Help my wold design - Your favorite prestige classes?

[Nyaricus]

I like PrCs which are tied to organizations, personally. They give players a reason to intereact in the world, and thus they get to be better roleplayers. Faerunian PrCs are ripe for the plundering in this regard, so if you own any FR products, I suggest a perusal is in order The Hammer of Moradin is a personal favourite

Other than that...

The enviromental books by WotC all have great PrCs in them. I liked the Frostrager (FroBu) and The Scarlet Corsair (StoWra) in particular.

Heroes of Horror has some nice PrCs, as does Libris Mortis. And the Hoard Theif from Draconomicon is a great anti-drake rogue PrC

One of my favourite PrCs is the slightly overpowered Templar PrC. It's in ComWar or ComDiv.

Other than that, not to much else to add. Good luck!

cheers,
--N

 

[Kurashu]

Most of the Mystic Theurge (MT, Fochlucan Lyrist, True Necromancer, Arcane Hierophant, et cetra) variants are pretty sweet, although sometimes over powered (True Necromancer comes to mind)
Contemplative
Pale Master
Elemental Savant
Argent Savant
Geomancer
Void Disciple
Chameleon
Shadow Sentinel has some intertesting stuff. You can probably adapt it to your needs.
Master of Many Forms is great for shapeshifters too.

 

[Andor]

Personally I've always liked the Master of Many Forms PrC from CA. I find I'm curious about what the sense of self of a professional shapeshifter must be like. You can make that the centerpoint of an organization of MoMFs.

The Conclave of the Hidden Mirror

"Look into a mirror. What do you see? Yourself you say? How so? Dye your skin and your reflection will change will it not? If you cut your hair will it still be you? A scar tells a story, but is that story the truth? You can add a scar or take one a way with a simple spell. Learn to see past the flesh, disregard the trappings of matter. When you can look into a mirror and see yourself even in the form of an orge, a dragon or a burning flame, then you will begin to understand who you are." - Master Jax Cooper, of the Conclave of the Hidden Mirror

The Conclave of the Hidden Mirror seek to understand the self by eliminating the permanence of form, and studying what is left. Theirs is a subtle and disturbing theology and few people are completely comfortable around a member of the Conclave. They are distrusted by the common folk, though rarely bothered.

The members of the Conclave wear a distinctive woven belt of mutli colored cords woven in an everchanging patterm, but always with one golden thread running all through it.

They are usually followers of the Druidic religeon, comfortable with the notion of reincarnation into different forms, although there are exceptions.

There is no heirarchy within the Conclave although members who have learned to shift their shape farther from their humanoid base are awarded greater respect. They hold meetings on nights of the full moon, following an agenda set by whichever member is hosting the meeting, it could be anything from a quiet discussion of theology to running a Wild Hunt in a hundred different forms.

Note: An alternate take on the PrC would make as much sense as a monkly monastic order as a Druidic one, in which case I would replace the Wildshape prereq with 8 ranks in Concentration.

 

[the Jester]

I am a huge fan of the alienist. I could see a society of strange wizards with Lovecraftian interests trying to out-insane one another over tea.

 

[Crothian]

I had a feeling with your name attached, I'd hear reference to the oozemaster.

Now, what sort of organizations or cultures would produce oozemasters?

One that sees oozes as a very important part of the food chain and the natural order of things. They clean up after everything else. They help so diseases don't spread by consuming dead and rotting corpses.

 

[Nyaricus]

(True Necromancer comes to mind)

Sorry to go OT, but over on the Wizards CO boards, the True Necromancer is really pretty much never looked at as a optimal choice PrC (which is to say that it isn't overpowered). Read the Complete Necromancers Handbook - it has more info.

cheers,
--N

 

[Li Shenron]

Okay, my favorite races thread is turning out well.

Same situation here. I am looking at fleshing out some parts of my new world with an eye to giving players a place to ground their characters. To that end, I am considering organizations and cultures appropriate to common popular Prestige Classes.

So what do you think? What prestige classes do you like that might make good candidates for some background materials? For extra credit, if you have had organizations or cultures associated with published PrCs in your game that you thought were interesting, what were they?

Prestige Class haters, no thread crapping please. Thanks.

These are some which IMHO make up for interesting organizations/groups.

Assassin (DMG)
Shadowdancer (DMG)

Gatecrasher (MotP)
Planeshifter (MotP)

Fist of Hextor (S&F)

Mage of the Arcane Order (T&B)

Knight of the Chalice (DotF)
Templar (DotF)

Spymaster (S&S)

Blighter (MotW)
Eye of Gruumsh (MotW)
Verdant Lord (MotW)

Shadow Adept (FRCS)

Dweomerkeeper (F&P)
Heartwarder (F&P)
Ocular Adept (F&P)

Some of these like Planeshifters, Blighters and Dweomerkeepers, were not necessarily meant as an organization but I think they could work as such.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My favourite Prestige Class (the only 3.5 one I ever played, in fact): Loremaster. It sure can be a pretty generic class, but creating one (or even multiple) background organisation for it should be easy.

I loved to play a Shifter (but that was 3.0), for the sheer fun of experimenting with various shapes. (Töröööö - Here comes the Dire Elephant! Rock and Earth? It's Delver time - but keep your gold and silver safe! Wall of Force - Golem!)
It might be a bit more difficult, but finding a background organisation for this should be possible, too.

 

[wedgeski]

My favourite Prestige Class (the only 3.5 one I ever played, in fact): Loremaster. It sure can be a pretty generic class, but creating one (or even multiple) background organisation for it should be easy.

I was about to ask why there was no love for the Loremaster when I saw your post. It's a great class, one of those PrC's that can look dull as ditchwater on paper but is a continual delight to actually play.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Thought I'd branch off in a bit of a different direction, because I imagine the WotC prestige classes will be well and truly catered to.


I like the PrCs in 'Arcana - Societies of Magic', from Green Ronin Games. Actually, it's just a good book all round, I think.

Same as above for 'Requiem for a God' and 'When the Sky Falls', both from Malhavoc Press.

Also 'Hyperconscious', and the 'Book of Hallowed Might II' (Mal Press, again) - at least for most of them.

The 'Monster's Handbook' (from Fantasy Flight Games) too, has some good PrCs.