5 Level Prestige Classes - Love or Hate?

[wildstarsreach]

I've played cerebramancer to 20th level. Actually I'd like to see even a 10 level PrC like this broken up into 2 5 level PrC's. You finish one and then have a couple of levels getting qualifications for the next one.

 

[Kaodi]

That is certainly an interesting idea... Take some of those 10-level PrCs, and break them up into multiple 5-level PrCs... In fact, you could even go so far as to make multiple 5-level PrCs for a single purpose, and allows characters to mix and match a couple to come up with different abilities... For instance, if you had four 5-level mystic theurge classes, you could be mystic theurge AB, AC, BD, etc, etc, etc.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I've played cerebramancer to 20th level. Actually I'd like to see even a 10 level PrC like this broken up into 2 5 level PrC's. You finish one and then have a couple of levels getting qualifications for the next one.

Hmm, one of the more interesting ideas I have heard in a while here.

Feel free to pat yourself on the back

 

[Bacris]

I agree with the poster who said that a PrC should be as long as necessary to do what it is supposed to.

The problem with just chopping PrCs down to 5 levels is that, at least in my experience, those capstone abilities are based upon the character level they're received, not the class level. If a 10th level ability isn't available until 15th level, it should be a very different power scale than an ability available at 10th character level.

Just some food for thought Breaking it up into multiple PrCs might not be a bad ideas, as one poster pointed out, with the early PrC getting watered down versions and the later PrC bumping it up.

 

[Destil]

I think they're fine. 10 levels is a lot to commit to. Though at the end of 10 levels I'm going to want to see some kind of cool power. After 5 levels I'll be happy with a t-shirt and secret handshake.

"I completed [name of prestige class] and all I got was this lousy shirt"

Really, it depends entirely on how well the class is done. Any number of levels from 3-15 works for as long as it's a good (well designed) prestige class.

 

[Jraynack]

Actually I'd like to see even a 10 level PrC like this broken up into 2 5 level PrC's. You finish one and then have a couple of levels getting qualifications for the next one.

Thanks for all of the responses. We used this concept in our first product A Question of Honor: A Guidebook to Knights. For most knight PrCs you first became a Squire PrC - until at least 3rd level. Both were 5-level prestige classes.

This forum definitely re-opened my eyes to 5-level PrCs. I thought I would post here and see what the players and gamemasters thought for upcoming Feudal Lords campaign.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[The_Gneech]

I like shorter classes with more mixing all around, myself. I don't think you have to go quite as far as d20 Modern with even the base classes being only 10 levels, but I do think that a short, focused PrC that nails a particular concept is much better than a vague one that has dead levels for padding.

One big fix I'd like to see for all multiclassing is for abilities to be based on character level, not class level. Yes, that leads to strange things like a FTR 19/WIZ 1 jumping straight to 5d4 magic missiles -- but it also means there's actually a point to him casting magic missile if he chooses to do so.

-The Gneech

 

[Felix]

If you broke 10-level PrCs up, you could end up with PrC chains:

Entry 5-level PrC:

Initiate of the 7-fold Veil​

Specialized 5-level PrCs:

Master of the 7-fold Veil
Praetor of the 7-fold Veil
Weaver of the 7-fold Veil​

Each of the specialist PrCs would build on what the entry PrC did in a different way. So the Master may recieve more Abjuration spells with higher DCs; the Praetor may become much more adept at dispelling Abjuration spells and effects; the Weaver may get more uses of the Veil per day.

Two easy examples are the Nightsong Enforcer/Infiltrator and the Shadowbane Stalker/Inquisitor. They can start from the same base but have different specialities.

 

[Jhaelen]

I prefer the 20 level prestige classes - oh, wait those are base classes!
As others have mentioned, sometimes alternative class features are even better.

One big fix I'd like to see for all multiclassing is for abilities to be based on character level, not class level. Yes, that leads to strange things like a FTR 19/WIZ 1 jumping straight to 5d4 magic missiles -- but it also means there's actually a point to him casting magic missile if he chooses to do so.

I prefer the approach taken in the Tome of Battle:
Non-initate classes add half their level to the total. So a fighter 4 / warblade 5 has an initiator level of 7.
You could do the same thing for caster/manifester/whatever levels.

 

[Jraynack]

I prefer the approach taken in the Tome of Battle:
Non-initate classes add half their level to the total. So a fighter 4 / warblade 5 has an initiator level of 7.
You could do the same thing for caster/manifester/whatever levels.

That could easily be solved with a feat.