Least favorite Prc

[Grog]

My least favorite prestige classes would have to be all the ridiculously powerful archer classes. Archery is already way too powerful in 3E without adding in a bunch of uber-deadly PrC abilities.

Honestly, I think the whole concept of prestige classes has spiraled way out of control in 3E. It seems that every supplement includes a half-dozen or more of them, regardless of what it's about. It's gotten way too bloated for my taste.

I initially liked the idea of prestige classes, back when it seemed like they might actually be something special. I thought they might be something DMs could use to enhance really important NPCs or enemies and give them unique abilities; a villian with abilities the players don't have access to would be more interesting than your garden variety fighter or mage opponent. Also, they might have been something players could aspire to at high levels for their characters. It could have been a reward for playing the same character for a long time, as well as giving the player some cool abilities and a title he could be proud of. "There are only a dozen Knights of the Holy Flame in the entire world, and we'd like you to be one of them." Instead it turned into, "You have 8 ranks in Spellcraft? Well, sure you can become an Arcane Wielder of Forbidden Magics!"

And this isn't even getting into the fact that the abilities of many PrCs are incredibly front-loaded, meaning players can just take a level or two in a bunch of different PrCs and get their best abilities, then move on to something else, leading to characters with five or six classes, if not more... But that's a whole seperate rant.

In summary, on prestige classes: Thumbs up on the concept, thumbs way down on the execution.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

I thought they might be something DMs could use to enhance really important NPCs or enemies and give them unique abilities;

Err.. why aren't they? I think I am missing your reason.

FD

 

[Grog]

Err.. why aren't they? I think I am missing your reason.

Because they aren't unique at all. With the possible exception of the handful of evil-only PrCs out there, any PrC an NPC can take, the PCs can take too. The requirements, for the most part, are pretty lax.

And there's also a huge number of PrCs out there. Within the D&D supplements alone, there are probably over 50 prestige classes, and that number gets bigger every time a new supplement comes out. And that's not even getting into all the non-D&D d20 supplements. With so many PrCs out there, and such low requirements, there's no reason why the vast majority of PCs and NPCs won't have some sort of PrC. And that's the problem. If everybody and their brother has a prestige class, what's so prestigious about it?

 

[KingOfChaos]

Mine would have to be 'The Dying' from AEG's 'Undead'...now, why would any player willingly take a prestige class that is going to KILL them at 10th level and forces them to keep taking levels in it?

I see the plot reasons, but I don't see the logic of forcing a player character to die.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

The requirements, for the most part, are pretty lax.

There is one giant requirement you seem to be skipping over- DM approval.

If a dm just shrugs and allows any and every PrC, then that is the "problem" for them and their players.

I don't have the problem imc. PrC's are rare- for pc's and npc's. I could care less if they meet the requirements or not.

FD

 

[Grog]

There is one giant requirement you seem to be skipping over- DM approval.

Well, of course a DM can run any type of campaign they want to. That's always been true. I'm just talking about the way things have been implemented in the rules.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Well, of course a DM can run any type of campaign they want to. That's always been true. I'm just talking about the way things have been implemented in the rules.

PrC's are a dm option according to the rules. That is why they were in the DMG, and not in the PH.

FD

 

[Grog]

PrC's are a dm option according to the rules. That is why they were in the DMG, and not in the PH.

But when every new supplement that comes out has an entire chapter devoted to them, how optional are they, really? PrCs have become a critical part of 3E, IMO - far more so than any other "optional" rule I can remember from any edition of D&D.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

But when every new supplement that comes out has an entire chapter devoted to them, how optional are they, really?

None of those books are core rulebooks. There is nothing in them that demands to be used.

PrCs have become a critical part of 3E

That is not true. I can run 3E for the next ten years and never use a PrC. It would not be missed. It would not stop the game.

FD

 

[Psion]

Mine would have to be 'The Dying' from AEG's 'Undead'...now, why would any player willingly take a prestige class that is going to KILL them at 10th level and forces them to keep taking levels in it?

I see the plot reasons, but I don't see the logic of forcing a player character to die.

I think the dying is one of the coolest prestige classes out there. They don't make classes any moodier.

Of course I wouldn't FORCE a player to take it any more than I would force a player to take any other prestige class. But in the hands of a player in the mood to play a character slightly different from the run-of-the-mill adventurer, it is a great class. And is a nice alternative to death.