Bastards & Bloodlines balance question

[haiiro]

I've been working my way through Bastards & Bloodlines (from Green Ronin), and so far I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Looking at the autarkic PrC, however, I started to wonder if it might have a couple of balance issues.

Let's start with the basics: best HD (d12), average skill points (4/level), 3 good saves, cleric BAB, excellent class skill list, fighter weapon and armor proficiencies. The entry requirements include being a half-breed, having a fairly high number of HP, and 8 ranks of Wilderness Lore; a ranger or barbarian can make it after 5 levels.

Right out of the gate, this is a strong PrC with amazing survival skills (which is the whole idea). Coupled with its suite of generically useful special abilities (2 at odd levels, 1 at even levels), I'd rate it as stronger than average. This is fine.

Two of the special abilities, however, jump out at me as perhaps being problematic: immunity and SR.

Immunity is a survival trait selectable at any odd level (inluding 1st), and grants immunity to something specific -- the stickers are fear and death effects. Both are threats at low, medium and high levels, and I'd say are among the more significant threats at high levels -- as foes such as dragons generate fear effects, and save-or-die spells are always problematic. For what is potentially a 6th level PC, either of these immunities seem like they might be too powerful.

SR is granted at level 10, and starts at 20+CON bonus; it scales with the CON bonus. While SR 20 isn't that high, any SR is a pretty darned good ability. Is SR 20+ at level 15 going to be a problem? In combination with the class's other excellent abilities, I think it might be.

I really like the class overall, but before I introduce it into my game I want to see what others think of it from a balance standpoint. Thanks in advance.

(I apologize if this is in the wrong forum -- I wasn't sure where to put it, as it's not really a rules question and I don't recall seeing anything like it in GD. Since making changes to the PrC would fall under HR, I put it here.)

(Edit: clarification.)

 

[haiiro]

I'll give this one 24 hour bump before letting it slide into oblivion.

(I also changed the title.)

 

[LeifVignirsson]

I never really looked at the PrC's closely for that book, I still couldn't get over the image of unicorns and elves "getting it on", as it were. However, I will go off of what you have listed on here and hope that my left eye stops twitching long enough to read it myself when I get home...

The immunity might be a balance issue, but then we are talking about strange half-breeds in the first place. They have had to deal with fear and death all of their lives, so I can only think that this would fit in well. Sure, it might be a bit overpowering, but then there isn't anything saying that your friendly neighborhood DM couldn't overrule the effects of this benefit if s/he deems it worthy enough (Just looking at the Avatar's Handbook and seeing some of the things there might put "the fear of the gods" in anything, including an... <shudder> Alicorn).

The SR gets to be moot after a certain level, or so I have been told. Grantd, none of my characters actually HAVE an SR to begin with, so I couldn't tell you off of experience. Again, this would also be moot if the DM willed it to be. You never know when an elf is going to be overcome with rage and overcome the SR of an Alicorn because they are an afront to elven existance. That might also have some good roleplaying aspects to it as well, a certain individual having that type of power.

So, overall I would say that it does look overpowered on paper, but as it is with most PrC's, it isn't until you play it in the game when you realize that it isn't as bad. Now, a gnome and an umberhulk "getting it on"... that IS a problem!