I'm loving 5-level PrClasses

[Li Shenron]

I have no problems in theory with prestige classes having any number of levels. But I have to say that most of the 5-levels PrCls I've seen around were very badly designed by themselves, although I haven't seen the new ones from PGtF, PGtP, CDiv and CArc for example.

IMO prestige classes should be written around a clear progression. If such a progression seems appropriate for 7 levels, then make it a 7-levels PrCls. Sometimes the designers just want to stick with the 10 levels paradigm, and end up filling the levels with bonus feats for example.

 

[Andy_Collins]

5-Level Prestige Classes

I'm a big proponent of matching a prestige class's "duration" (the number of levels it has) to its flavor and role in the game.

It's good to read that so many people are seeing 3- and 5-level prestige classes in the way they're intended: as temporary diversions from a character's career that "flavors" or "specializes" him in a particular manner.

Speaking as a developer, every time I see a 10-level prestige class, I ask myself if it could do its job better in fewer levels. (A 10-level class, I believe, symbolizes at least the potential for a complete career shift for the character. If a class concept doesn't match that, IMHO it doesn't deserve to be a 10-level class.)

I usually think of "5" as the target for a shorter class duration, not just because it feels like a round number but because 5 feels significantly different from 10. (Eight, say, is different from 10, but not significantly different enough to be, well, significant.) That said, I admit that I've been guilty of picking a number between 5 and 10 based on pure whimsy...you'll no doubt notice this one when Complete Adventurer hits the shelves.

Even a 5-level class gets the fisheye from me to see if it'd be better as a 3-level class. I think that 3 levels is the lowest I'd go with a prestige class--anything less than that doesn't seem like it's worth the effort of writing a whole class. A 3-level class that didn't merit 3 levels is probably best off as a feat or two.

 

[HellHound]

Yeah.

What Andy said.

 

[Anthraxus]

With 3 or 5 level prestige classes, you have more chance of reaching the peak level of the PrC and using the class abilities to their fullest.

In the games I play, my characters are spread out from 1st to 11th level. I don't see much chance of having that 10th level in a PrC that fits my character at all.

-A

 

[Li Shenron]

One more thing comes to my mind...

Does anyone ever think about taking only SOME levels of a prestige class*?

Some PrCls have a clear "completion progression", in the sense that you can notice the last level kinds of complete a path, such as turning the character into an outsider, or fully matching a template. But other PrCls look more like "specializations", and IMO don't necessarily need to be followed until the end, just like it is for core classes.

*Ok, when I ask this I actually mean besides[/] cherry picking for min-maxing purposes