D&D 3.x [3.5]Montes view: PrClasses?????

[Kae'Yoss]

I agree with LokiDR: Imposing an XP penalty will be something you can work around with massive multiclassing, so you don't punish the powergamers, but the roleplayers (and the whole mass in between)

 

[Spatzimaus]

It'd also kill 5-level Prestige Classes like the Archmage. It's not SUPPOSED to be the only PrC you ever take. You qualify for the class at level 10, let's say, take 5 levels, and then what do you do? Back to Wizard? And, there are some PrCs that simply aren't designed to be your only path. They're meant to supplement other classes, where you can mix in a level here and there to get a character closer to what you want. Unless you can get your DM to design an individualized prestige class for every party member, you'll often need to mix classes to get the abilities that fit your concept, and this applies to PrCs as much as it does core classes.

Yes, it's really abusable to make a character with tons of classes. My favorite was Tattoo, the Weretiger Dwarf Fighter 2/PsyWar 2/Ranger 1/Barbarian 2/Blackguard 2/Assassin 1/ShadowDancer 2 I used against a party IMC. Other than the addition of the psionics, everything on him was from core books. You're not going to stop that sort of character with an XP penalty, so what's the point?

 

[Deset Gled]

IMC, I apply an XP penalty to anyone who takes levels in a second prestige class before finishing out the first.

It hasn't become an issue yet (only two characters with PrCs, and they're both alternating between the PrCs and their original class), but I think it works out well.

 

[Darkness]

I agree with LokiDR: Imposing an XP penalty will be something you can work around with massive multiclassing, so you don't punish the powergamers, but the roleplayers (and the whole mass in between)

I've always considered Drizzt Do'Urden more of a powergamer than a roleplayer.

- And he has a 40% xp penalty for taking classes for purely roleplaying related reasons - who would have imagined Darkness

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I've always considered Drizzt Do'Urden more of a powergamer than a roleplayer.

- And he has a 40% xp penalty for taking classes for purely roleplaying related reasons - who would have imagined Darkness

Well, under 3e he's actually no powergamer material (high Dex and no Weapon Finesse, and a couple of other things) and I still think he's a nice character. (All this "standard-renegade-drow-with-two-weapons" talk may be true, but we have to remember he was the first)

IMC, I apply an XP penalty to anyone who takes levels in a second prestige class before finishing out the first.

Great idea. I think I steal it!

 

[Darkness]

Well, under 3e he's actually no powergamer material (high Dex and no Weapon Finesse, and a couple of other things) and I still think he's a nice character. (All this "standard-renegade-drow-with-two-weapons" talk may be true, but we have to remember he was the first)

Yeah, indeed; after the novels and the rules-breaking 2e write-ups, I actually was a bit surprised that he wasn't munchkinized at all in 3e.

BTW, I think 3e doesn't allow WFin (Scimitar). 'course, that wouldn't have stopped 'em from giving it to him in 2e.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

BTW, I think 3e doesn't allow WFin (Scimitar).

That's quite true.

Maybe he will wield small scimitars in 3.5...

 

[Darkness]

Maybe he will wield small scimitars in 3.5...

Still... Doesn't 3.5 have some funky new rule that you get penalties when using weapons created for a wielder of a different size, or something like that?

 

[Darkness]

Maybe he will wield small scimitars in 3.5...

Still... Doesn't 3.5 have some funky new rule that you get penalties when using weapons created for a wielder of a different size, or some such?
Oh, well - at least WFin applies to all applicable weapons in 3.5, rather than just to one type.

 

[Darklone]

The 3.0 Drizzt was the opposite of munchkiness. He was silly built. Have you ever seen a 3.0 double scimitar wielding guy WITHOUT Improved Critical ?

As for the PrClasses: I would have liked to see a fix for the spellcaster multiclass problem without using silly PrClasses with silly abilities for nothing The only PrClasses in my games are for uberNPCs or not stronger than any other core class combination (or singleclass).