How Prevalent Are Prestige Classes in Your Game?

[Plane Sailing]

Amongst my players, one currently has a prestige class (iaijutsu master, slightly modified from OA), a monk/fighter has her eye on Duellist at next level and a wizard is heading towards elementalist (homebrew class). A sorcerer may be heading towards alienist.

I'm very strict about prestige classes, and only allow ones which fill a niche in my campaign world. Almost all the published ones are ruled out, most of the prestige classes are home grown. I think the only ones that I use from other sources (with tweaks and renames) are Duellist, Alienist, Candlecaster, Assassin, Blackguard, Tamer of Beasts, Iaijutsu master, Illithid Slayer, Soul Knife, Pyrokineticist (as modified in montecook.com).

Homegrown ones include Damdzan mercernary, Chosen of Asura, Honourbound Knights, Tillanian Dragonfriend, Grey Lawgivers, Southlander Noble, Lord High Priest, Elemental Lord

Cheers,

 

[Donatello]

In my FR campaign, I've seen a few PrC's.

We've had an Archmage (FRCS), a Divine Seeker (FRCS), Harper Scout (FRCS), Heirophant (FRCS), Harper Mage (MoF), and an Arcane Archer (DMG). One character has thought of going to either Divine Champion or Planar Champion, but has not made that switch yet (and probably never will now).

In short, most of my players like PrC's.

 

[Desdichado]

Quite a few. We like 'em. I guess the novelty hasn't completely worn off or something...

 

[Oracular Vision]

50%, four of the eight players are using them. Radiant of Pelor, Divine Oracle, Dwarven Defender, and Arcane Archer.

 

[WizarDru]

Currently, we have (out of a total of 7 players over the course of the campaign) 6 out of 7 players having taken prestige classes. Of those 6, two of them have multiple prestige classes, and several are eyeing Epic Prestige classes.

Currently, the average party level is 15.

 

[Davelozzi]

None of my players have reached the appropriate levels yet but some are them are gunning for prestige classes. I have a fighter gunning for paladin (prestige in my campaign), a fighter/rogue gunning for duelist and a rogue about to take a couple levels of ranger (actually WoT woodsman) in preparation for taking a bounty hunter prestige class.

Other than those three, I have six other players that haven't expressed any interest in PrCs yet.

I pretty much tweak all the prestige classes that I use in my games but I borrow very heavily from what's been published.

Also, two NPCs have been introduced that already have PrCs.

 

[drnuncheon]

Right now, one of my two players is in a PrC...but I'm nudging the other one towards one that she doesn't know about yet, IC or OOC.

They're just getting into the range where their opposition (and allies) are getting them - I'd put it at somewhere around 50% for the major opponents & allies, maybe just a bit less.

J

 

[Apok]

Thus far, only two of my players have taken a Prestige Class. I've got a Cleric/Templar and a Paladin/Knight Channeler (from Librum Equitis 1). I'm certain the Wizard will eventually be taking the Archmage PrC once he meets the prereqs.

Overall, I like prestige classes since they allow characters to break off from the standard mold and focus more on whatever concept they have devised. For example, the player of the Paladin liked the concept of a holy warrior but not the Paladin's high-level abilities. I mean, honestly, how many times are you going to use Remove Dissease in a week? The Knight Channeler allows him to focus his "divine strength" into something more fitting to his idea of the Paladin.

Psion; have you looked into the original draft of the Archmage? I think Sean Reynolds has it somewhere on his website. Basically, it has fewer prereqs and the Arcana's don't use up spell-slots but they also don't gain any Spellcasting progression. Similiar to the Hierophant. I think it could serve as a nice alternative to the official Archmage.

 

[National Acrobat]

In my group, Prestige Classes are not very prevalent at all. I have 10 characters in the group that I run. The average level of the party is 11th and only 2 characters have prestige classes. Most of my players were rabidly anti-kits in the 2E game and that has transferred over to 3E in regards to the various source books with all of the prestige classes. The Campaign that I am running is Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff and the 2 prestige classes in question are an Arcane Archer, which works well against giants and a Foe Hunter, which also does work well.

 

[Zerovoid]

In the games I've played in, the majority of players seem to take or aim for a prestige class.

Probably the most common ones I've seen have been:
Arcane Archer, Blade Singer, Dragon Disciple
I've seen at least 3 or 4 characters with each of these classes in the past few years. Alot of this is because I play in a couple large groups, and most of the players are usually 5th - 10th level.

Alot of people also like to beef up archers by taking some levels in Order of the Bow Initiate or Deepwood Sniper.

I've played an Eldritch Master, and I've seen an Elemental Savant or two. I've also seen a Frenzied Berserker, Dancer of Sharess, Mind Bender...

Well, I've seen a lot of them get used.