Prestige & Advanced Classes: How early can they be acquired?

[AFGNCAAP]

Looking over the many PrCs available, as well as the d20 Modern Advanced classes, I was curious on how early a character can typically acquire one of these classes (with the ideal core class/feat/skill/other reqs for te job). So far, it looks like at level 6+ is when most PrCs can be acquired.

However, is it viable to acquire some PrCs earlier? Is how early a PrC can be obtained linked (somehow) with the # of levels in the PrC (that is, is it easier/quicker to obtain a 3-5 level PrC than it is a 10-15 level PrC)?

Also, what about d20 Modern advanced classes? Are they generally obtained at earlier levels than D&D PrCs (then again, IIRC, multi-classing is very strongly encouraged in d20 Modern)?

Just wondering what the trend is with these class options.

 

[Kweezil]

The rule seems to be around level 6 for a PrC, though some are designed in later (eg. Archmage, which requires 13th level, IIRC). The key limitation on how high a level you have to be to enter the class is the size of the class - every non-epic PrC I've seen has been designed so you can start and finish it before epic level.

On a side note - the lowest level prereqs I've seen for a PrC was Dark Side Marauder from Star Wars. You can take it from level 2, if you're evil enough to get a decent number of Dark Side Points at level 1.

 

[Count Arioch the 28t]

The 3.0 Forsaker could be taken at 2nd level as well, privided you were human, and were playing the variant OA monk.

In ym opinion, the earliest a PrC SHOULD be entered is 10. It's not the case, it is merely my opinion.

The reason being is that when you take 10 levels of a PrC, you are giving up the last 10 levels of a base class. In D20 modern, it's not so bad, because the base classes are only 10 levels long already. In D&D, it's a major balance problem, because in D&D, a PrC needs to give abilities equal to the last 10 levels of the base class it's meant for.

but there's the rub, the last 10 levels of, say, Fighter is a lot less than the last 10 levels of Wizard. Or Rogue.

PrCs menat for primary casters and rogues would be a lot more powerful using that logic than classes made for fighters. Which partially explains the wild variation of power in various PrCs, some base it off Wizard, some base it off Fighter, and some just throw logic out the window and make something really messed up.

 

[Acid_crash]

I've noticed that all Advanced classes in d20 Modern can be taken as early as 4th level, and most PrC as early as 8th level. In D&D, well, there is no real average because we've seen as early as 2nd level and as late as 16th level (This would average to 9th level with these extremes).

I don't really care for them, and if outlawed players actually end up with better characters than if they railroaded their characters to fit a PrC.

 

[Kalanyr]

General guideline is that a D&D PrC has a minimum entry level of 6 (meet the pre-reqs at 5 (except the feat you get at level 6) and then take the class. Most of the PrC for D&D are set up this way, the Forsaker just had some oversites about humans, and wacky stuff from OA, but it was a weird and wacky enough Prc that it didn't matter (did they even work out HOW a Forsakers SR stacked anyway ? If I'm a Drow Monk 13 Forsaker 10 What is my SR ? 79 ? 56 ? 34 ? Something else ?) .

 

[Count Arioch the 28t]

I don't really care for them, and if outlawed players actually end up with better characters than if they railroaded their characters to fit a PrC.

No they wouldn't.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Most PrC are designed for entry at 6th level. I think this is a good point, because at level 5+ you get a feeling that your character did become powerful - wizards get Fireball, Fighters their second attack.

Advanced Classes are a little different in concept and are available at 4th level. I think the reason for this is that they are basically more focused versions of the core classes (that allow to get the Advanced Class this early).
Prestige Classes are usually a bit more than just focused base classes, or at least they should - there must be a reason why it is "Prestige" to be in that class.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[C. Baize]

I have to agree with Acid Crash...
Cookie cutter characters are teh sukk.