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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greg K" data-source="post: 1058671" data-attributes="member: 5038">Well in February we get Unearthed Arcana which will include optional rules for the Bard, Ranger, and Paladin has Prestige classes.  I wish they had included the Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Monk, and Rogue as well.Bard.  The bard is improved in 3.5, but the concept of bard varies by culture and campaign worlds.  In a Viking campaign you have a skald that does not cast spells.  In a Celtic world, they would not have the roguish skills.Cleric: I think a less militant priest would be better.  Want a combat ability cleric w/ hitpoints almost as good as a fighter?  take War Domain or multiclass w/ FighterDruid:  Clerics have the nature domain, I am not even sure why this class still exists other than it has been around since 1e. Druid as a Shapechanging Prc for clerics w/ knowledge nature could be used for typical DND Druids.  For a celtic campaign they would be clerics (ollave) or a Loremaster type PrC (maybe requiring bard and cleric).  A better base class as an alternative to the Druid would be the Shaman which deals w/ spirits rather than gods and is found almost cross culturally and could also serve as possible barbarian priests. Monk:  What is a monk? Depending on sources they are Martial Artists mixed with cleric (Buddhist Priest), shaman (Shinto Priest), sorceror (Wuxia), psychic Warrior (Zen Monk or possibly combined with the other classes).  However, the monk does not duplicate any of these adequately.  Heck there is no ki strengh ability to represent lifting the cauldron at the of the Shaolin test, but people say it based on the Shaolin monk.        In addition, many DMs also feel there is no place for the Monk in DND, because the Monk is too tied to Asian cultures.  Better to have a generic martial artists that can also simulate boxers, wrestlers, unarmed pit fighters, etc. and are more easily worked into campaigns.  The Monk can be achieved by multiclassing the martial artist (possibly with apprentice rules) and entering a prestige class.Paladin:  There has been enough discussion on various boards and the designers considered making it a PrC, but playtesters considered it a sacred cow.Ranger:  As has been mentioned there are too many opinions as to what this class should  be.   Should it be a Wilderness Fighter?  Should it be a Wilderness Rogue?  Should it have spell casting?  Personally, I like the 3.5 versions, but would have been happier without the spells.  I would rather have an outdoorsman class that can serve has a hunter, outdoorsman or non raging barbarian (the latter which I always thought  seemed more appropriate for a PrC).      As for spellcasting, Want Druid spells? Multiclass w/ Druid or Cleric (nature).  Want arcane spells? Multiclass w/ Sorceror or Wizard ?  Want a ranger that casts arcane and druid spells like a 1e ranger (multiclass with both).  Regardless of which path of multiclassing with spellcaster you take, enter a Ranger prestige class with with the appropraite spellcasting type as a requirement for a Prc.     Also, IIRC, the designers had considered making the ranger a Prc just as they had considered doing with the Paladin.Barbarian:  The class is based on the concept of a  berserker.  As I mentioned under Ranger, I would rather have a non spellcasting non raging outdoorsman class as core classs.  For a berserker, enter a prestige class to show that you are an elite warrior of your tribe or clan  provided your tribe or clan has berserkers.  Rogue: The rogue is pigeonholed as sneak attack machine, but as such it sounds more appropriate for Prc.  What if you want to run a burglar, charlatan, cutpurse or spy that avoids combat and know nothing about hitting people where it hurts or sapping them? There are no alternatives to sneak attack that allow you to support such a concept. So you either use sneak attack or you ignore it and, maybe, have your fellow players throw dice at you, because you are not using all of your class abilities.  Shouldn't a class support a wide variety of archetypes? I would rather have an expert PC class or a Rogue that is more customizable to fit  archetypes that are not sneak attack monsters.  Not to mention when I think fantasy Rogue, I think a fighter/thief type wielding 2 weapons (again sounds like Prc) not a sneak attack master.</blockquote>

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