Not so prestigious classes

[Al]

I think I see now.

So, for all the pseudo-prestige classes, and all prestige classes, there is only ONE organisation in the whole campaign world that teaches them?

Well, that's certainly an interesting take. I guess I can't argue from an analytical point-of-view, but merely from a logical one.

WHY is there only one organisation that teaches the prestige classes? WHY do all members of any prestige class come from the same organisation? WHY, indeed, do some prestige classes even set up guilds?

It just seems that some prestige classes are not designed for a big guildhall where they all train. An Alienist Guild? The Academy of Arcane Tricksters? Blackguard-R-Us? The Shadowdancers' Consortium?

But- it's your campaign world. If you really think that ALL prestige classes form guildhalls where they train new prestige members, and there is only one guildhall in the whole world, that's fine. But the idea of a big school for (say) Dread Pirates or Outlaws of the Crimson Road just seems daft.

 

[Desdichado]

That's not actually what I'm doing. I'm not saying anything about prestige classes in the mechanic sense of what a prestige class is, I'm just applying that same logic (must belong to the organization to take levels in the class) to some of the 'core' classes that aren't really very generic.

 

[WizarDru]

That's not actually what I'm doing. I'm not saying anything about prestige classes in the mechanic sense of what a prestige class is, I'm just applying that same logic (must belong to the organization to take levels in the class) to some of the 'core' classes that aren't really very generic.

Which is actually a pretty good take on some of the D&D classes. It certainly jibes conceptually, if you set the campaign appropriately for it.

My question, then, is this: what are the geographic niceties involved? That is, if there is a single mage academy that all wizards must attend, is this campaign's "Hogwart's", if you will, open to all comers from all over the world, or is the campaign restricted to a single location?

More importantly, how do these organizations enforce their doctrines to be the only place to perform such training? When a Shaolin goes rogue, or a wizard journeys into the world...what prevents them for tutoring one on one, or starting a school in secret? What hold does these organizations wield, or is that merely a popular illusion the average person holds? Are sorcerors outlaws, for example, or just considered wilders of no consequence...to be put down like animals when they get to powerful?

I'm just thinking that you may (and you may already have) extrapolate the base concept outwards. A Level 2 cleric will tow the line...a level 15 cleric may decide it's time to DRAW a new one.

 

[Desdichado]

Haven't thought that far ahead, this campaign setting is still tumbling around in my head without much written down. I've certainly not run it yet!

 

[Al]

That's not actually what I'm doing. I'm not saying anything about prestige classes in the mechanic sense of what a prestige class is, I'm just applying that same logic (must belong to the organization to take levels in the class) to some of the 'core' classes that aren't really very generic.

Aha! I see now.

I had assumed that you meant that all prestige classes in your campaign world were going to have to belong to an organisation (which would have been very silly). My mistake. You're actually trying to restrict some 'core' classes to one organisation.

But that raises problems of its own, as WizarDru has pointed out.

I won't go over the ones he's already posed, but most significantly, it means that all the 'pseudo-prestige' classes will be similar. For example, if the only one Wizard Academy is lawful good, then you will not be able to have evil wizards (or at the very least, they ought be very rare, and used to be good or neutral). Conversely, an evil Wizard Academy is unlikely to train good wizards! All of the 'organisation' prestige classes tend to have a central mantra and code of conduct- would this apply to the 'pseudo-prestige' classes as well? Your solution is probably workable, but I just hope that you've thought all of the implications through!