D&D 5E December Survey is Up

[CapnZapp]

I agree with pretty much everything you have said here I feel prestige classes should be specialize on what a class all ready has so it should require a class feature as a pre-req such as Hunting style for a Ranger and have it build upon the sub-class abilitys.

Why not then simply require Hunter subclass?

 

[Remathilis]

The problem with the Prestige Class article is that it's really not enough to judge. It's not full content nor enough to really add to a game, so it reviews poorly.

Which is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy: WotC doesn't want to devote a lot of time and energy to something people might not like so they halfass something and people don't like it.

I also think Undying Light needs a new name.

Agreed on both counts. I also told them they need to focus on making ranger stuff like Deep Stalker rather than reinventing the class.

 

[mellored]

PrC prerequisites based on in-game events, such as finding a magical item, or requiring a 'gatekeeper' person or organization, are absolutely terrible. They have a large potential to cause conflict between DM narrative decisions and player expectations/agency.

No PrC should ever have a prerequisite that isn't under player control: Race, Class, Backgrounds, Ability Scores, Features, Proficiencies or Feats.

Disagree.

Regular classes should be that way.

Prestige classes should be story related, with story benefits.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm completely with you. I'm actually slowly planning my next campaign (my turn in the DM seat isn't until 2018, fortunately), with the following changes:

1) All new set of base classes, all of which are 5 levels long.
2) A whole set of "prestige classes" associated with magic items, where the prestige class levels strengthen the character's ability to use the magic item, and also give them some intrinsic abilities associated with the magic item. Basically, turning class levels into a form of treasure. Finding a wand of fireballs gives the character access to a 3-level prestige class that grants fire resistance, additional charges per day of the wand, and additional spell casting. The ghul lord's tome gives access to animate dead, the necromancer ability to create stronger undead, and some other undead themed abilities.
3) Multiclassing will either be not allowed, or only allowed once. (Still working on this). Characters won't be able to pass a certain level (5 or 10, probably) unless they gain access to prestige classes.
4) The campaign is set in Al-Qadim, so the base classes will be built around those tropes, and roll together background and class concepts.

I'm aiming to turn the expectation of higher level abilities away from the assumption that just earning XP will grant them. If you want to be a powerful caster, you need to seek out tomes and wands to learn higher-level spells. A warrior has to find magic weapons or hidden experts to learn new abilities.

Basically, I'm trying to turn 5e into the OSR/MOBA/Talisman hybrid I've been tinkering with for the last couple of years.

I've been looking at this, too.

The thing that I find it loses is that 5e classes are strongly narrative - there's a story to being a "fighter" that is told over 20 fighter levels. Smaller, more packaged classes lose out on that arc, and that's something that I'd still like a character to have. It just needs to be dragged out of class features. And it's a little hard to create classes that work on their own.

Not impossible to regain that, just requires a more careful eye to class features than I've been able to dedicate myself to. Like, okay, if my 4-level apprentice class never gets a subclass, what do I replace it with? And if I want to have a unique mechanic (like sorcery points or pact magic), how do I liberate that from a class structure?

Requires a lot of digging in. But not impossible.

One of the comments I did make is that a PrC in 5e disrupts that careful level pacing (if I take the class at level 5, my next level is a lot sooner than if I take the class at level 8). I don't know that that's an insurmountable problem, but it's something rather unique to 5e, that 3e didn't have to deal with.

 

[Tanarii]

Disagree.

Regular classes should be that way.

Prestige classes should be story related, with story benefits.

then they need to be 100% under DM control/approval. And not allowed at all in AL.

 

[Celtavian]

I like Prestige classes. Any way to further customize characters is awesome. I hate rune magic. I would really like to see specialty priests as prestige classes at some point.

Liked both the new fighting styles.

Underdark material was good. Sorcerer archetype was the best. Strength of the Grave might be a little too strong.

 

[renevq]

I also think Undying Light needs a new name.

Silver Flame seems to kind of roll off the tongue for some reason...

 

[Jester David]

then they need to be 100% under DM control/approval. And not allowed at all in AL.

They are 100% under DM approval. Like all the classes really, but emphasized as being optional or tied to requirements that can be lifted or tightened as needed.

And they're not in AL.
But even if Prestige Classes do end up in a book there might be some requirements, such as qualifying through ranks in a faction and/or downtime days, if not playing specific adventures to qualify. It should be possible, but not automatic.

 

[Azurewraith]

Why not then simply require Hunter subclass?

I feel that leaves a little to be desired and doesn't feel prestigious enough i don't want anything over flamboyant maybe something like.


Insert Clever Name Here
Requirements

• Hunter Subclass
• Level 5
• Hunted a great beast and obtained a symbol of its defeat

Makes it feel like you earned your prestige when you had to slay that young dragon and save the village.

As for skills i think something like when you pick it up you gain an extra favored terrain and the enemy you slew to become a member of the class as a favored enemy and trap crafting(using some vague DM approved rules as well 5e). Then at 8th or so add an improvement to the first hunter feature picked maybe bump colossus slayer up to d10 horde breaker allows them to be 10ft apart and what was the other feature .

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I also think Undying Light needs a new name.

Silver Flame seems to kind of roll off the tongue for some reason...

I'm thinking Radiant Idol has a certain ring to it...