Draconomicon: PrC Comparison

[not_me]

To those that have the Draconomicon, a question for you to speak your opinion.

Compare, if you will, the Dragonslayer and the Platinum Knight. A player in a campaign of mine is looking to play a Platinum Knight. Not a problem. But it looks somewhat, dare I say it, underpowered. So I looked at other classes in the same book, and came upon the Dragonslayer. To me, it looks easier to enter:

Easier to enter:
-less skill requirements (and less of a cross-class skill for fighter or paladin)
-less feats (one very useful and one so so useful vs one minorly useful, maybe a draw)

some things seem about the same
-Same Spell advancement
-Similar immune to fear
-damage bonus vs smite (maybe PK a bit ahead, only 4x per day, but greater bonus and bonus to hit)

and maybe seems more benificial:

-Overcome Dragon spell resistance
-DR 3/- instead of +2 Natural Armour
-Energy Resistance 10 vs a bunch of different energy types
-Two Feats


What do you all think? Is the dragonslayer a bit better, and does that mean the PK is a bit under the power curve, or is the dragonslayer just above the curve? Assuming yes and yes, then what might you transfer from the DS to the PK (or suggest for the PK) to make it the same curve.

Thanks,

Not Me

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

You're probably right about the Dragonslayer being a tad overpowered. It looks to be about balanced for a normal fighter taking it, and the 5 levels of spellcasting are just candy. You might do something like the Rune Lord PrC in Diamond Throne, which says that if you were a caster when you took the class, you get a d6 HD, if not you get d8. You could say that Dragonslayers with a caster class get d8, and Platinum Knights without a caster class get d10. Keep in mind that any Dragonslayer worthy of the name will have multitudes of the Dragon-hunter/Dragonfoe feats in that book; since there are like 6 of them that will severely limit his other feat choices. I'd make Dragonfoe and maybe Dragonbane prerequisites of Dragonslayer, as well as 4 ranks of Knowledge (Dragons). I'd also make the Dragonslayers true strike only usable against dragons.

 

[not_me]

You're probably right about the Dragonslayer being a tad overpowered.

So, in turning that around, you would say that the Platinum Knight has the correct power/level then? (The player will be playing a PK, so I wasn't too worried if the DS was overpowered, more if the PK was underpowered) Also, when comparing power levels, would this be standard power or FR-style power comparisons?

Thanks...

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

FR is an illusion in the mind and eyes of madmen. A fighter taking 10 levels of Platinum Knight would probably be underpowered to a regular fighter, but not signifigantly so. I think Platinum Knight is intended for fighter/clerics of Bahamut more than anything. It's pretty good for them.

 

[Nightfall]

He's better off with the other Bahamut Pr-class from Book of Exalted Deeds. Now THAT one is a good class.