Heroic Tier "Prestige Classes"

[Quickleaf]

Why would you bother with game mechanics for these? 3E notwithstanding, there really doesn't need to be a separate class for every conceivable profession.

Consider that we've heard of different ways wizards learning their magic, and different styles a fighter can choose from. I'm guessing that an equivalent 1st level choice will occur for each class. These might be handled by talent trees, so a "sword and board" fighter chooses the 1st talent from the "sword and board" talent tree, or a "watchtower guard" chooses from the "defensive stance" talent tree.

Speculation...
I suspect it will be more than this, considering the mention of a "cloistered cleric" option. I'd venture that the class variants from Unearthed Arcana (or some remake of that concept) will make their way into 4e during levels 1-10.
For example, Fighter have combat style options. Rogues have environmental options (Court, Guild, Wilderness). Clerics have ecclesiastical function options (Funerary, Stolist, Lector, Inquisitor). Wizards have mentor options (College, Hedge Mage, Forbidden Knowledge). Barbarians with cultural options (Dispossessed, Horsemasher, Totemic), etc.

 

[Darkwolf71]

Actually, from what I hear, you get heroic classes that go 1-30, with paragon paths (11-20) and epic destinies (21-30) layered on top of that.

This seems to be correct. With the addition of Racial levels in the 1-10 range.

 

[Agamon]

Well the thing about this idea is that these feats would really just be ways to flavor you're character a bit and give him some unique capabilities. My concept is that you'd even be able to gain them at first level (if you can get normal training feats at 1st level). The prerequisites would be minimal to nil. You'd just have to take the feat. And my understanding of Paragon Paths are that there would be little to no prerequisites and they'd advance alongside you're main class, rather than replacing it.

So you want new classes? Unique abilities at 1st level? Sounds like a new class to me. There will be those, for sure.

As for my opinion of the 3.x PrC idea, na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye.

 

[Dortmunder]

Why bother with a whole new class? Just add a couple of new Talent trees, no?

 

[Gundark]

I really would be happy never to see prestige classes again. What started out as a small 'fill odd niche' rule in the 3.5 DMG soon became the bane of my life as every supplement was packed with the damn things.

I remember I really liked the concept of Prc when I first saw them. As of this wrting I absolutely hate their existence.

I like the new direction of the Paragon path. However I'm expecting a gult of them like we saw with Prestige classes.

 

[Dausuul]

I like the new direction of the Paragon path. However I'm expecting a gult of them like we saw with Prestige classes.

Oh, no doubt. Gotta sell those splatbooks, after all. But at least people will only get one paragon path per character. Much of the trouble with PrCs is the result of characters being able to dip 3 levels in this, 2 levels in that, and 5 levels in the other, which encourages players to think of PrCs as a smorgasbord of game mechanics rather than an in-character vocation.