Should prestige classes be better than base classes?

[Vuron]

I think, for 4th Ed. PrC should be dropped. Instead, I'd like to see more themed replacement levels.

I can't imagine it happening as PrCs are spectacular page fillers and seem to be pretty popular among most players.

As long as PrCs don't significantly rewrite gameplay too much they are manageable but some of the ones that do become significant DM headaches as one has to keep track of all these PrCs in multiple books to properly adjudicate the game. Considering how many people have difficulty with just referencing the core rules this is a significant burden on gameplay.

 

[billd91]

I think that, level for level, a prestige class should offer more benefits than the base classes. Those extra benefits should be scaled based on the stringency of the prerequisites. And those benefits should be closely tailored to the prestige class's niche.

Prestige classes should be better, but not so much better for all purposes that they become a dominant strategy. I also don't think they should be completely exempted from multiclassing penalties. Rather, I think that a character's highest level prestige class should be able to count as the favored class of any character.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I voted "other". Some PRC's have to be better than the base class would be, in order to make an unfavorable choice into a practical one. Consider a lightly armored dagger user. By the numbers, he's pretty weak. A PRC designed to make this choice valid would need to be stronger than a base fighter. Same thing with any spell-caster/hybrid. Simply multiclassing as a fighter/wizard is a weak choice, so a PRC patch class being more powerful than the MC is needed.

I'm really glad we're seeing fewer 1/2 progression caster classes and more 8/10 progression ones. Getting a few minor abilities in no way makes up for losing 9th level spells.

Overall though, Id prefer more customization that isnt tied to class at all for 4th edition. Most features should just be feats, with characters get feats more often than they are now.

 

[Lanefan]

If there *must* be prestige classes (I voted ditch 'em; the idea was good to start with but has been taken way too far, time to re-think) they should be different than base classes (rather than just add-ons or specialties) and probably not as "good"; there should be motivation for the character to continue advancing the original class as well.

Lanefan

 

[Brother Richard]

My Other

I believe that PrCs should be slightly more powerful than the norm for their one niche, but other wise slightly weaker. Therefore, the player is sacrificing versatility for a certain thing their character is good at. This stops players from needing to play PrCs or be weaker.

 

[Terath Ninir]

Frankly, I expected a whole lot more people to want to dump PrC's entirely.

 

[el-remmen]

Frankly, I expected a whole lot more people to want to dump PrC's entirely.

How come?

The idea is a great one.

Then again, I am the kind of DM who saw the PrCs in the original 3E DMG as a examples of ones to create to specifically fit your campaign setting's organizations and cultural niches - not just as sets of cool powers.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

How come?

The idea is a great one.

Then again, I am the kind of DM who saw the PrCs in the original 3E DMG as a examples of ones to create to specifically fit your campaign setting's organizations and cultural niches - not just as sets of cool powers.

Which is the function I think they are fitted for.

Thus I voted they should be the same power instead of voting to get rid of them.

 

[Vuron]

How come?

The idea is a great one.

Then again, I am the kind of DM who saw the PrCs in the original 3E DMG as a examples of ones to create to specifically fit your campaign setting's organizations and cultural niches - not just as sets of cool powers.

Yeah, unfortunately this seems to be the minority viewpoint concerning PrCs as many DMs seem to allow them in without checking whether they thematically fit the setting desired.

I think some other people feel PrCs are basically 2e kits on crack and damage the original niche protections of the base classes.

Personally I'm more of a fan of the newer classes like duskblade that simulate a fighter/wizard/eldritch knight progression without forcing the Player to figure out the optimal multiclass and PrC progression formula. Classes like this reduce the amount of time a player needs to devote to planning his character which for many games increases the amount of time they can enjoy devoting to gameplay.

 

[painandgreed]

Ideally, I'd say that yes, that PrCs should be better than remaining a base class, but I'd also say that they should be encumbered by other, mainly RP factors. Of course, it seems most players and DMs simply forget those other factors so they are just a power class. IMC, I like to use them for secret societies, elite groups, and those who have sought out very difficult to find trainers. Membership to such organizations means being required to work for said organizations and not simply to get training and run off and do whatever they wanted.