Should Prestige Classes be more powerful than Base Classes?

victorysaber

First Post

• Nov 5, 2006

• #1

Should prestige classes automatically be more powerful than base classes?

The assumption is that prestige classes are more specialised, more "niche". The common complaint is that they are overpowered. The lesser complaint is that they are not powerful enough to compensate for not taking your base class higher.

And in several places, it has been said that the prestige classes' power levels are pegged according to the lowest level the character would have had in a base class, if he/she did not enter the prestige class at the earliest possible level.

Although it has never been said expressly that prestige classes have to be more "powerful" (not specialised or niche) than base classes, I guess this is the assumption. Or is it? Would you take a prestige class that is "as powerful' as a base class?

 

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Crothian

First Post

• Nov 5, 2006

• #2

I wouldn't call it a common complaint. I would call it common among the people that dislike them.

I like that more specialized means more powerful in that specialization.

 

EyeontheMountain

First Post

• Nov 5, 2006

• #3

Prestige classes should be a bit mroe powerful in thier specialty.

But one real problem about prestige classes and power is all the bases classes fro mteh PHB that get little for each level like sorceror, as the prime example. Anything is more powerful than the base sorceror, as long as it has uninterrupted casting progression. But no pretige class should ever be a must-take. It should be limited in some ways also.

For example the master specialist clas is nearly too good(Complete Mage) as it has no drawbacks or hard entry requirements (plus you can start it at level 4) Teh only drawback it has it\s that there are other great prestige calsses out there, which should not be the drawback.

 

Emirikol

Adventurer

• Nov 5, 2006

• #4

Prestige classes should just go away. It's a tremendous waste of game designer effort. A base class with a simple qualifier (i.e. a ROLE-PLAYING reason instead of a munchkin reason) would be so much more useful game content.

I look at the HUGE WASTE OF SPACE that is prestige classes that 99..999999% of the time are useless to most DM's, campaigns, and players.

Prestige classes are to splatbooks, what God-Stats are to the deities and Demigods books. USELESS waste of space.

Just my ever-humble opinion.

jh

 

Crothian

First Post

• Nov 5, 2006

• #5

Emirikol said:

It's a tremendous waste of game designer effort.

Click to expand...

I have to ask: What should they be designing?

 

Cedric

First Post

• Nov 5, 2006

• #6

I think in the realm of what they specialize in, PrCs should be more powerful than base classes. Also, I have found that by limiting Player Characters to one 10 level PrC and one PrC of less than 10 levels, it all works out fine. ymmv

 

AdmundfortGeographer

Getting lost in fantasy maps

• Nov 5, 2006

• #7

I think it depends on how easy it is to qualify for a Prestige Class. If it is a major effort and requires some dump feats and skill ranks bothersome skills, then it should be a just little more powerful. If it requires some feats that one might have taken anyway and skills you might have taken anyway, it should be the same as base classes in power. If it is so supremely easy to qualify for a PrC that nearly any class can fit the requiremens without hardly trying, then it should be a bit weaker than base classes but offer some significant roleplaying features.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Nov 5, 2006

• #8

I voted "as powerful"- perhaps more powerful in a specialized way balanced with less powerful in a more general way- but the overall balance of the class should be no better or worse than a base class.

A PrCl that is essentially a turbocharged version of a base class is simply not good for the game.

However, I like the concept of (if not the actual design of) PrCls in general, unlike Emirikol. They give the DM and player ways to shape their common gaming experience without having to try to shoehorn certain character concepts into base classes where they simply don't fit.

 

Remathilis

Legend

• Nov 5, 2006

• #9

Prestige classes used to be (IMHO) what wotc's now doing with alternate class features; a way of customizing a PC down a specific path without making him "too good".

However, in light of ACF, I think they've become a bit redundant. Add to that some really great ones (loremaster, radiant servant) that make better wizards/clerics than wizard/clerics and you have a recipe for disaster...

Hmmm.... I wonder if you can design most PrCs as ACFs and still keep game balance...

 

Quartz

Hero

• Nov 5, 2006

• #10

Prestige classes should be more focused - better in one or two areas, worse in others.