Animal Lord eratta?

[Oni]

Pre-reqs say animal empathy. Class descriptions describes barbs and even bards becoming animal lords. Animal epathy is an exclusive skill only druids and rangers have. Is the pre-req correct?

 

[Crothian]

Yes. At least if it isn't Wizards has said a thing about it. But there are more then a few classes that the text of what classes can take the prestige class are wrong.

 

[Li Shenron]

I am afraid it is a wanted requirement.

I don't know if it requires a min rank or just to have the skill as class skill. You may need only 1 level (or few levels) of either Ranger or Druid to qualify, and the rest can be Barbarian (you would call yourself a Barbarian if you were Brb10/Dru1, after all).

IIRC, in S&S there is one feat that lets high level Bards use ANY skill untrained, including exclusive skills (but maybe not psionic skills?), which may qualify a single-class Bard.

 

[Wippit Guud]

I'm sure you could take the psionic skills, but since most require unspent power points, you'd be wasting a feat (unless you took the one that gave you a point, and that'd be interesting...)

 

[Li Shenron]

But there are more then a few classes that the text of what classes can take the prestige class are wrong.

I sadly agree with you Crothian: several classes seem to be aimed at some core classes or archetypes (from a RP p.o.v. at least) and then the requirements set a meaningless restriction.

It was my opinion from the start, and actually it's written in the DMG, that PrCls should be basically "open to everyone", except that some core classes are more likely to qualify much earlier and at a lower cost. But then most of the PrCl have a req. that basically restricts access to 1 or 2 core classes, such as Weapon Specialization. Pity.