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[Qmarx]

Those don't actually work together. Battle Blessing only works on Paladin spells. Sword of the Arcane order spells are still explicitly wizard spells (not paladin spells from the wizard list.) At least, that's my reading of the feat. Even if they did work together you just gave the paladin some spells that are only about ten levels out of date and made it so that instead of 4 different attributes he needs, he now has 5.

They're still your paladin spells, since they're the spells you prepare in your slots from the paladin class.  Just like how a wizard with Arcane Disciple:Healing can cast cure light wounds with his daily 4/4/3 allotment of 'wizard spells'.

Now, I agree that a battle blessing/SotAO paladin still isn't as good as being a pure wizard, but this is 3.5 - that's given.  It's still a huge step up.  I mean damn, free quicken means that you can act twice every round.  That's huge.  And even low-level wizard tricks can invalidate high level challenges.  A mindless creature like a mithral golem, for instance, will take any illusion at face value, letting you totally shut them down with Silent Image.  (At least, so long as they don't physically interact with the illusion and get a save.)  Similarly, fly lets you safely flip off the tarrasque.

Even without putting points into int, many low level spells have no-save effects, and don't care about CL.  Try quickened spells like True Strike (guarantee a smite!), Expeditious Retreat, or Benign Transposition .  I'd recommend quickened Blockade, except it's already a swift action - and let me tell you, there are very few monsters that can deal enough damage to chew through 600 hp of barricade.

Heck, invisibility is only second level.  And you can use your normal full round of actions while turning invisible, which is an incredibly useful trick.

Or buff yourself with spells like mage armor, fist of stone, and enlarge person, without taking ANY time out of smiting your foes.

And I don't even have to explain how quickened Silent Image is all sorts of tactical awesome.

[Criptfeind]

They're still your paladin spells, since they're the spells you prepare in your slots from the paladin class.

That doesn't matter. They are still wizard spells. If was something about adding them to your paladin spell list or something (Like for a favored soul) then yes. But as it is it simply gives you the ability to cast wizard spells in your spell slots.

Edit: To clarify, by the way, a homerule to make it possible isn't like, totally unreasonable or anything. But it's certainly not RAW.

[Bauglir]

But it's certainly not RAW.

Sure, but that's because there's no such thing. Point out where there's a definition of "<ClassName> spell". It doesn't exist! At some point, the rules just expect you to use some measure of common sense, and this is where disagreements crop up. Did you know the rules on caster levels are subtly inconsistent? It's true! It's just in a way that doesn't make itself obvious until you try to start being rigorous about how high a CL you have as a Sublime Chord/Some Other Prestige Class I've Forgotten or something.

[Criptfeind]

What do you mean? Battle casting clearly says that it effects your paladin spells. Arcane blade clearly says that it gives you the ability to cast wizard spells. Nothing about them being paladin spells. Go look at the spell lists, they are listed as Level: [from this class list] [level] spells. That's how you know what class they are from. If something specifically changed that. Like some things do. Then it would be changed. But Arcane Blade does not. It specifically says that they are wizard spells.

And what's wrong with Sublime Chord?

A sublime chord’s caster
level for both her sublime chord spells and the spells she
gains from other arcane spellcasting classes is determined
by adding her sublime chord level to her level in another
arcane spellcasting class.

Where's the ambiguity there? I mean, I see a bit of weirdness that if you were like, bard 1 wizard 6 sublime chord 3 you could cast your bard spells with a caster level of 9. Which is weird. But I'm not sure how that's a opening into the can of worms of "anything not totally stated negatively is possible."

[Bohandas]

Speaking of bard prestige classes, does the description pf the Seeker of the Song class remind anyone else of the Tenacious D song Tribute?

[Bauglir]

Battle casting clearly says that it effects your paladin spells. Arcane blade clearly says that it gives you the ability to cast wizard spells. Nothing about them being paladin spells.

You're making assumptions about what "<ClassName> Spells" means. It's just as reasonable to understand the term to refer to "The spells you can cast by virtue of being a member of such-and-such class", which would mean that spells you cast with your Paladin slots are Paladin spells regardless of the class list they come from. Your assumption is that the term "paladin spells" refers to "spells from the paladin class list".

Also, I decided to go look it up. Basically, Sublime Chord goes crazy places because the authors assumed you'd never multiclass.

A sublime chord’s caster level for both her sublime chord spells and the spells she gains from other arcane spellcasting classes is determined by adding her sublime chord level to her level in another arcane spellcasting class.

Reading carefully, you'll notice that it sets the caster level for each class you have spells in equal to the sum of your levels in one other class and your Sublime Chord levels. For example, a Sorcerer 1/Wizard 1/Bard 2/Sublime Chord 10 (ignoring prerequisites for the moment) would have Sorcerer CL 12, Wizard CL 12, and Bard CL 12.

Your spellthief and arcane spellcaster levels also stack when determining your caster level for all arcane spells.

But now you take a level of Spellthief! You've got Sorcerer CL 12, Wizard CL 12, Bard CL 12, and Spellthief CL 12. But then you take Master Spellthief! Now they stack, which was an awfully poor choice of words. CL 48.

EDIT: This is just the beginning, though. As you attempt to apply ever-strengthening rigor to the various tricks you can use to boost CL, you start to realize that they didn't use 100% consistent terminology (for example, spellcaster level usually seems to be used interchangeably with caster level, but sometimes maybe not, but I honestly can't be assed to dig up all the references, so consider it a conceded point if you want).

[Criptfeind]

Your assumption is that the term "paladin spells" refers to "spells from the paladin class list".

Here is a screen shot from the book:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So yes. I say that paladin spells refers to spells from the paladin spell list. Because paladin spells are from the paladin spell list. If they were added to that spell list they would be paladin spells.

I don't know how you can question what "<ClassName> Spells" means when there are several sections in almost every book that are titled "<ClassName> Spells"

Like I mean, where would disagree with this. Go to the paladins class page and read it, it doesn't disagree with it. The only additional information it gives about what is defined as a paladin spell is that they use wisdom to determine their saving throw, which sword of the arcane order spells don't use. It never says anything else about the spells paladins cast being paladin spells (because of course in the core game that's all the paladin can cast.)

And on the sublime chord, yes. Weird wording in a weird case can make a weird interaction. And yes, the game certainly can be inconsistent.

But where is the inconsistency in this case? The feats specifically say that they are not paladin spells. The spell list clearly defines what is and is not a paladin spell. The class says nothing about paladin spells other then that they fit a criteria these spells do not. There are other cases like this that are different, but they are worded differently and specifically state they add the spells to your class list. There are disagreements in the rules. There are things that are clearly not working as intended or directly disagree with themselves. But in this case there is nothing like that to disagree that they are wizard spells. There is nothing to be inconsistent. All there is is you saying "Well. I think it should be this way." But nothing is backing you up on that.

If you want it to be that way, fine, house rule it. Even preach that it's the most logical and best house rule in the world and that everyone should use it. That's fine. That could even be right. Whatever. But that's not how it is originally, for good or for ill.

[Bauglir]

Hey, what I actually think is that you've got the correct mode of application for a good game. I just don't have the gall to say it's RAW, which is what the point of all this has been. You're tilting at windmills, doodabuddy.

EDIT: And I don't think the swift-action-wizard-spells interaction is RAW, either. I dispute the existence of RAW in this case.

[Criptfeind]

I'll assume that means you changed your mind. Good conversation. Would have again.

[Bohandas]

If this ability adds spells to your paladin's spell list then I'd say that for the purpose of that particular paladin those are paladin spells; unless it specifically says that they aren't.

[Qmarx]

What do you mean? Battle casting clearly says that it effects your paladin spells. Arcane blade clearly says that it gives you the ability to cast wizard spells. Nothing about them being paladin spells. Go look at the spell lists, they are listed as Level: [from this class list] [level] spells. That's how you know what class they are from. If something specifically changed that. Like some things do. Then it would be changed. But Arcane Blade does not. It specifically says that they are wizard spells.

Let's say we have a cleric.  I'll grab a random statblock. 

He has a domain.  Those domain spells aren't necessarily on the cleric spell-list.  They're on the animal domain list, or the fire domain list, or the healing domain list, or whatever. 

But if you look at the stat block

Cleric Spells Known (CL 5th; +5 ranged touch):
3rd -- cure serious wounds, magic circle against evil (D, CL 6)
2nd -- aid (D, CL 6), bear's endurance, bull's strength, cure moderate wounds
1st -- bless, cure light wounds, divine favor, magic weapon (D), obscuring mist
0 -- cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, resistance (2)

Those domain spells are still his 'cleric spells'.

I mean, consider the alternative.  Let me quote the feat again

You can cast spells more quickly than usual in the heat of battle.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast paladin spells.
Benefit: You can cast most of your paladin spells faster than normal. If the spell normally requires a standard action, you can cast it as a swift action. If it normally requires a full round to cast, you can cast it as a standard action. Spells with longer or shorter casting times are not affected by this feat.

If you're saying 'paladin spells' means a spell with this bit right here

Cure Light Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level:    Brd 1, Clr 1, Drd 1, Healing 1, Pal 1, Rgr 2
Components:    V, S
Casting Time:    1 standard action
Range:    Touch
Target:    Creature touched
Duration:    Instantaneous
Saving Throw:    Will half (harmless); see text
Spell Resistance:    Yes (harmless); see text

When laying your hand upon a living creature, you channel positive energy that cures 1d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +5).

Since undead are powered by negative energy, this spell deals damage to them instead of curing their wounds. An undead creature can apply spell resistance, and can attempt a Will save to take half damage.

Then any cleric can take 'battle blessing' as a feat, and use it on cure light wounds.  And every cleric will.


To give another example

http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Practiced_Spellcaster


Choose a spellcasting class that you possess. Your spells cast from that class are more powerful.
Prerequisite: Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Benefit: Your caster level for the chosen spellcasting class increases by +4. This can't increase your caster level beyond your HD. However, even if you can't benefit from the full bonus immediately, if you later gain noncaster-level HD you maybe able to apply the rest of the bonus.
For example, a human 5th-level cleric/3rd-level fighter who selects this feat would increase his cleric caster level from 5th to 8th (since he has 8 HD). If he later gained a fighter level, he would gain the remainder of the bonus and his cleric caster level would become 9th (since he now has 9 HD).
A character with two or more spellcasting classes (such as a bard/sorcerer or a ranger/druid) must choose which class gains the feat's effect.
This does not affect your spells per day or spells known, it only increases your caster level, which would help you penetrate SR and increase the duration and other effects of your spells.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Each time you choose it, you must apply it to a different spellcasting class. For instance, a 4th-level cleric/5th-level wizard who had selected this feat twice would cast cleric spells as an 8th-level caster and wizard spells as a 9th-level caster.

Let's say he casts protection from evil.  It's a first level spell on both the sorc/wiz list and the cleric list.

Under my interpretation of what a 'wizard spell' or 'cleric spell' is, he'd cast it at CL 8 if he prepared it in a cleric slot, and CL 9 if he prepared it in a wizard slot.

What caster level would you say it's cast at? 

[Fabulous death bringer]

Well I am here to update that the 3.5 Paladin i was as died and got reincarnated as a half-elf. And the campaign finished with an epic final battle.