No Prestige classes allowed

[Treebore]

I allowed PrC's, but only as suggested in the DMG, the only PrC's available were/are those I make available because of the groups/factions/etc... that I put into my campaign and made such PrC's possible.

I did not allow my players to say, "I take this PrC." It has to have some type of "organization" existing in my campaign. Now when a couple of players came up to me and asked if I could fit this or that PrC into my campaign I was able to. I even had one player start their own "organization" which taught its own PrC. That ended up being cool.

So I don't allow 'pick and choose", but I do incorporate "organizations" for certain PrC's into my game, and if players give me enough heads up, and I am able to, I'll allow them to "discover" new PrC affiliations that will allow them to take that PrC.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Back when I was playing 3e, I never banned them, but not one player expressed any interest in taking a PrC. I only used them once for an NPC, and it didn't really do much for the encounter. I guess the general reaction of my gaming group to PrCs was "meh."

 

[Crothian]

I have to disagree with this part. No, you don't need a PrC to feel unique ... but that's no reason to not allow them.

They are an option the DM can add if he wishes. So, one needs a reason to add them since they are not assumed to automatically be in the game.

 

[Felon]

They are an option the DM can add if he wishes. So, one needs a reason to add them since they are not assumed to automatically be in the game.

Meh. Darn near everything is optional, and reasons for inclusion can be so slight as to be reason at all.

 

[Crothian]

Meh. Darn near everything is optional, and reasons for inclusion can be so slight as to be reason at all.

Ya, but many people posting here seem to assume they have a right to prestige classes or something.

 

[Cergorach]

They are an option the DM can add if he wishes. So, one needs a reason to add them since they are not assumed to automatically be in the game.

I think that it is assumed that they are automatically in the game, the amount of Prestige Classes in the WotC books and the lack of guidance on how to effectively 'limit' their use certainly gives that impression.

I think that originally Prestige Classes were a great idea, the problems started when folks started to optimalize character builds. Having access to hundreds of PrCs and virtually no restrictions on how to use them eventually creates a gaming environment that's nothing more then an arms race.

While we played years with PrCs we eventually decided that they were a big enough problem that they needed to be removed from the equation. That solved some of our problems and didn't impact the game in a great way. I personally think that the problem went deeper then that and has to do with to much power migrating from the DM to the players, but that's for a different discussion...

I have realised that PtCs can be a great thing, if properly managed by the DM. Treebore's way of handling it are imho the best way to go (same goes for Spells and Feats).

 

[Crothian]

I think that originally Prestige Classes were a great idea, the problems started when folks started to optimalize character builds. Having access to hundreds of PrCs and virtually no restrictions on how to use them eventually creates a gaming environment that's nothing more then an arms race.

Sounds to me like a DM who lost control of his game.

 

[Felon]

Well, Cergorach, what advice should or could the DMG possibly offer, other than what it does? A DM's got to say up-front what he does or doesn't like. If that means players won't play his campaign, he either has to relent or accept the situation.

Maybe the one thing I would like to see is an official chacklist maintained on the WotC website.

 

[smootrk]

I'll take the obviously wrong side on this debate.

I like Prestige Classes. In fact, as DM, I re-write many of them, to allow for easier entry requirements (allowing for much lower level entry). To me, they are akin to the old Kits, allowing certain alternative character concepts to be played, and I would rather the players have the option to explore those alternate options as soon as possible (without destroying balance otherwise). The PRC's typically add flavor to campaign overall, making characters espouse regional or racial archetypes. The PRCs, as I redesign them, are in fact a little more powerful than standard classes. This is purposeful, to entice and empower PC's who help me to add to the flavor of the campaign by taking these options that relate better to the campaign than plain old 'fighter, wizard, rogue, etc.'

The only thing that would be better, is to have balanced Kits back. Since that is not an option in this current edition, PRC's will have to do (with my own tweaks).

 

[Dracorat]

In the time since 3.0 came out, I have not had ONE group that hasn't had people play PRCs. In fact, most people end up playing a PRC.