NPC Prestige Classes

[fourthmensch]

I'm currently in the planning phase for my next campaign, and this time around I'm trying to make the setting as detailed as possible. I've been considering prestige classes for certain NPCs, mostly ones filling archetypal roles that actually warrant some kind of "prestige." Some examples I've brainstormed:

1. Legendary Smith: I'm thinking a sort of Hattori Hanza, master craftsman, craft-one-katana-a-decade kind of guy.
2. Scion (or royal): for those high up mucky-mucks who have been received hardcore training for their eventual positions since birth (something like the training you see the characters in the Dune novels receiving).
3. Diplomat: for ambassadors, envoys, messengers, or whatever; the master of social graces.

Its really just a random idea I've been kicking around. What I would like from everyone out there in ENland are some comments. Do you think this would add anything to the game, or would it be a waste of my time? The examples so far have been NPCs that the PCs have a good chance of interacting with (trying to find a legendary smith to make them a sword, pitted against a diplomat in tense negotiations, etc), but it may not make enough difference to be worth the effort. Has anyone tried something like this before? Does anyone know of PrCs intended primarily for NPCs in any d20 source? Any ideas for other prestige classes?

 

[Kelleris]

My advice would be to leave the PrCs to the PCs. Instead, make a series of feats that have the following Prerequisites -

Prerequisites: Must be Elite, Aristocrat/Expert/Adept/Warrior Level X+

That way you could limit it to just the very best of NPCs, and keep players from taking the same feats for themselves, since no PC in his right mind would consider levels in an NPC class worth the trade-off, even for some fairly powerful abilities.

 

[Turanil]

In my campaign, for the most important organizations, there is usually a prestige class associated with them. IMO this helps give more flavor and substance to the campaign. On the other hand, NPCs clearly appear to belong to such organizations due to my portraying of them (i.e.: role-play) rather than any actual stats which the players are not aware of.

In any case, to spare time I suggest you use existing prestige classes that you may copy-paste (and tweak if necessary). For example, the Netbook of classes (see http://www.fancc.net/) has plenty of varied prc you could use or tweak.

 

[fourthmensch]

OK, thanks for the input, guys. I kind of figured that constructing the PrCs wouldn't be worth the time. I just get carried away sometimes with the campaign planning

 

[Wolf72]

you could come up with (or get some help with making) some 5 lvl PrC's ...

just make it so that the req's match abilities that are easily attainable via an NPC class (expert/aristocrat)

 

[Dogbrain]

Of the three examples given, two would be unnecessary in my campaign. A "great and legendary smith" doesn't need numberage as an NPC. He's just "great and legendary". His abilities are nebulous, ill-defined, and mysterious. In other words, he would be a plot device and treated as such.

A canny diplomat--that means my cunning and black heart against the players.

The "scion" sounds like a sufficiently spiffy idea that it's worthy of PC availability.