Prestige Classes: What exactly are they?

[Psion]

Prestige classes fill four important roles

- Development of the campaign world, as Monte said. This is the 'ideal' function, but not always the real.

- Specialization. Classes like the Cavalier, Thief-acrobat, etc. They allow players to give up some aspects to emphasize on others.

- Strengthening a weak concept. The MC system leaves some holes, certain combinations that while interesting aren't strong mechanically. This is where things like the Spellsword or Arcane Trickster to come into play.

- Something to put into splatbooks. I don't think this is a bad thing. Modular design allows other products and lines to come out with pieces that fit right into the existing rules, rather than doing a tack-on (this was what made 2e buckle under its own weight.

Good list. I would add a #5 (or maybe 2b, as it is sort of related):
- Wish fulment. A lot of prestige classes are based around fulfilling a concept that the rules can't fill. Like "wouldn't it be neat if an arcane necromancer could make undead as effectively as clerics" or "I wish I could make a mage that could do metamagic better."

 

[Storm Raven]

However, many published PrCs, especially those in splatbooks, seem to be mere specializations of core classes. EG thief acrobat, most forms of the assassin PrC, True necromancer. Often, such PrCs, while interesting and the kind of thing I want to use IMC, seem rather generic.

Generic PrCs can be added to a campaign setting by giving them background material that ties them to particular regions or groups.

For example, in my Three Worlds setting, some of the generic PrCs that have been tied to the setting are:

(1) Duelists are masters of the fighting schools of the great city of Enselm, usually drawn from the ranks of the crime lord organization of the Sang Frere.

(2) Dread Pirates are the elite leaders who hail from the Dirnkirtis Archipelago.

(3) Assassins are members of a dreaded guild of fanatics loyal to the now vanished Zhiash'menys from the ancient and shady city of Kiyisehir.

(4) True Necromancers are students of the Hallitsijainen lord Ysivalmija, taught Taikoulu, his school of magic in Saartorni.

(5) Kishi Chargers are drawn primarily from the ranks of the Ahaliat tribes that roam the Aviras Steppes between Owarikawa and the Zeme/Hatalom region.

Each of these PrCs (and several others) has been tied to the campaign setting in specific ways. Their generic nature allows one to easily drop them into the campaign with little modification.

 

[scarymonkey]

My understanding is that Prestige Classes are a device to allow WotC (and other d20 companies) to sell more magazines and splat books. If they were a primary tool for world-building, the DMG would offer rules to create them, allowing the DMs to customise PrC to their campaigns. As this particulary important information was not included, I can only think that they intended only to open a breach in which they could plug countless suplements.

It is not that I dislike the concept of Prestige Classes, but I think they were poorly implemented.

My thoughts exactly. They're just like kits, only worse.

 

[aldric06]

My understanding is that Prestige Classes are a device to allow WotC (and other d20 companies) to sell more magazines and splat books. If they were a primary tool for world-building, the DMG would offer rules to create them, allowing the DMs to customise PrC to their campaigns. As this particulary important information was not included, I can only think that they intended only to open a breach in which they could plug countless suplements.

It is not that I dislike the concept of Prestige Classes, but I think they were poorly implemented.

It does have rules for creating them

 

[payn]

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder if my Acrobat prestige class is still knocking around somewhere on ENWorld. It was my attempt to turn the thief-acrobat into a prestige class for 3E and my first 3E homebrew.