Developing new paladin PrCs for Piratecat's game: come see the result! (updated 1/28)

[las]

Hope with all of us helping you out youll be abel to make something that you feal is right.

 

[Kyramus]

each campaign does have it's own feel. the 3 level prestige i made is only based on what i saw of the deity and was doing it at work. hhehehe

didn't really have time to flesh it out.

 

[Sialia]

I do so love the idea of plants turning to face them adoringly.

And, perhaps, cats curling up in places where they've been recently.



And, while I forget my basic cosmology of Spira--I recall something about the sun actually going around the planet in this case, the sun also has gravitational effects that might be interesting to think about.

 

[incognito]

PC, not to be a cold glass of water, but isn't ONE PrC enough?!?

Given the thread I've been posting too, bashing PrCs, I am probably anti-PrC Biased, but even so - just becasue Paladins tend to be front loaded, that's no reason to give the Gift or PrCs!!!

And worse, asking for a 3-5 Level PrC (because the PCs are high level already) seems meta-gamey, no?

Love the story hour, appreciate (mostly) the defenders, and having read the characters they are not espcially munchy, but shouldn't/dosen't it bother you that both the Paladins don't want to be Paladins?

Maybe (an only maybe), I could see mroe sort of Holy Rider PrC for Mara, granting her Warhorse special abilities.

but please be aware of front loading, and saves, BAB progression, etc.

PS sorry to be a stick in the mud

 

[Piratecat]

PC, not to be a cold glass of water, but isn't ONE PrC enough?!?

I'm a bit uncomfortable with you telling me what's appropriate for my game. If you don't want to help, that's certainly fine (although the holy rider idea is kind of cool!), but I'd just as soon not have you apply your personal feelings regarding prestige classes to someone else's group. That seems a little rude to me.

I'll answer your question, though. I have no idea where you came up with the idea that these paladins don't want to be paladins. Of course they do; they're already paladins, and that's not going to change (barring Malachite giving up on mercy in favor of vengeance! Hey, you never know...) The players are hoping to use divine PrCs to further differentiate their characters from each other mechanically, which just provides wonderful new plot hooks. I think that's a good thing! And to be blunt, taking a few more levels in the paladin class just doesn't do this. Can't you see Mara now? "Back, foul demons! I have an extra remove disease!"

You need to remember that this isn't someone taking two levels of deepwoods sniper, three of arcane archer and another two of the OOBI in order to make an uber-archer. This is a straight paladin and someone who has already finished an entire 10-level prestige class. I really don't see any problem. And in any event, Agar is a diviner/alienist/planeshifter. If I was ever going to draw a line in the sand and set a precedent, I did so there. I haven't regretted it once; agar is one of the most entertaining characters I've seen.

My conclusion? More choices and cool abilities for the players is a good thing. Things that give players buy-in into their characters is a good thing. In this particular case, I see no problems.

I'm happy to discuss this further, but I'd prefer not to do so in this thread. Mordane76 has started another thread, continuing this discussion for anyone interested.

 

[BryonD]

And worse, asking for a 3-5 Level PrC (because the PCs are high level already) seems meta-gamey, no?

IMO, you have it exactly backward.

To get hung up on what classes a character does or does not have is meta-gamey.

To focus on picking the best classes that define the character concept is the opposite of meta-gamey.

I would hate to have a cool character idea and then have someone tell me I can not play it purely because it goes against their purely meta-game thoughts on how many PClasses are ok.

 

[Blackjack]

but shouldn't/dosen't it bother you that both the Paladins don't want to be Paladins?

Actually, speaking as Malachite's player, I never wanted to be a "Paladin". I wanted to be a Knight of the Chapel of the Emerald. "Paladin" is an out-of-game character class that happened to go a ways towards representing that in-game persona. Where that OOG class falls short, one looks to other rules to represent the persona.

Character classes aren't people, after all; they're clusters of rules, tools to be used to build personae.

To focus on picking the best classes that define the character concept is the opposite of meta-gamey.

Exactly.

 

[incognito]

I'm a bit uncomfortable with you telling me what's appropriate for my game.

Sorry, PC. You know I did not intend the reply to be preachy, or finger pointing-ish.

I'll save the defense of my stance for the other thread as well, but don't think that phrases like:

"And to be blunt, taking a few more levels in the paladin class just doesn't do this. Can't you see Mara now? "Back, foul demons! I have an extra remove disease"

go unnoticed.

To show I'm not a total jerk I will include my 5 level PrC Holy Rider which is intended to bring value to Chracters invested in a mount/mounted combat.

Holy Rider

Pre-Requisites:

Feats: Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Cleave
Skills: 10 ranks in Ride, 5 raks of Handle animal
Special: Must have a mount that is an animal companion, a Paladin's Warhorse, or other class specific creature of an unusual nature, bonded to the rider, including an improved familiar or Blackguard's mount

class features
HD type: d10
BAB: As Fighter
Saves: Strong Fort, and Reflex. Weak Will
Skill points: 4/level
Skills TBD, but ride, handle animal, and animal empathy are on list. Spot is not.

Abilities
Holy Rider's mounts continue to advance as if the character had gained a level in the class that granted the special mount. In the unlikely case that a character has two classes that grant special mounts, the character must pick one class per level of Holy Rider to advance their mount in.

L1. My sized mount, Adopted HD
L2. Improved mounted combat
L3. Ride by attack, Ride by charge
L4. Spirited charge, Spirited Spirited Retreat:
L5. Mount and Rider as One.

My sized mount: This allows the mount to adopt a 5x5(x5!) face to allow a rider to ride into a typical room while remaining mounted -although smaller entrance ways may still be a problem. The mount's extra size is displaced to the etherial plane, so if access to this plane is barred (like on the outer planes), this ability is negated.

Adopted HD: this does two things, aloows the mount to recieve +1/hp/HD if thier HD was previously d8 (as they now use the Holy Rider HD of D10, and for purposes of what spells affect the mount, use the character's total level instead of the mount's HD

Improved mounted combat: A Holy Rider may take a full attack if thier mount takes a move action only (normal: if a mount moves more than 5' the character can take only a single attack).

Ride by attack: As feat

Ride by charge: If a Holy Rider uses the Ride by attack, he may chose to be considered charing as well. He need not make the attack as soon as he is able, but at any time along the path of the ride by.

Spirited charge: As Feat

Spirited Retreat: The rider and mount may excecute a run (3x or 4x move, depending on encumberance) without provoking an AoO or being denied thier dex bonus.

Mount and Rider as One: The mount and the rider Bond. Spells shared by the mount and the caster remain in effect no mater the distance between rider and mount. Also, while mounted the rider may share HP with the mount, as well as apply any dodge bonus to the mounts AC (or add the bonus to the ride check to avoid).

 

[Zaruthustran]

I do so love the idea of plants turning to face them adoringly.

And, perhaps, cats curling up in places where they've been recently.

Thanks! For me, it's the little flavor powers that make Prestige Classes truly fun.

-z

PS: That cat idea is brilliant.

 

[Sito Rotavele]

Of course they do; they're already paladins, and that's not going to change (barring Malachite giving up on mercy in favor of vengeance! Hey, you never know...)

Hey, Vengeance can be a good gig on Spira. Blackjack, just let me know if you want a look at the Knight of Vindus PrC.