Most broken prestige classes?

[Felix]

Oh, and to rebut Felix -- you're wrong in every point you make, and I won't cite posts or even make a cogent argument to back this statement up. Colbert Report logic? Yes.

Take a number.

... it is my opinion that clerics don't need to be thrown a bone.

Look at what destroying undead actually does for a cleric: it gets rid of undead that are vulnerable tp being destroyed. This will generally mean that the undead are individually much weaker than the PCs, and that the undead are mobbing the PCs. Destroying won't target the most powerful undead until all the other undead are gone, and then only if the most powerful undead has few enough HD and no turn resistance. In a room full of undead, the RSoP will destroy the weakest, most fragile undead in a very cool and cinematic way. He will destroy the undead that pose least a threat.

 

[billd91]

The campaigns I am in are more gamist, I guess.

Character creation goes like this:

"We need a healer."

"Ok, I'll take a Cleric with a Healing Domain, to be better at it." (Note carefully how the Healing Domain is seen as valuable, since it helps with the cleric's primary function)

That's still kind of weird for gamists. +1 CL on healing spells (which doesn't really always come into play due to level modifier caps) vs a domain that expands the cleric's spell list or adds other powers? It's not a strong choice by any means.

The best reason to take it is because you're planning on some other choice in the character's future, like RSoP. Pay the opportunity cost now in order to get something better later.

 

[Particle_Man]

That's still kind of weird for gamists. +1 CL on healing spells (which doesn't really always come into play due to level modifier caps) vs a domain that expands the cleric's spell list or adds other powers? It's not a strong choice by any means.

There is a class that is versatile in magic already. It is called the Wizard. The Cleric role is by default for healing the party, which the Wizard cannot do. Anything that makes the healer better at healing is a Good Thing (tm) from that pov. The +1 CL comes into play at every Cleric level when casting their best cure wounds spells.

If a prestige class makes the Cleric better at healing, with (from this pov) trivial prerequisites, there is no reason not to take that prestige class. Unless one really wants to be a bear.

 

[rgard]

What's so great about Mystic Theurge with Ur-Priest?

Bye
Thanee

You can get one 9th level arcane and one 9th level divine spell by 20th character level. That for me makes it a fun class combo.

I actually don't have any kind of problem with Ur Priest, nor using it with the MT.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[DreadArchon]

Heh, my group's character creation looks more like:

"We need a healer."

...

...

"Guys, we really do need a healer."

"Playing a cleric sucks..."

"I've already got a cool backstory worked out for my Barbarian."

"Ugh, look: my ranger has CLW on his spell list so keep me stocked with wands and we'll be fine."

Mine are more like:
"What do we already have?"
"A cleric, three wizards, and a rogue."
"Cool, I'll play a Sorceror."

At any rate, I still think that RSoP is balanced because it's so restrictive. I haven't seen anything here that shakes that.

 

[rgard]

Ur-Priest has its own 9-levels-of-spells-over-10-levels-of-class spellcasting progression.

1) get into Ur-Priest.
2) get into Mystic Theurge
3) apply Mystic Theurge's divine spellcasting progression to Ur-Priest.
4) cast 9th level arcane and divine spells by around 17th level.

Hey this is post 666 for me!!! Of course we won't be able to see that after the next post.

Actually, I've run a character up to Epic with the above combo. You can't get 9 and 9 before 20th level as you use up 2 levels with Ur-Priest pushing your level for arcane to 19th for 9th level arcane spells.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[rgard]

Ah, I see. The prerequisites are kinda low, which allows you to get into Mystic Theurge with just Wizard 5/Ur-Priest 1.

Yeah, that makes the combination even better than 'just' the Ur-Priest itself.

Bye
Thanee

You'll need 2 levels of Ur-Priest to qualify for MT.

 

[rgard]

You forgot "Never take multiclass penalties again and Druids may wear metal armor" at level 1.

I have a player going for that right now, except that he's only taking one level each of Druid and Bard and he's applying the bonuses to Cleric and Warlock progression (Warlocks can Shatter and Dimension Door at will... !). I'm allowing it. It's good, but not broken.

Yes, I like that combo as well.

 

[rgard]

I am rather surprised no one mentioned the Arcane Hierophant yet.

It's the first (and so far only) PrC I consider too powerfull both as a Player AND as a DM.

However, if someone could point out to me why this PrC is balanced, I might be convinced otherwise.

Herzog

Just that the trade off is that you get lots of lower level spells, but delay access to higher level spells. I do agree that it is powerful...and better than the MT.

 

[NilesB]

You'll need 2 levels of Ur-Priest to qualify for MT.

Not to mention that it's impossible for a 5th level wizard to qualify for Ur-Priest.