Here Come The PRESTIGE CLASSES! Plus Rune Magic!

Mike Mearls' latest Unearthed Arcana column presents the first ever 5E prestige class: the Rune Scribe! "Prestige classes build on the game’s broad range of basic options to represent specialized options and unique training. The first of those specialized options for fifth edition D&D is the rune scribe—a character who masters ancient sigils that embody the fundamental magic of creation."

It's a 5-level class, and also contains the basic information on how prestige classes work and how to join them - including ability, skill, level, and task-based prerequisites. Find it here.

 

[mellored]

Except it doesn't. As I just explained in my previous post, your ability to learn a spell is limited only by the spell slots you have available to you. Not your class level.

Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Which means that you can cast a 5th level spell if you have 5th level slots and have it in your spellbook (or pray for it, etc.) But a wizard doesn't get 'free' spells when he gains rune scribe levels.

You need to read the multi-class rules more carefully.

You only prepare spells "as if you where a single class". No matter how many levels of fighter, cleric, sorcerer, rune scribe, or anything else he has. You can prepare spells as if you where ONLY a 6th level wizard. And ONLY a 6th level wizard does not have level 5 slots.


The UA repeats this as well.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I am very fond of this conceptually, and this execution sets a high bar. This is good stuff.

I think there's bound to be a lot of Older Edition Itis around the name "prestige class", but this is a very solid execution of them, IMO.

They're part of the world, they're not presumed as part of character development, they're not "patches" for broken things, they're tied to beings and identities in the campaign setting....hell, I almost wish EVERY subclass was treated this way.

Meaty.

Looks pretty good as a PrC implementation. My main beef is the "surprise requirements." Picture this at your gaming table: "Oh, I found a master rune! I can be a RuneCaster now! ...oh, I didn't put a whopping 13 into Dex at character creation, dang." This disappointment leads to its countermeasure: Planning out your PrC progression right from 1st level.

So I'd prefer they lighten the mechanical requirements to the bare minimum, like level plus a single ability score. Other than that, it looks fine.

That bears repeating. I'd kind of prefer if the prerequisites were like feat prerequisites - very light. The narrative hurdle you need to jump through to get the class is already pretty significant. The requirements are low enough that I wouldn't be too bothered, and unless you've dumped DEX, your next ASI might get you into this PrC.

Huh....that actually makes ASI's for lower ability scores quite a bit more relevant, if they're the barrier between you and a new PrC....interesting....now it's "do I bump DEX to get Rune Master, or do I take Crossbow Expert"....hmmm...

 

[Minigiant]

I was hoping for that to be a Ranger subclass.

Same here.

But I could see the fans whining about its low damage. I mean I can think of damage mechanics for the HW which keep in flavor. But others....


Probably better this way. The HW could be 80-90% exploration pillar and no one cries.

 

[TwoSix]

Looks pretty good as a PrC implementation. My main beef is the "surprise requirements." Picture this at your gaming table: "Oh, I found a master rune! I can be a RuneCaster now! ...oh, I didn't put a whopping 13 into Dex at character creation, dang." This disappointment leads to its countermeasure: Planning out your PrC progression right from 1st level.

So I'd prefer they lighten the mechanical requirements to the bare minimum, like level plus a single ability score. Other than that, it looks fine.

Yea, I agree with that. I'd make it "Level 5 + (Int 13 OR Arcana proficiency) + do the quest".

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

UA is a playtest. If enough people like it, it will be core. (swashbuckler)

If people don't like it, it won't be. (artificer).

Swashbuckler? Where is that at?

 

[Yunru]

Sword Coast Adventure Guide

 

[Zaran]

Swashbuckler? Where is that at?

You can see the first part of Swashbuckler on the Mastermind preview.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Let's say a wizard level 3 gets 5 levels. That wizard can't cast fireball or dispel magic. They can cast Magic Missile at 5th level spell power. Casting a level 1 spell at 5th level power is no where near as useful as casting a 5th level spell (most of the time). I really don't care if they don't get free spells per level. I just think that a spell casting prestige class should not penalize the PC like multiclassing does.

well a wizard can't take it at level 3... it has a prereq of character level 5...

so a 5th level wizard 5th level rune scribe you are CHOOSEING to give up 4th, and 5th level spells for those runes...

 

[Minigiant]

Last night I had a dream about some guy scribbling magic runes all over the place.
Spooky.

Hey. A new way to put unarmored avengers in the game.

Quest: Kill a oathbreaker paladin or blackguard
Reward: You are an butt whooping avenger.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The jury is still out on prestige classes, as there's only one example one. It's a good step in that it should be something quite specialized, and not just a better version or different variant of a class you already have. In general I felt the Archmage prestige class of 3e was a horrible idea.

On to the prestige class itself, I think that class is just a bad choice. You consider that taking up this class you're giving up on things like 9th level spells known, I don't think that being able to use that slot to do 10d8 (or 10d10) damage to a target in reach makes up for not being able to cast Meteor Swarm. Sure currently there's no save to the fire one (which I assume is a mistake since all the other ones have saves), but I think the complex powers need to scale better for casters. Those weapon infusions for example should add extra elemental or bludgeoning damage, beyond slot level/3.

And how does one scribe a rune using ash or whatever when they're trying to avoid it? If they're physically trying to draw on someone it's realistically really difficult to do to someone who is struggling and fighting, if they're drawing in the air and the rune gets inscribed where their finger points like a laser pointer, or simply stamping a rune from a stone, then that's more believable.