"Functional Equivalent" to Prestige Classes

[Scholar & Brutalman]

From Zanders interview with Bruce Cordell

Q: Will there be prestige classes?
A: "There will be functionality equivalent to that."

Anyone care to make a guess on what they're going to do?

If they're using the SAGA talent trees, then my guess is that they'll replace prestige classes with talent trees with a higher level entry requirement. Mechanically, players joined prestige classes to get access to new and different class abilities, and the talent tree system allows you to vary class abilities without leaving the core class. It makes prestige classes redundant.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Sounds reasonable to me. They might provide several examples of how to build a character to be something that was once covered by a Prestige Class.

 

[Glyfair]

Anyone care to make a guess on what they're going to do?

You may recall that they said that when you take a "prestige class" in 4E you continue to advance in your class. For example, if you take the "frenzied berserker" prestige class you'll still advance in your barbarian class.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

You may recall that they said that when you take a "prestige class" in 4E you continue to advance in your class. For example, if you take the "frenzied berserker" prestige class you'll still advance in your barbarian class.

I missed that. That's very interesting. I'm interested in seeing how this will work.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

You may recall that they said that when you take a "prestige class" in 4E you continue to advance in your class. For example, if you take the "frenzied berserker" prestige class you'll still advance in your barbarian class.

Actually that was one of the quotes that made me think "prestige classes" will be talent trees. If "frenzied berserker" is now a talent tree available to the barbarian class, then to progress through the frenzied berserker tree you'll have to level up as a barbarian.

 

[Glyfair]

Actually that was one of the quotes that made me think "prestige classes" will be talent trees.

I believe, but I could be wrong, that someone said there won't be talent trees ala SWSE. However, I got the impression that it might be something that is similar.

 

[Gold Roger]

From Zanders interview with Bruce Cordell

Q: Will there be prestige classes?
A: "There will be functionality equivalent to that."

Anyone care to make a guess on what they're going to do?

If they're using the SAGA talent trees, then my guess is that they'll replace prestige classes with talent trees with a higher level entry requirement. Mechanically, players joined prestige classes to get access to new and different class abilities, and the talent tree system allows you to vary class abilities without leaving the core class. It makes prestige classes redundant.

Sounds likely. At least I know I'd love that to happen.

 

[pawsplay]

Three tiers of talents? 1-10, 11-20, 21-30.

Now, in Saga, often prestige classes get regular old Talent trees. Sometimes this is in conjunction with a better BAB, sometimes not.

 

[Merlion]

Honestly, I pretty much like prestige classes as they are, more or less. I'm not sure how I feel about "talent trees." I wouldnt really mind them building ways into the classes to achieve many of the archtypes and ideas covered by prestige classes but...for one I'd be afraid that would remove any need desire or functionality of playing just a straight up wizard or fighter or whatever. Of course, many will say prestige classes do the same thing, but I think its in a rather different way.

And there are many prestige classes that I like that I just don't see how they can incoporate directly into the base classes, like Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil.

I hope that there will be ways built into the classes to make it easier to do certain archtypes, especially things like spellcasters focused on certain types of magic, or warriors who attempt to master a certain combat style. But just as I object to certain classes being made prestige classes because they offer abilities and/or themes that are hard to get elsewhere, I think the same is true in reverse for some prestige classes.

 

[Li Shenron]

I missed that. That's very interesting. I'm interested in seeing how this will work.

A thing to note is that BAB, ST, skill points, hit dice, and +1 spellcasting level do not really define a prestige class.

What makes a prestige class different from the others is the special abilities, including the occasional specific spells list (but IIRC it's something more in the early supplements).

The level-based normal stuff is derived as a consequence, more based on thinking what base class is more likely to take the PrCl, and then deciding the BAB etc. in terms of "how much you want the base class to lose/gain when you enter the PrCl".

So they really aren't needed to be a class after all... just a bunch of special abilities with high-level prerequisites and some sort of progression.