Advice for School Mastery prestige classes

[Merlion]

I am getting ready to start work on a set of prestige classes that involving mastering a school of arcane magic.
Right now I have one big point I cant decide on...I know the prestige classes will be open to sorcerers, but I am trying to decide if I will have them open to non specilaized wizards, or have them have school specialization as one of the prerequisites. Suggestions, opnions?

 

[Silveras]

If you make school specialization a Requirement for the PrC, Sorcerers cannot take it unless they also take a level of Wizard and specialize.

 

[Merlion]

Well accept it was going to be worded thus if I decide to do it : "Wizards who wish to become Master XXXs must be Specialized in XXX"

 

[FireLance]

I've always felt that the various school specialists would be better off represented as PrCs than the present mechanic, like the Loremaster for a Divination specialist. I personally wouldn't require school specialization as one of the prerequisites, but would impose the requirement of knowing a number of spells from the school, including some of a minimum level instead.

 

[Silveras]

Well accept it was going to be worded thus if I decide to do it : "Wizards who wish to become Master XXXs must be Specialized in XXX"

My point is that in PrC design, the standard is a requirement is a requirement for everyone. Changing that is up to you. If you want to make School Specialization a requirement, it should be a requirement, not a "conditional requirement". Certainly, specialist wizards should probably be able to benefit from such a PrC more than others; in that case, though, I would make the requirement include School Specialization and come up with something else for Sorcerers.

In the old 2nd Edition Players Options books, TSR introduced the idea of "Effect Specialization". This was a specialization based around the effects of the spell. In 3rd Edition, these would likely be geared around some of the descriptors: Fire, Acid, Compulsion, Shadow, etc. PrCs based on those would be good candidates for Sorcerers and generalists, and less so for School Specialist wizards.

Also, in the same book, there were "method specialists". Alchemists focused on spells with Material components; Geometers focused on spells with writing or drawing involved (symbols, magic circles, etc.)

 

[Merlion]

Yea, I have that book

And I'm pretty sure I've seen conditional prereques before. And if not, I havent seen anything forbidding them. It seems a waste to come up with a seperate set of 8 prestige classes for sorcerers.

 

[Arkhandus]

I would say, do not require specialization as a prerequisite. Instead, say that they need two know at least two arcane spells from the school of each spell level from 0th to 3rd. Then, as a 1st-level class ability, say that the character is henceforth unable to ever learn arcane spells from the 3 schools most strongly opposing the school associated with the class. I.E. the illusion PrC would probably ban conjuration, evocation, and divination, while the necromancy PrC would likely ban abjuration, enchantment, and illusion I think. Also require that each time they gain access to a new arcane spell level, the first 1 or 2 spells they learn of that level must belong to the PrC's associated school. In that case, add something that puts all arcane spells of that school to the character's arcane-spellcasting-class spell lists (i.e. otherwise bards and such would likely be unable to do so with certain spell-school PrCs).

 

[Scion]

I think it would be pretty cool to have a 7 level prc that each level you had to give up another school. Each level you would gain an extra power in some way, probably extra spells per day and some interesting perks.

At the end you can only use one school, but are a master of that school. Slight boost to dc's, more spells per day, special uses of different school, etc etc.. lots of fun stuff

Just have to make sure that it isnt overly powerful, but more of a, 'anything that can be done with this school I can do, and I do it the best, in ways no one else can'

 

[Heretic Apostate]

I seem to recall that, in an old AD&D2E product (either the Complete Book of Wizards or a Dragon article; I'm leaning towards the magazine...), there were benefits for being a high-level specialist. For instance, an abjurer might get a higher saving throw bonus.

Anyone know where I can find that, by the way?

 

[Merlion]

I have a copy. A good game shop might still have it.