Players: which prestige class did you actually play?
- Thread starter Turanil
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mhacdebhandia
Explorer
I've never played a Dungeon Master's Guide prestige class, nor am I very likely to. They're just not that interesting.
Off the top of my head, well, my first Third Edition character was an alienist, and I'm using the Dungeons & Dragons: Warcraft mounted warrior in a Wheel of Time RPG campaign.
(Also, quick note: in English we don't usually say something "is a crap", because the noun form isn't used that way. In the context of your first post you want either "is crap" or "is a piece of crap".)
Off the top of my head, well, my first Third Edition character was an alienist, and I'm using the Dungeons & Dragons: Warcraft mounted warrior in a Wheel of Time RPG campaign.
(Also, quick note: in English we don't usually say something "is a crap", because the noun form isn't used that way. In the context of your first post you want either "is crap" or "is a piece of crap".)
Arbiter of Wyrms
First Post
oops! I meant to answer Arcane Trickster, not Arcane Archer. Not for me, but for my wife, whose flagship character has levels in AT. I've never seen anybody play an AA, though I think it looks like a fairly workable archetype, moreso than many others I've seen.
I played a Mystic Theurge briefly in an abortive attempt at Demon God's Fane.
My observations have lead me to believe that if you want to play a rogue, but your DM, through in-game motivations, drives you into several levels of arcane spellcaster, Arcane Trickster is a strong option. It allows you to give up very little of what the rogue class would have offerred, while simultaneously offerring much of what is offerred by the wizard class. This would never be a class to shoot for from the beginning, because multiclassing spellcasters just hurts too much, but if you're already up the creek, this isn't a bad boat.
Mystic Theurge, on the other hand, is a disaster. I built this character, at ECL 15, from the 3.5 DMG preview on the Wizards' website before 3.5 came out. Naturally, like many others, I thought that the MT would be ridiculously overpowered - part of the reason I wanted to play one was to see if I would ever be willing to allow one of my players to run one. Usually, I'm the DM, and game balance is entirely in my lap; nobody else could give a rip. Access to divine and arcane magic didn't begi to make up for missing the two highest spell levels in both. Her spell DCs were a joke, because I'd split ability scores between INT & WIS. She lacked most of the spells that would have actually made a difference, and combat was totally not an option for this PC. She would buff the other PCs before fights and heal them afterwards, and sometimes her divinations were helpful, but basically, the other three PCs did everything of significance and she was just a third wheel. I'm glad that I was playing two PCs, because my straight human monk 15 whooped tail on everything he encountered and was fun to play. Without him, it would have been a bore.
I played a Mystic Theurge briefly in an abortive attempt at Demon God's Fane.
My observations have lead me to believe that if you want to play a rogue, but your DM, through in-game motivations, drives you into several levels of arcane spellcaster, Arcane Trickster is a strong option. It allows you to give up very little of what the rogue class would have offerred, while simultaneously offerring much of what is offerred by the wizard class. This would never be a class to shoot for from the beginning, because multiclassing spellcasters just hurts too much, but if you're already up the creek, this isn't a bad boat.
Mystic Theurge, on the other hand, is a disaster. I built this character, at ECL 15, from the 3.5 DMG preview on the Wizards' website before 3.5 came out. Naturally, like many others, I thought that the MT would be ridiculously overpowered - part of the reason I wanted to play one was to see if I would ever be willing to allow one of my players to run one. Usually, I'm the DM, and game balance is entirely in my lap; nobody else could give a rip. Access to divine and arcane magic didn't begi to make up for missing the two highest spell levels in both. Her spell DCs were a joke, because I'd split ability scores between INT & WIS. She lacked most of the spells that would have actually made a difference, and combat was totally not an option for this PC. She would buff the other PCs before fights and heal them afterwards, and sometimes her divinations were helpful, but basically, the other three PCs did everything of significance and she was just a third wheel. I'm glad that I was playing two PCs, because my straight human monk 15 whooped tail on everything he encountered and was fun to play. Without him, it would have been a bore.
Glyfair
Explorer
Never played a prestige class. I've only had one player take a prestige class in games I've played in, and he gained the custom prestige class just before the campaign ended (indeed, I believe we played one session after levelling up).
In a RttToEE campaign, one player was considering heading into Arcane Trickster. I'm not sure if he had decided for or against it but, again, the campaign ended.
In general, the players I deal with look at prestiges classes as poor deals overall. The perception is that most prestige classes are balanced with the regular classes as far as abilities. However, in addition to this "balance", there are restrictions on who can take the class. Unless the player was going to hit those requirements directly, they don't bother to take it.
In a RttToEE campaign, one player was considering heading into Arcane Trickster. I'm not sure if he had decided for or against it but, again, the campaign ended.
In general, the players I deal with look at prestiges classes as poor deals overall. The perception is that most prestige classes are balanced with the regular classes as far as abilities. However, in addition to this "balance", there are restrictions on who can take the class. Unless the player was going to hit those requirements directly, they don't bother to take it.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
The only one I've actually played as a PC is Eldritch Knight. (I've also played a radiant servant of Pelor, Fatespinner, and a warmind, and I've got a character who's fairly close to Pious Templar levels, but that's all non-DMG stuff). The class works well (and even better with a level of spellsword) but it requires you to be very careful, clever, and canny because most of the power comes from stacking five or six different things together to make an effective combo and the class is still very vulnerable if you screw up. (Saves aren't particularly great and the hit points are abysmal for a front-line character).
On the DM's side of the screen, I've constructed eldritch knights, blackguards (though I didn't use them--I decided that rogue suited the character better), assassins (they don't impress me much), dragon disciples, and shadowdancers. The heirophant is the only one that strikes me as especially pathetic though dragon disciple lends itself to weak characters (since some people seem to think it's about spellcasting) and arcane archer doesn't really seem to add much to an archer/mage that wouldn't be done better by either more mage levels or more fighter levels. It'd be interesting to see what the ratio of useful to non-used non-DMG p-classes is. Thinking about it, I've only used blighter, exotic weapon master, a custom fighter/necromancer p-class, and ravager in scenarios I've written. That's not a lot of classes. If you include scenarios I've run as well, you get to add a few, but not that many--alienist and acolyte of the skin (a rather weak class by the way), are all I can come up with at the moment.
On the DM's side of the screen, I've constructed eldritch knights, blackguards (though I didn't use them--I decided that rogue suited the character better), assassins (they don't impress me much), dragon disciples, and shadowdancers. The heirophant is the only one that strikes me as especially pathetic though dragon disciple lends itself to weak characters (since some people seem to think it's about spellcasting) and arcane archer doesn't really seem to add much to an archer/mage that wouldn't be done better by either more mage levels or more fighter levels. It'd be interesting to see what the ratio of useful to non-used non-DMG p-classes is. Thinking about it, I've only used blighter, exotic weapon master, a custom fighter/necromancer p-class, and ravager in scenarios I've written. That's not a lot of classes. If you include scenarios I've run as well, you get to add a few, but not that many--alienist and acolyte of the skin (a rather weak class by the way), are all I can come up with at the moment.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
As a player, I've been a loremaster (mainly because the DM said "I don't think the loremaster is a viable adventuring PrC", and I wanted to prove him wrong - I completely succeeded) and a Nature's warrior (barbarian/druid with fasthealing 1! woohoo!).
As the DM, I've seen Shadowdancers (very effective), assassins (good, but not amazing), tempests (again, good but not brilliant) and a horizon walker (good, but so far only 1 level in, so not great).
As the DM, I've seen Shadowdancers (very effective), assassins (good, but not amazing), tempests (again, good but not brilliant) and a horizon walker (good, but so far only 1 level in, so not great).
I've done a skullclan hunter -- though when I started it, it was at about 8th level in the PrC. It's now 10th level. Had to play prisoner for a bit, and had an entertaining time playing poker and talking semantics with wights while the ranger huddled in the corner. Only problem with the character is that I took a few levels of Temple Raider... should've stayed with rogue levels for that.
The other one I've done is a dervish. I've played through four levels so far, and have yet to be in a situation where a dervish dance was doable.
The other one I've done is a dervish. I've played through four levels so far, and have yet to be in a situation where a dervish dance was doable.
Hawkshadow
First Post
I currently have a cleric that took a single level of Heirophant just for the divine reach special ability. That character also has 5 levels of Master of Radience from Liber Mortis.
I've got another cleric that has 5 levels of Eye of Horus-Re from Forgotten Realms. When I get a little higher level I may also take a single level of Heirophant with that character.
I've got another cleric that has 5 levels of Eye of Horus-Re from Forgotten Realms. When I get a little higher level I may also take a single level of Heirophant with that character.
ShadeMoon64
First Post
I have played a Dragon Disciple for about 6 monthes and have been very happy with the class. A few of the other players have played Order of the Bow Initiate and an Arcane Trickster to great success.
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