Do you select PrCs based on power or concept.

[Moon-Lancer]

I think any prc should improve your power, as you alwayse end up using a few feats and skill you may not have otherwise, But if i dont like the flavor, i wont touch it.

I think dervish is probably the perfect prc ever made. I likem fluffy with a fair amount of crunch.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Concept.

Which is the reason I so rarely play a Prestige Class.

It is amazing how often I read the Fluff for a Prestige Class and think "Cool, I'd like to mold my Character X to be able to do Concept Y". Then realize teh Mechanics of the Prestige Class means I had to have Class B and the ACTUAL mechanics works out more like Class Theta.

It seems like they almost write the Fluff First, then the Draft Mechanics. Then, when playtesting mandates a change in the Mechanics, no body goes back and changes the Fluff to match it.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

thats a shame. Maybe they should balance the class first, then write the fluff for the class.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm a concept person first, a power person afterwards. However, my concepts aren't "this guy is a frail scholar, let me go out and find PrCs that make him more frail and more scholarly."

My WLD character here, for instance, would ideally be a gnome illusionist/bard/gnome paragon, as his concept is that he's an "iconic" gnome. Having said that, illusionist 1/bard 1/gnome paragon 3 is hardly a slouch as an illusionist/bard character, especially with the Practiced Spellcaster feat applied to both the illusionist and bard classes. So yes, he'd be an iconic gnome, but within his concept, he'd be quite a powerful little guy.

 

[Shemeska]

I go with concept to a fault.

 

[Odhanan]

Equal mesure of both really.

First comes the concept. Then, I see what could fit the concept. Then, I select what fits best the concept AND is the most effective in-game.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I go with concept to a fault.

As do I.

 

[Meloncov]

I voted both, as oftentimes, it is necesary to have a powerful charecter to support a particular concept.

 

[Victim]

I generally look for something mechanically interesting (often powerful), then use that to inform my concept.

 

[Gold Roger]

If it's powerfull, but bland to play. I won't use it.

If it's got a cool concept but is booring to play. I won't use it.

If it has got both power and a cool concept, but is still booring. I won't play it.

But if something isn't that powerfull and a bit unimaginative, but looks fun to play, I'll play it.