Prestige classes as branches

[philreed]

I was thinking that an interesting approach to prestige classes would be to eliminate them as they currently exist and instead make them branching options on existing core classes. Say once every three levels gained in a core class the player is presented with the option of continuing on in the core class or taking a prestige branch. A character may never go back once he's started down a branch.

Each branch could offer additional branches as it grows. This would make the core class descriptions much longer.

 

[Thanee]

And would require lots and lots of double entries and it would be pretty difficult to figure in multiclassing.

Bye
Thanee

 

[philreed]

And would require lots and lots of double entries and it would be pretty difficult to figure in multiclassing.

I would dump multiclassing.

 

[Crothian]

it sounds intrigueing that's for sure

 

[RangerWickett]

It sounds kinda like a video game approach to character development. In my spare time I jot down notes about a game that I would like to see released some day, and the characters each have two or three different paths - both powers wise and storyline wise.

But I'll take your idea and twist it a bit. Did you ever play Final Fantasy X? In there, they have the 'sphere grid.' The sphere grid is a huge diagram of powers, and each character starts in a different part of the grid. One section is for white mages, one for black mages, one for fast fighters, one for tanks, one for rogues. And the section in the middle starts off weakest, but can go in any direction.

Whenever you fight monsters, you get XP and spheres. XP lets you move along the lines of the grid, and spheres let you activate the powers in the grid. It's all too complicated for a pen and paper game, probably, but it's cool to be able to take your character down different paths. Sure, Auron is supposed to be a fighter, and Yuna is supposed to be a white mage, but it's funny if you switch them up and have the big gruff guy healing while the girl with the staff rushes in and cuts things in half.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

In other words, you want to dump the 3E class system and replace it with a Final Fantasy Tactics-esque job system?

No thanks.

EDIT: I originally said FFV-esque. I meant FF Tactics-esque. Roleplay accordingly.

 

[Eonthar]

Sounds very cool.

I think that one of the most important elements to making this work would be finding a way to describe the choices and paths that a character can follow that would not be too confusing.

Having paths that merge at later points could also be useful. For example, there may be more than one path that a Wizard could follow to become an Archmage.

The other issue comes in prestige classes that you can qualify for in multiple ways. For example, an Arcane Archer can be a Fighter/Wizard, Fighter/Sorcerer, Ranger/Sorcerer, Ranger/Wizard, Bard, or simply a high-level Wizard or Sorcerer.

I guess that last point means that every class would be intertwined in a web, more than a tree.

Still, it sounds like a really cool concept.

 

[Dracomeander]

I was thinking that an interesting approach to prestige classes would be to eliminate them as they currently exist and instead make them branching options on existing core classes. Say once every three levels gained in a core class the player is presented with the option of continuing on in the core class or taking a prestige branch. A character may never go back once he's started down a branch.

Each branch could offer additional branches as it grows. This would make the core class descriptions much longer.

And make an overly complex interwoven tree as branches from one class start merging with braches from another.

One of the things I like about the prestige class system is that for most well designed prestige classes there are multiple paths from different classes that can be used to enter them.

 

[Roudi]

This sounds to me like an almost natural evolution of d20 Modern's talent trees system.

It's an intriguing idea, Phil. I'd certainly love to see how one could work such a system out, mechanically. I think a few people here have already expressed concern that such a system might be too limiting, and that concern has merit. Depending how exclusive the branches are for each class, it could limit a lot of creative multiclassing options. Also, you'd have to determine if branches only affect class abilities, or if they also affect the basic stats of a class: BAB, Saves, etc.

An interesting idea, with a few things to consider.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

If someone ELSE did all the work, I'd gladly try it out...but there's no way I'd ever attempt designing such a thing. Way too complicated.