How many levels of Prestige Classes do you prefer?

[Taren Nighteyes]

What number of prestige class levels do you feel is appropriate?

 

[KDLadage]

10. Definately.

I think it needs to allow the abilities of the class to come in slowly, and not be a "grab a couple levels of this one, and a couple levels of that one"

YMMV, IMHO, yada yada yada

 

[BiggusGeekus]

10.

I think PrCs are a journey that the character should commit to, not something they do as a side project.

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

Thanks for the input.


Anyone out there want to debate the issue? Anyone prefer 5 levels, or even NO prestige classes?

Thanks again!

Taren Nighteyes

 

[Shallown]

I voted five or ten but nmot for the reason you gave. More because some PrC work as a 10 level or a 5. It depends on how defining the class is. You might just need a 5 level class to help round out or flesh out a character.
Take for instance a character joins an organization, It is not one that "Defines" the character but does have some impact or oppurtunity to focus or expand the characters abilities. You don't want to take 10 levels but 5 would be cool versus something the character devotes themselves to that is indeed a 10 level class.

I actually think you should use as many levels as needed to make the class complete, but most the time it can be squeezed into five or stretched into 10 if it doesn't fit just right.

 

[Victim]

I tend to prefer 5 level classse, because they don't completely consume a character. However, the answer should really be whatever the minimum # of levels needed to properly express the idea. Whether it's 5, or 10, or 3 like the Wayfarer Guide.

I don't really like boring prestige classes in which each level grants an additional per day of a power, or a minor upgrade. How boring. For example, I consider many of the Sword and Fist classes guilty of this. Look at the devoted defender. IIRC, it has 3 abilities: Harm's way, deflect attack, and defensive strike. After level 3, you get nothing new. Yet it takes 10 levels because the designers felt the need to stretch it out for some reason. The weapon master, with all the levels in which the character gets Ki critical and Ki damage, seems very boring as well. However, it at least has otehr stuff like whirlwind and improved critical. If the pre-reqs were raised a bit, then it could probably be shortened too.

 

[Sodalis]

definitely 10,

why is it called a PRESTIGE if you are willing to take another class over that one at higher levels? It wouldn't be so prestigious would it...?

 

[Darklance]

I prefer to let the concept decide rather than any magic cut off number. If the idea can be accomplished in 3 levels without a rushed feeling than I would prefer that over a 5 level PRC with 2 levels of inappropriate abilities/bonuses.

 

[Harker Wade]

PrC levels

Agree with Darklance the class should dictate the number levels. A standard could force a concept to be stretched too thin or compressed.

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

I think that some PrC concepts are best kept to 5 levels rather than 10. If there's only enough stuff to make 3 levels, then the concept needs work.