How often are prestige classes allowed & used?

[blargney the second]

Our current campaign is kind of interesting: every character must have at least 2 levels of a PrC by 10th level, then another 2 by 20th. It seems to really help define the characters, which is always a good thing.

-blarg

 

[kigmatzomat]

I said medium, mainly because to mesh with the setting IMC a lot of PrCs require being a member of a particular group and some of them use Geas or Mark of Justice to enforce oaths not to teach their secrets to others.

I think 4 of my 6 players have PrCs so they are still in play, there's just a number of them that require some extra RP hurdles to be jumped.

 

[megamania]

7 characters 2 use non-standard classes. I have a Battle Smith and an Arcane Archer in with straight or mixed fighters and rogues.

I am very open to anything published but my players prefer to keep it simple.

 

[Nyaricus]

Current group 8 players 3 plan on prestige classes

a radiant servant of Pelor
a war priest of Pelor
and a dwarven defender

Your players have good taste

The Warpriest should also consider Pious Templar, if appropriate

Cheers!

 

[Question]

The majority of DMs out there either cant be bothered or are too scared of touching underpowered PRCs in an attempt to balance it out on their own. This is in the same vein of "core stuff only!".

 

[Thomas Percy]

When a PC gets prestige class, it can be big change in his life.
It's interesting (maybe the most interesting ever) theme for an adventure.
When I simply take prestige class first time after advancing a level (without any adventure, training etc.) I feel it is a wasting of best ideas.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I am moderately strict with them, I guess.

For the other half of the question, there are a fair few of them among PCs, NPCs and monsters. Not tons, but yeah, a fair few. And when I'm player-side, I tend to favour not taking them, or taking only one per PC.

I take a 'default-deny' stance on PrC's, feats, and all other *optional* (i.e., usable at the GM's discretion, as all PrC's explicitly are even in straight D&D, for example) components though. A lot don't get through the filter. But then, that's probably just as well, because I'm (usually) drawing from substantial numbers of WotC, 3rd-party, internet-derived and my own sources for them.

 

[Baron Opal]

Strict restrictions, often talked about and strongly considered / used.

Out of eight characters,

Warmain (Hvy Fighter) / Gorgon-Blooded
Mageblade (Ftr/Sorc) / Way of the Five Winds
Mind Witch / Not interested
Wood Witch / Considering Seekers of the Emerald Tablets
Totem Warrior (Ranger) / Warwheel Guild
Mind Witch / Not interested
Multiclassed / Not interested
Unfettered - Greenbond / Too new

The key for me iis that all of my prestige classes are custom designed for my game. Considereing that I'm running AE, it's almost a necesity.

 

[DragonLancer]

I voted Strict, but Occasionally Used.

In my game there are only about 20 PrC's available as IMO PrC's need to fit the world and campaign not just be open to all of them. With that in mind, not everyone takes one. In my SC campaign currently only two of four characters have them.

The rogue has taken Shadowdancer, and the Half-Giant has taken Berserk.

Then again, I also limit characters to one PrC.

 

[Tiberius]

I voted loose restrictions, often used. Except for the brief period in between the release of the PHB and the DMG back in 2000, I can't think of a single character anyone in the group made made that was not at the very least aiming to get a PrC once they fulfilled the requirements.