Prestige Classes

[EyeontheMountain]

Virtually every character I have ever played has had a prestige class.

Why?

Well, to me prestige classes are a natural part of the game, and a good way to make your character different in a real way, not just a weapon choice, and few skills and a different personality. (Yes, I value the roll part of the game as much as the role.) I disliked 1E's weare all the same class system, and 2E's kits did not help much.

Now I can have different characters, on a role play and a functional level.

Another reason is that I like sorcerors best of all the classes, and with this class at least, prestige classes are necessary.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I chose "rarely."

As a DM, I only allow a handful of campaign-dependent prestige classes in a given game. Each prestige class is tied to an organization/place/event/something. In order to add a prestige class, the PC must join the organization (or whatever). So, in my games, prestige classes are not just "ability bundles" you can pick out of a book (or magazine) and apply to your PC: they're an integral part of the setting. That approach helps keep prestige classes rare and prestigious, IMO.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

I use them when it makes sense - and "making sense" is based on how I treat all classes. I don't think they necessarily have to represent discrete "professions" or whatever; I'm comfortable treating classes as a framework from which I can pick and choose elements to represent a character concept.

Accordingly, if a prestige class makes sense for the concept, I use it.

 

[blargney the second]

In our gestalt game, everybody is required to take two levels of a prestige class by 10th level, replacing both sides of the gestalt progression. It's really interesting what different players have done with it!
-blarg

 

[CanadienneBacon]

I have never used them when I was DMing. I have used one once when I was playing. I forget which one I used, sorry. I allow PrCs in the games I run. To date, while several people have expressed interest in picking up this or that PrC, only one player has ever seen the prerequisites through to be able to do so.

Edit: I voted "rarely."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

HA! I remembered what it was that I took. I took Arcane Archer back in 3.0.

 

[jdrakeh]

I use them rarely. They are a fine tool for solving a particular problem - when you need an elite person in a niche that is mechanically different from standard multiclassed characters.

Agreed. The only thing keeping me from making more frequent use of them is that I don't go splat crazy as the DM and, as such, the pithy selection of PRCs in the DMG and the two or three that tend to show up in setting core books are the only ones at a player's disposal. If I was one of those "anything in print" DMs, I suspect that we'd be seeing many more PRCs in actual play.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

If I was one of those "anything in print" DMs, I suspect that we'd be seeing many more PRCs in actual play.

Good point. I am a one-of-everything-in-print but FR/Eberron/3rd party) and it is still a lot of choices

 

[Baron Opal]

Lots!

I'm the DM and about a third of the PCs have taken prestige classes. However, all PrC in my campaign are custom made for the campaign world, are tied to a specific guild / organization / power source and have relatively easy entry requirements. Each class has a BAB or spell level minimum, a (single) feat requirement and a skill or save minimum. With just 3, maybe 4 criteria it makes the choice of taking a PrC far more organic.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I use them sometimes.

In some instances, they work great for a character concept. However, there are times when a PrC can't pull off what a full 20 levels in a certain class can provide.

Then again, I like d20 Modern's concept of six base classes with lots of Advanced classes. I'd prefer something similar in D&D (maybe in 4th--who knows). I think core classes should be as generic/malleable as possible, while prestige classes should define specific roles. Even to the point where I think all core classes should not have anything like AL restrictions (which, IMHO, should be left to PrCs).