You might not have noticed, but Prestige Classes (PCs) are beginning to become a fading hype...
Too often PCs are the optimum choice, the requirements are far to tied to game mechanics instead of roleplaying requirements. People start to feel that their characters are weak because they haven't taken a PC, give me one reason why i shouldn't become an Archmage at 13th level, the DMG sure as hell doesn't!
*If you don't meet the prereqs, that would be one reason. If you don't want to give up a high level spell slot for an ability, that'd be another. I think an example in the book is you can give up a 9th and 5th level spell slot to cast fireball six times per day. It comes down to a player asking himself if this is worth it. Some may not want to give up a 9th and 5th level spell for the offensive capability of using fireball six times per day. But, it's nice the option is there for those who qualify and want to do it. I realize the archmage can do more than just the extra fireballs, but that's just an example.
PCs are becomming less, and with less i mean less interesting, they aren't anything special anymore, they are just like a new feat or a new spell, a dime a dozen. You want to know how to make PCs interesting? Take a look at FFGs Legendary Classes, characters need to fulfill Quests to be able to qualify for the Legendary Classes (the Classes themselves are a bit more powerfull then average, although some of the DMG PCs are pretty strong all by themselves).
*That's a nice idea, completing a quest. I like that. But that's a legendary class, and I'm not familiar with their rule system, but is that more powerful than most prestige classes? I think in From Novice to Master, there is only one instance where a certain adventurous act had to be completed before qualifying for the prestige class.
Same goes for new Classes, far to often these are nothing more then weak reflections of the other Core Classes, often not very inspiring. Most of these 'new' classes could have been achieved by a combo of feats.
*I think I've avoided this in From Novice to Master. I think the supernatural qualities of the new classes keep them from being pigeonholed into merely a combo of the other classes and a selection of feats.
Then i come to the feats, these are the new building blocks, with the right combo/string of feats you can pretty much create most of the PCs.
*I'm not sure I agree with that. I guess some could, but offhand I can think of a few, like the somniomancer that couldn't be accomplished with feats. I guess it would be more the supernatural prestige classes that could not be accomplished, unless someone came up with supernatural feats for each supernatural ability, but even then, like the somniomancer, there's a state of conciousness to consider. I think both feats and prestige classes have their places. Prestige classes have a list of additional prerequisites to meet (whatever the designer feels necessary), so they are more than just a list of feats. Not to mention that in taking a prestige class, you are forgoing opportunites in your previous class (like higher level abilities specific to that class). Also, for the most part, feats are acquired far more slowly than abilities gained for a specific class or prestige class ability, so there's a huge difference in game mechanics. In order to reduce prestige classes down to acquiring feats, you'd have to give the character a feat every level in some cases. You could do the 'combo' with class special abilities as well. As a game designer, I didn't realize there was a "hype" surrounding prestige classes. I just thought it was a game mechanic (albeit much more complex), like feats, or spells, to be creatively explored. Let me know if I've changed your mind, or if my logic is a little off, and why. Also, I understand your opinion is valid and likely represents a lot of gamers. Your gaming tastes dictate you'd rather just have feat trees, and go from there. Nothing wrong with that. I just don't think that all prestige classes can or should be boiled down to a mix of feats, and once they are, like I said, you'd need a feat a level to keep up with some prestige classes.
I would rather prefer that someone for once disassembled all (ok, most) of the prestige classes and convrted them to feat trees. Maybe even grant people special abilities when they have the right combo of feats (maybe such abilities could be handed out as rewards for quests). If someone else doesn't do this soon, i'll do it myself!
*Have fun, but I think it'll be difficult because of the slow rate at which feats are gained.
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