment. Can avoid losing the second level by stopping at PrC level 3, gaining a bonus feat and two price deductions (many people would consider this--I don't really like the capstone ability, so the only reason to take the second caster level hit is to grab the increasing power of Imbue).
Eldritch Knight--d6 HD
MC--d6 HD
Eldritch Knight--Fighter BAB
MC--Cleric BAB
Eldritch Knight--1 bonus feat
MC--2 bonus feats
Eldritch Knight--1 good save
MC--1 good save
Eldritch Knight--Takes up 10 levels, so you lose out on 10 other PrC levels, two bonus feats, etc
MC--Takes up 5 levels, so you lose out on 5 other PrC levels, one bonus feat, etc
Eldritch Knight--nothing else (despite having 10 levels)
MC--Master Craftsman, Imbue Item, Guild Member, Resourceful Crafter, Eldritch Crafter, Cerebral Crafter (all in those 5 levels)