7000 Prestige classes oh my...

[Insight]

The first problem you have is that the DM should be limiting what Prestige Classes fit into his or her setting. Not every Prestige Class ever written are appropriate for every setting. Built into the very first set of Prestige Classes in the old 3.0 DMG was a section on the purpose of having Prestige Classes, and it was stated that not every Prestige Class is appropriate for every setting.

Allowing PCs access to prestige classes is purely optional and always under the purview of the DM. Even though a few examples can be found below, prestige classes are idiosyncratic to each campaign, and DMs may choose to not allow them or to use them only for NPCs.

The real question should be, whenever you are thinking about Prestige Classes for your character, what does the DM allow? Your search should never have gotten to that point; the DM in question should have a list available that tells you which PrCs are allowed. Failing that, you should ask the DM about choices for Prestige Classes.

It amuses me that players think that all PrCs are automatically fair game, no matter the campaign setting. This has never been the case - just because it's published somewhere doesn't mean your DM has to allow it!

 

[Remathilis]

3.5 Compatible PrC: A feisble undertaking. Start by using the character creation guide at the RPGA for list.

WotC based PrC: Harder now. Finish the first one, then go backwards and fill in the few you've missed.

All d20 D&D based PrCs: This is where it gets impossible. So many companies producing PrCs would make it impossible to do unless you focused on a specific company or small group of them (Malhavoc, Green Ronin)

Al d20 PrCs: Imppossible, and probably pointless (human fighter/jedi master/gleeman?)

 

[pious.nerd]

here are a couple of links that may help guide you...

The first one is most likely going to help more than any other...also look into netbooks in some of your file sharing programs...I hear there are some out there somewhere
http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/prc.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg/drowcampaign/prestigeclasses.html

 

[talmar]

Well, there is comprehensive d20 Index at...

http://www.juicymango.co.uk/dndindex/Default.aspx


I downloaded all the WotC and Paizo entries, threw them into access and broke out all the prestige classes and I found 396 Prestige Classes in 109 total sources.

Now this includes duplicates, for example, Acolyte of the Skin is listed twice, once in Complete Arcane and once in Tomb and Blood. Filter this to take into account duplicates (ie compounding duplicates down to 1 entry) there are 342 Prestige Classes.

I'm sure this doesn't help but...

 

[Particle_Man]

I think the DM needs to prune down the prestige classes to what would fit in his campaign. This would fit into two categories:

"Multi-class" prestige classes: Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Knight, Arcane Heirophant, etc. Those prestige classes that let you multi-class as a spell-caster without completely sucking. I think this is a general service to all DMs so see it as useful to all DMs.

"Hey I have an organization just like this!" prestige classes: Where you have a group in your campaign in your head, and a prestige class fits the bill perfectly. I would imagine that "assassin" would be quite common in most campaigns, while "Red Mage" would not.

All the others should be disallowed in your campaign as DM. I know this is hard, but the DM has to be firm on this sort of thing. Otherwise, it is too chaotic.

Note: a ballsy DM might also have another category of prestige classes: the "it exists in my world for npc's but you can't play one" prestige class. If you don't want evil pc's then the aforementioned assassin might fit in that category.

Oh, the same calculation should be done with base (20 level) Classes, of which there are, what, 30 now by wotc alone?

 

[Patrick Jarrell]

Talmar, is that list up to date? I've got one that I've been compiling myself that has more 600 classes. That's just using wizards and dragon magazine as sources.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I tried something like that for base classes in a RIFTS campaign I ran back in 1991-3...my master list was 5 typed pages long, complete with page ref and 1 line blurb describing the class. It took a week. The list for races was the same.

I'm pretty sure there are more PrCls in D&D/D20 than there were core classes in RIFTS, and at least as many races.

On the other hand, many hands make light work. If everyone in your game group is responsible for 1 book you use, the work will go pretty quickly, though collating it into one typewritten document may take some time.

You have been warned. Proceed at your own pace.

EDIT: In the spirit of my "many hands" comment...It could probably be done VERY quickly with ENWorld volunteers all posting Word Docs to one site...

 

[3catcircus]

Hmm...

I'm working on an excel sheet for feats and PrC's. Basically, I am going in chronological order for all of the official WoTC books that I have (no psionics, Planar Handbook, or Miniatures Handbook), along with the errata/web enhancements for those books, and the 3.5 Feats/PrC's/Spells article, and coming up with a list, something like :

(Prestige) Class / original source / Errata/Superceded/etc.

So - each entry might look something like:

Acolyte of the Skin Tome & Blood Superceded by Complete Arcane

For feats, I also include the prerequisites.

For spells, I'm entering those directly into SpellGen.

 

[Psion]

IT actually wouldn't be that hard to do this. Take someone with the books, a nd a few hours to spare really. Of course including all the dragon magazines and other publishers will just increase the time; but it is very doible.

Perhaps a collaborative project, with a number of contributors kicking in books that they own.

 

[Psion]

Hmm...

I'm working on an excel sheet for feats and PrC's.

I'm sort of working on one. I'm not trying to be comprehensive, but I am trying to sort them by which ones are disallowed, allowed, and preferred in my game.