PRC Burnout (poll)

[Endur]

I'm terribly burned out on PRCs. It seems like every new book I open has more PRCs in it.

I don't mind extra feats, but the continous onslaught of unplaytested PRCs is beginning to bother me.

Especially since the original idea of "organization-based" PRCs seems to have been lost somewhere.

Now, all they are is an exercise in stacking PRCs for the maximum amount of power-gaming.

I don't allow PRCs in the games I gm. What about other people?

 

[Hand of Evil]

DM tool to devolop setting.

 

[BryonD]

I'm terribly burned out on PRCs. It seems like every new book I open has more PRCs in it.

OK

I don't mind extra feats, but the continous onslaught of unplaytested PRCs is beginning to bother me.

Are you complaining about PClasses or bad design? Poorly designed FEATS are far worse than poorly designed PClasses, IMO, because they are so much easier to come by.

Especially since the original idea of "organization-based" PRCs seems to have been lost somewhere.

To which I reply "Thank God." I never understaood why we were supposed to have one hand tied behind our back.

Now, all they are is an exercise in stacking PRCs for the maximum amount of power-gaming.

Twink
Munchkin
Power-Gamer
Min/Maxer
You name it.
Just because PClasses are a new way of expressing it does not in any way mean it is worse because of them. Heck, at least now you FIVE DIFFERENT Twinked out fighters in place of 5 clones.

Oh, and I didn't answer above because none of your options work for me.

I don't allow PRCs in the games I gm. What about other people?

I allow and encourage them. There ARE lots of bad ones that I nix. But anything that supports character development is a plus to me.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

None of those options work for me. I don't limit my players to ONE PrC at all, but at the same time, I don't encourage them to take FIVE or more. PrCs come up as part of the character's progression, depending on where they're going and such...*gasp!* JUST like normal multi-classing! Its amazing!

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I voted for "nothing better than 5+ PrCs", but really, the poll should have included an option between that and limiting PCs to one each. The poll options are badly lopsided and phrased in such a way to make it seem far more popular (and reasonable) to restrict access to PrCs.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I have no problem with new PrCs in new products. So far as I'm concerned, if a PrC is the best way to convey an aspect of a setting, or a partiuclar organization or order, go for it.

Where we start running into problems, IMO, is the attitude that a new product/setting must have new PrCs. If they're what a setting needs, please include them. But if a PrC is in a book because "Hey, we don't have a PrC, we better make up a few!" well, that's what leads to flavorless or ill-planned concepts, I think.

PrCs where appropriate, yes. PrCs for the sake of PrCs, no.

 

[Wombat]

In my current game world I have a very short list (about 12) allowable PrCs. No one may belong to more than one because each is tied to a specific organization, thus belonging to two or more would create "divided loyalties".

Yeah, there is PrC, feat, magic item, and monster oversaturation

But that is the only way rpgs seem to survive

So I have not bought any new books for about a month and am not planning to buy any more in the forseeable future, thus cutting down on the problem

 

[Umbran]

I follow Hand of Evil's philosophy.

As a DM, having more options is a good thing. I'd like to have a small pond from which to pick and choose PrC possibilities for my world. Go ahead and put oodles of them into products. The more there are, the more likely I am to find one that fits what I want with minimum work on my part as I pick and chose the few that may be allowed in my game.

That's something one should remember - the glut of PrCs in the published works does not have to translate into a glut of PrCs in any given campaign.

 

[barsoomcore]

Seems consensus is that the poll doesn't include the most popular option -- use PrCs just like any other game element -- grab the ones you like, nix the ones you don't, and let your players decide what they want to do.

I have a couple of players with PrC's, and it works fine. Just fine.

 

[A'koss]

I personally love the *idea* of Prestige Classes, I think they are a great idea so long as you use them in a way that's right for your campaign. I will admit though that when I see a PrC called "The Thug" or "The Bandit" - I get testy. IMG, they are classes you aspire to, moving out of a general class and into a specific, elite group with similar aspirations. IMC, they all have very strict entrance requirements, and I'm not just talking about stat and feat requirements either. An example might be a charcter who wanted to become a PrC Paladin one day. It'd be a good idea for him to live by the Paladin's code while he is advancing to meet the other game-related requirements.

It has a lot of RP and campaign building potential but if just throw in every PrC that comes across your path I can see why you'd want to throw up you hands and surrender altogether...

A'koss.