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The prestige class thrall to Juiblex gains the supernatural ability polymorph self that says, "An 8th-level thrall of Juiblex’s form is more amorphous than ever. It can change its appearance and form at will, as the polymorph self spell cast by an 8th-level caster" (Book of Vile Darkness 70). (The DM is updating polymorph self to polymorph to bring the thrall in line with the 3.5 revision.)

Absent that caster level, this supernatural ability's caster level would be the thrall's Hit Dice, but, because the ability's caster level is otherwise noted, the ability's caster level is fixed at 8… seemingly forevermore.

Before I recommend a new player takes on this character as a PC, I want to confirm: Are there any game elements that can raise this—or, more generally, any—supernatural ability's fixed caster level? Or is this something the DM needn't worry about?


Note: For raising the fixed caster level of a spell-like ability, see answers to this question. By the way, yes, Mold is a warforged thrall to Juiblex who's reformed and now uses his unlimited ooze-summoning and form-changing abilities to fight crime. The Saturday morning cartoon almost writes itself.

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The Orange Ioun Stone gives what looks to be an entirely untyped +1 to caster level. You could easily houserule that things like that don't work for this case, but I think that under base rules it does.

The Adept Spirit spell (Magic of Incarnum, Clr2/Sorc3/Wiz3) is a buff that offers a short-duration insight bonus to caster level.

If you could somehow make Thrall of Jubilex count as a spellcasting class, then the Practiced Spellcaster feat could be argued to give you +4 for it, but I don't believe that's possible.

There may be other sources as well. I believe they'd mostly be temporary, but, regardless, there are at least a few effects that give generic bonuses to caster level out there.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan Paragon Creature: "If the base creature has spell-like abilities, it gains +15 to its caster level to use those abilities". Thanks for the catch. Have modified accordingly. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben Barden
    Commented May 7, 2019 at 21:48
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan went back and re-read the class. Don't know how I missed it. Regardless, thanks for the help. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben Barden
    Commented May 8, 2019 at 13:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ Even if thrall of Jubilex counted as a spellcasting class, Practiced Spellcaster (probably) wouldn’t hit the Su ability, since that wouldn’t be part of the spellcasting. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Commented May 8, 2019 at 13:33
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    \$\begingroup\$ @KRyan It just says "your caster level for the class increases". It does not specify that it's spellcasting-specific. Saying that it doesn't apply is a reasonable assertion to make, if you're the DM, but it's not specified in the rules. The polymorph caster level is a cater level, and it's associated with the class. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben Barden
    Commented May 8, 2019 at 13:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ @KRyan still, I can see how it would be at least open to interpretation. Have adjusted accordingly. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben Barden
    Commented May 8, 2019 at 13:37

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