D&D 5E D&D Next the return of prestige classes?

[gyor]

I have have a feeling that 5e themes ate prestige classes, pagagon paths, epic destinies, and backgrounds. 5e themes will absorb them, but you will be able to have multiple themes in a manner simular to multiclassing.

Kits and pathfinder archetypes I think will be eaten by subclasses or builds instead.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I would not mind seeing PPS and EDs return, but they should be optional, like they were in 3.5.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I want to see Prestige classes or the equivalent that are not compulsory like paragon paths in 4E. Themes you get at first level which precludes them being either your DESTINY or a grouping that doesn't take noobs. Well you could decide your PCs destiny at 1st level but I prefer to be able to join the Knights of X once I am level Y. And I should be able to join that order once I have proved myself , not automatically at 11th level
A lot of classes should be prestige classes IMO, in my houseruled 3E Paladins were (for example, only needed to be a +2 BAB and fluff to get in) I also don't like the minimum of level 5 to get in.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I have have a feeling that 5e themes ate prestige classes, pagagon paths, epic destinies, and backgrounds. 5e themes will absorb them, but you will be able to have multiple themes in a manner simular to multiclassing.

Kits and pathfinder archetypes I think will be eaten by subclasses or builds instead.

Which only works if you can multi-theme (like multi classing) and/or change your theme at whatever level.

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

I know that I would like to see Prestige Classes or Kits return, but I would like to see them separate from classes. You don't take levels in them "instead" of class levels, but "in addition" to. This way you can treat them more as general "jobs" or "professions" that add to a classes abilities without taking anything away.

Something like a "Mercenary" Prestige, or Kit would be on top of your class, so you could have Rogue Mercenaries or Sorcerer Mercenaries or Fighter Mercenaries kind of idea. This way the kits can be something extra that you can earn. You can have different levels of Kits, starting with simple ones like Mercenary working your way up to Harpers being hard to get into/have prerequisites for.

You could end up doing it for all sorts of things, so that you can have a more concentrated amount of classes, while using Kits to give those classes flavour.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I don't know that classes and themes and more racial options totally knocks out the room for prestige classes (and paragon paths, and the like). RCT may not kill prestige classes and take their stuff, but they probably do mug them, take their loose change and credit cards, and leave them standing on the corner rather disheveled.

Time you get rid of prestige classes that are nothing but alternate flavor with a handful of mechanics, or bad choices for what should have been more or better classes, then I don't know what is left.

I guess I could see a hybrid prestige class/paragon path setup--if classes were deliberately kept short and sweet. Say, there are 20 levels, but core classes only have 10. (Or 30 levels, with core stopped at 20, or whatever.) Then you might reach a point where specialization at the upper end was better reflected by a handful of prestige/paragon classes that were mutually exclusive, rather than extending the core classes with a proliferation of options. I doubt it, practically speaking, but I can see circumstances where that might be true.

 

[Astrosicebear]

One of the reasons I did not like the 4E version of paths/destinies was that it focused on set levels. Even if you were interested in playing an Archmage, you had to wait (mechanically) till epic levels.

The 3E system of presitge classes opened up advancement early on, sometimes as early as 3rd level. Many times it seemed players would be interested in playing a prestige class more than a base class. This may goes back to lackluster class design, but in 4e there was never a choice in the matter. Prestige classes in 3E offered not only a flavor change from your base class, but also a pretty significant mechanical change (for the most part). In 4e those changes where much less flavorful and to a big degree less mechanically shifting.

Themes work well for having a character background and having that player have a focus for the character, but rarely work well beyond 1st level. Advanced themes can work well, but mechanically we will have to see how easy it will be to shift the focus from the class. Allowing a 3e style of multiclass system, as they have said, may be a good step to ensuring player options mid-high levels with other modules like advanced themes.