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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Felon" data-source="post: 2287106" data-attributes="member: 8158">If you decide that a feat can grant a character any sort of ability you want, then it is basic de facto reasoning that any PrC feature can be converted into a feat. Then all that remains to consider are hit dice, skill points, BAB, and saving throws, but it seems you're focusing entirely on special abilities. Which, incidentally, makes it all the easier to say a given PrC is more powerful than the base class that branches into it, since many PrC's trade off favorable skill points, hit dice, BAB, and/or saves for cool class features.A feat can give you a new ability. But a feat is just a modular component, an add-on. What if the ability that a feat grants is so good that it's more than just an add-on? It actually warrants giving up the path your character was on and going off onto an entirely new path with your character? IMO, a good PrC does that. It doesn't just parrot what a base class can do, and doesn't just ape multi-classing. It actually offers something new and that's what your schtick will be from that point on. The Dervish is a fair example of that. One of 3e's unwritten design philosophies is that taking more than a 5 foot step and getting the full benefits of a full round of attacks are mutually exclusive. Getting around that taboo seems like a good basis for a PrC.Some PrC's are powerful, some aren't. Then again, some base classes are more powerful than others. It's interesting to look at a PrC and see what base class(es) they were measured against. The Duelist is generally considered a dud PrC, but overall it actually compares favorably to a Fighter. A Fighter only gets one feat every other level, after all, and fewer skill points. Now, compare that Duelist to a Barbarian or a Ranger and it starts looking kinda crappy next to other guys who get lots of skill points and class abilities at every level. Actually, the Dervish is also a good example here too. The class features look reasonable in comparison to a Barbarian. Dervish Dance matches up to Rage pretty well. The bonus movement is staggered out into small increments (and rendered kind of moot by making them enhancement bonuses instead of unnamed bonuses). Gains two good saves, but hit dice is stepped down from d12 to d10 (and Barbs get good Will saves when enraged anyway). Skill poin allotment is same. But compare that same PrC to a fighter and it looks a bit outrageous.   True, it is easy to outdo a Fighter or Wizard, because they are so spartan compared to other base classes that have plenty to trade off in exchange for new abilities. I'd say the solution is to bring the Fighter and Wizard up to par, and perhaps look at a PrC as a means of accomplishing that.</blockquote>

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