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Originally posted by zenthrus
Casters with normal spell progressions have no business wasting time with Practiced Spellcaster (unless they have hit dice from another source, such as racial hit dice or levels in a non-caster class).

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Originally posted by zenthrus

It isn't explained very well in the feat description.

The feat allows you to add a bonus of up to 4 to your caster level. This bonus is limited by your hit dice. If you are a spellcaster with normal progression (i.e. Wizard, Sorc, Druid...) your hit dice are normally going to be equal to your caster level. Thus, this is a worthless feat.

If you are, say, a Wizard 5/Fighter 4 (9 Hit Dice), you would normally have a caster level of 5. With this feat, you would have a caster level of 9.

Another example is the paladin. An 8th-level paladin normally has a caster level of 4. Add this feat, they now have a caster level of 8.

Using Wayne's interpretation, assuming you have a Cleric4/Wizard4, that character is normally caster level 4 in both classes. Add this feat, and you could conceivably be caster level 8 cleric/caster level 4 wizard, caster level 6 cleric/caster level 6 wizard, or any other applicable combination.

Hexblades normally have a caster level of 1/2 their class level (they're just like paladins as far as spells go), thus, an 8th-level hexblade taking this feat would have a caster level of 8 rather than 4.

Your 6th-level hexblade should have a caster level of 3. Add the feat and that would go to 6 (and increase to 7 when you advance to 7th level).

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Originally posted by CarrionCrawler
OK That completely explains everything, thanks! It's like BAB, in that they have poor, good, best, and spellcasters have full, half and
none(?). Wow, that kinda makes the spellcasting limited in what it can do offensively. Thanks to both of you.

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Originally posted by Zenako
As I understand the feat, it raises your CL, not your ability to cast higher level spells, that still takes levels and time.

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Originally posted by TYGRHobbes

Isn't that supposed to be a stackable feat? The way we use it is you have to take the feat for each spellcasting class you want to raise. Hence, one of the players I DM is a Wiz3/Druid3/Arcane Heirophant1. She has Practiced Spellcaster (Wizard) and Practiced Spellcaster (Druid) which makes her a caster 6 for both base classes. Then you get the benefits of the Arcane Heirophant on top of that.

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Originally posted by nycfarmkid

So here's another question. say you are playing a monster class from savage species that can cast spell like abilities. Would practiced spellcaster add to your caster levels for those? Say you have 14 HD but have spell like abilities at 11th level?

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Originally posted by zenthrus

OK, here's a brain-bender.....

Hypothetical situation:

Character has levels in a non-primary casting class (we'll use paladin as the example). Said character is attempting to qualify for a particular prestige class. Said prestige class has a requirement of "divine spellcaster level 5." Assuming that the Paladin is 5th-level (so, caster level 2), providing the palading takes Practiced Spellcaster (up to +4 caster level, in this case bringing his caster level up to 5), does that satisfy this specific requirement for the prestige class?

Logically (going by the wording of the feat and PrC reqs) I don't see any reason it wouldn't, but the cheese potential there is astronomical.....

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Originally posted by zenthrus

OK, here's a brain-bender.....

Hypothetical situation:

Character has levels in a non-primary casting class (we'll use paladin as the example). Said character is attempting to qualify for a particular prestige class. Said prestige class has a requirement of "divine spellcaster level 5." Assuming that the Paladin is 5th-level (so, caster level 2), providing the palading takes Practiced Spellcaster (up to +4 caster level, in this case bringing his caster level up to 5), does that satisfy this specific requirement for the prestige class?

Logically (going by the wording of the feat and PrC reqs) I don't see any reason it wouldn't, but the cheese potential there is astronomical.....

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Originally posted by Meemoo

Practised Spellcaster is an awesome feat, improving the viability of many hybrid builds, especially 'gish' ones. By raising the caster level back to the hit dice cap, it strengthens one's buffs against dispel checks (important even if you're mainly a buffing spellcaster), and brings your spells in line with 'full' progression casters. Your own dispel checks too, are improved.

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