Here Come The PRESTIGE CLASSES! Plus Rune Magic!

Mike Mearls' latest Unearthed Arcana column presents the first ever 5E prestige class: the Rune Scribe! "Prestige classes build on the game’s broad range of basic options to represent specialized options and unique training. The first of those specialized options for fifth edition D&D is the rune scribe—a character who masters ancient sigils that embody the fundamental magic of creation."

It's a 5-level class, and also contains the basic information on how prestige classes work and how to join them - including ability, skill, level, and task-based prerequisites. Find it here.

 

[JohnLynch]

I like the idea of prestige classes but am not a fan of this example. There is little to no flavour and a Deneir-specific cleric subclass using the same mechanics plus a feat for others to dabble with rune magic would have been significantly more flavourful IMO (and would have supported their default setting). I've considered prestige classes for 5e and inevitably find that subclasses and/or feats work better. I want to love the idea, but this example isn't doing it for me.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Prestige classes seem irrelevant to me? Why not make another wizard archetype?

Two different concepts. Prestige classes get you all your class abilities one after the other (if you choose to level that way), whereas sub-classes grant you your abilities with several level gaps in between. So your sub-class features arrive in and around your main class, whereas the PrC allows you to "take time off" from your main class to become this other class for a period of time.

But then again it's just multiclassing like anything else. If you leveled a cleric for eight levels then took a five level detour into fighter, before leveling your last seven as a cleric again... those fighter levels were essentially a "prestige class" for you for that period of time. And no one seemed to have much issue with that (since those that did could just not allow multiclassing in their games.) And secondly, you could also essentially turn a PrC into a sub-class by just not leveling all five in a single go but spreading their gains out. You level as a cleric three times, take one level of the PrC, another two cleric, another PrC, four more cleric, another PrC etc. etc. How is that really different than just gaining your sub-class features every several levels? I really don't see much difference.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[DragonBelow]

I prefer archetypes, give me more of that.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I think I just did it. I acknowledged I was happy for the people that got what they wanted, said that I didn't like it personally, and also noted that I was concerned both with what I thought was a distressing lack of focus from WoTC in general, and more specifically in Unearthed Arcana. I'm not sure what else you want me to do? Not a big fan of writing letters.

I think I have it figured out pretty well. I stated my piece, and either I'll be right, in which case:
1. I'll keep playing with the core rules as long as they are viable, and if not, go back to 1e/BECMI/OSR; and
2. I'll be able to say, "I told you so."

Or, I'll be wrong, in which case I will continue to be happy for the people that love prestige classes, and I'll be wrong. No worries, I'm wrong all the time!

Then that's great! You've accepted the inevitable and are taking steps on how to come to terms with it. Which I'm glad to hear, because that accepting attitude just makes for a much nicer set of boards. With all the ranting that goes on here by people who refuse to accept what WotC is doing and spend weeks and months filling the boards and almost every thread with screeds against the game and against the company... it always make me feel good to know that some people can be reasonable about it, even if they aren't crazy about what's coming out.

 

[Ristamar]

Rune based magic has been a staple of the genre, but I can't help but feel the design of the Rune Scribe class is inefficient and unnecessary. Vestigial, really. The majority of the powers of runes and the class probably could have been created using a new feat, some new magic items, and/or a new archetype.

Unless they provide some truly interesting examples of stuff that meshes well with the current rules yet can't be easily created within the existing systems and mechanics, I don't see the need for prestige classes.

 

[Li Shenron]

Something new I would like to see when it comes to prestige class mechanics are prestige classes that are more spaced out.

Meaning each level of the prestige class would have a minimum character level to take it.
So a prestige class could have levels you could take at level 6,9,12,15 and 18 this way you could have a prestige class that adds a wider range of power levels from low to high level.
Especialy if such a class is designed to mix with one other specific class.

We have subclasses exactly for this purpose!

When not in need to mix with a specific class, we can use feat chains, with a level prerequisite for the first one at least.

Prestige classes really fill the gap in the game for those concepts when you want a progression over consecutive levels, but don't want them to start at level 1 (or don't have enough material to cover 20 levels).

2) Once the official designers open up a new design platform, it will get filled with homebrew. We have lots of homebrew subclasses and lots of homebrew feats, because the designers gave us plenty of examples of how they work. Now that there's a new offical design template, people will use it. Again, it's inevitable.

I don't really think homebrew material is a problem. In 3e the system bloat problem came from official WotC books and semi-official 3rd party books. WotC is still following a policy of very slow material release compared to the 3e era. If there is a danger of system bloat at the moment, it's from 3rd party products.

Two different concepts. Prestige classes get you all your class abilities one after the other (if you choose to level that way), whereas sub-classes grant you your abilities with several level gaps in between. So your sub-class features arrive in and around your main class, whereas the PrC allows you to "take time off" from your main class to become this other class for a period of time.

Absolutely, it's the same I've been saying many times around here. Prestige classes allow for a few things that feat chains and subclasses do not, and viceversa!

IMHO having the prestige class mechanics in the game is just like having more tools in your toolbox, which is a good thing. The bad thing could be eventually if there's too much material released and the community starts the old bad habits of 'combos' and 'builds'.

 

[mellored]

We have subclasses exactly for this purpose!

I would actually prefer prestige classes to replace sub-classes, and base classes.

i.e.
A fighter could be 5 levels.
A battlemaster could be 5 levels.
A barbarian could be 5 levels.
A rogue could be 5 levels.
An assassin could be 5 levels.
A wizard could be 10 levels.
An illusionist could be 5 levels.
A cleric could be 10 levels.
And a generic feat/abi class could be 5 levels.

All with appropriate gatekeepers, like needing martial weapons to be a battlemaster, and multi-attack to be a battelmaster past level 3. Then you mix and match.

Obviously not going to happen, but i like the idea in general.

 

[BlueDrake]

I disliked prestige classes in 3e and PF. I'd rather see more archetypes for the core classes or even more core classes if necessary. IMO prestige classes are more difficult to balance because they will be combined with other base classes. Too many potential pitfalls and strange combos to account for, sooner or late something will slip through that's broken in some way.

I'd rather see players create their own "prestige classes" through roleplaying, archetypes, backgrounds and feats.

 

[ChapolimX]

IMHO having the prestige class mechanics in the game is just like having more tools in your toolbox, which is a good thing. The bad thing could be eventually if there's too much material released and the community starts the old bad habits of 'combos' and 'builds'.

I think this is a contradiction. If you release more tools players will just use them to make their characters more effectives. We can't condemn them for doing that. Me personally, I don't like the prestige class mechanic, but I know my players do. So I expect at least WOTC will release them moderately. Home brew and third party products are not a problem to me, because it's much easier to just say no if they ever come to appear.