Prestige Class Rules should be for players only

[Emirikol]

It seems that creating adventures and NPC villains is time-consuming enough for a DM that adding a prestige class to the design of an NPC is pretty much a waste of time that could otherwise be spent writing a good plot. Personally, I just use a normal character class and if I'm even considering a prestige class, I'll just skip the details and slap on some abilities as feats. Worrying about pre-requisites? C'mon. What DM gives a crap about inane details like that? If he says his NPC has it, he has it.

Prestige class rules for players on the other hand, are necessary. They have pretty decent rules and guidelines that keep most players excited and allows them to diversify their character. Players have the 'time' to dink around with prestige classes.

As a DM, I'd much rather see a list of Feats that can be tacked onto a normal character with ease, rather than a full set of pre-requisites and complications. How about this:
For an anti-paladin, add these feats and don't stress teh details:
detect good, smite good, blah blah blah. Better yet, some TEMPLATES (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th levels) would work a lot better.

Are there other DM's out there that dont' bother with prestige classes, because they're just a waste of time for a DM to write up?

jh

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

i would assert that creating something different & memorable for your players is never a waste of time.

 

[Mordane76]

Actually, I bother emphatically with the details -- if my players are bound by the rules of the game, then so am I. When trying to figure out if my players will be adequately challenged by the NPCs, their levels and their abilities are important, and if I break the mold too offensively, then I will have a harder time figuring the adequate challenge and then I'll have to explain to my players why X is the way it is, when it can't be that way for them.

 

[Tsyr]

Actually, I bother emphatically with the details -- if my players are bound by the rules of the game, then so am I. When trying to figure out if my players will be adequately challenged by the NPCs, their levels and their abilities are important, and if I break the mold too offensively, then I will have a harder time figuring the adequate challenge and then I'll have to explain to my players why X is the way it is, when it can't be that way for them.

Agreed. If my villain has a feat, then by god he has the preqs for that feat.

 

[Aeolius]

if my players are bound by the rules of the game, then so am I.

Agreed. In fact I recently gave my players the chance to rebuild their PCs, using the revised rulebooks and whatever WotC supplements they wanted, using an ECL of 7-8 as a base. I then told them I was taking the opportunity to revamp a few recurring villains, as well. So, how about four coveys of hags, most of which have a template, PrC, or both, ruled by a 13th hag; a sea hag demi-lich.

 

[nsruf]

I don't see how using PrC adds that much more work if you have already decided to fully stat out an NPC. It's certainly not worse than creating a multiclass NPC using only core classes.

And given that I obsessively* create all NPCs "by the rules" (including skill points gained through Int increase from aging ), I have no problem using PrC where it seems appropriate.

* BTW, is there a self-help organization for GMs unable to write up NPCs without giving them the full complement of never-to-be-used secondary skills or feats? I hope I am not the only one...

 

[BSF]

If I am going to bother statting out the NPC, I follow all the rules. I prefer to have my PrC's part of game organizations, which will be a clue to who/what the NPC is. Of course, I often carry a notebook with me at lunch and if I have a character idea, I will stat them out while I eat. I have been able to stat out a few characters up to ~10th level while eating without much problem.

Of course, there are many NPC's that I don't bother to stat out at all. If they become important and I feel the need to stat them, it is generally pretty easy since I have already established personality, interests, skills, etc.

So, to some degree, I just wing the NPC's. If I bother to stat them out, then I do go for the inane detail, as you put it.

 

[ST]

I think a lot of people stat out their NPCs in full detail. I can't decide whether 3e is the cause or effect of this.

My guess is if you're running your campaign in this system because you like the crunchy bits, you stat everything out for your own enjoyment. If you're just using the system because that's what the players wanted, then you might fake it a bit.

Personally, stat blocks leave me cold. It all depends on what your interest is. My take is, none of this really exists, and it's more important that it's *interesting* than that it's realistic. If I know BAB, HP, saves, and spells, I'm good.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

Sometimes it's fun for the PCs to fight a Blackguard or a Cancer Mage instead of the same old Rangers and ex-Paladins.

Every rule the PCs follow, the NPCs should follow too...

 

[d4]

BTW, is there a self-help organization for GMs unable to write up NPCs without giving them the full complement of never-to-be-used secondary skills or feats? I hope I am not the only one...

dude, i do that too.

i just love writing up stat blocks for NPCs. i'm starting a new Star Wars d20 campaign in a week or two and i've already got something like 30 typed pages of NPC stat blocks ready to go. i like doing stat blocks of "generic" type NPCs that i can use over and over again throughout the campaign.

i'm also definitely in the camp that believes that the rules apply to both the PCs and the NPCs. i think it is important that the NPCs follow the same rules as the PCs.

I think a lot of people stat out their NPCs in full detail. I can't decide whether 3e is the cause or effect of this.

My guess is if you're running your campaign in this system because you like the crunchy bits, you stat everything out for your own enjoyment.

i definitely do it for my own enjoyment. i like generating dozens of detailed stat blocks. i don't think 3e is the cause of this, because i've done the same thing in every game system i've ever GMed, including GURPS and HERO (and if you thought it took a long time to stat out a character in d20, give one of those systems a try...).