tweaking a PrC requirement

[freyar]

Specifically, the requirements for the Dragonsong Lyrist (Draconomicon). I have a player who will be starting as a dragon shaman and wants to get into this PrC (in a campaign that I'm guessing will probably end around 10th level). The entry requirements for dragonsong lyrist are as follows:

Alignment: any nonevil
Feat: Dragonsong (also from Draconomicon; I'm sure you could have guessed that )
Skills: Concentration 5 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Perform (oratory or singing) 5 ranks
Language: Draconic

The requirements for Dragonsong are a subset of those except for requiring Cha 13. Dragon shaman does not allow any of those skills on its class list normally, which would mean it would take until level 17 for the dragon shaman to qualify as a dragonsong lyrist (which is too bad, since dragon shaman seems to fit with this mechanically as well as bard does).

Here's what I want to do:

• Let the dragon shaman take a battle dragon as her totem, which gets perform as a class skill (battle dragons, from Dra, always have perform as a class skill).
• By DM fiat, declare that the battle dragon also has Diplomacy as a class skill (since true dragons usually get 3 class skills beyond those listed for all dragons, and the battle dragon only has one). Given the battle dragon's entry, this makes some sense to me (as does Ride). This way, the dragon shaman gets Diplomacy as a class skill, also.
• Switch the dragon shaman class skill from Knowledge (nature) to Knowledge (arcana). This also makes sense, since the Kn. (arcana) is the appropriate skill for dragons (why is it nature, anyway?).
• Drop the Concentration requirement. Dragon shamans don't get many skill points, and I don't really see where concentration is important for the dragonsong lyrist. The key class ability is Greater Dragonsong, which specifically mentions that it does not require concentration.

Is this still "balanced"? Should I add another feat requirement to make up for dropping the Concentration requirement? Or should I just get the player to take a dip into bard at some point? Thanks!

 

[Thurbane]

With a decent INT score, being human, use of the Able Learner and Open Minded feats, a standard Dragon Shaman should be able to hit this PrC at level 10. Just a suggestion.

 

[Arkhandus]

Just make the battle dragon totem's three class skills to be Concentration, Diplomacy, and Perform, and change the DS class skill of Knowledge (nature) to Knowledge (arcana), I guess.... Don't cut out one of the skill requirements just because it isn't necessary for a class feature; that doesn't mean it isn't there as a requirement for the meditations or rituals or other training involved in developing the class' abilities. The Dragon Shaman can afford the skill ranks if he just plays a human or invests a decently above average score into Intelligence (13 Int would get him 12 sp at 1st-level, and the other 8 required points would be accumulated by 4th-level).

I don't see why the DS can't just multiclass 1 or 2 levels into Bard at some point though, in order to meet the prerequisites.

 

[freyar]

Ermm, campaign will probably end right around 10th level (if I have to start dropping lots of story XP, darn it, it will get that far!).

Unfortunately, the player is set on an elf, and Int is really not a great stat for the Dragon Shaman (Str, Con, Cha all seem more important). I'm not sure if a standard elf or an FR wood elf is better, though... Probably I'll suggest a dip into bard.

But I still wonder whether if it's still balanced if Concentration is dropped as an entry requirement. Mechanically speaking, it seems like the main purpose the requirements serve is to make sure you can't take a PrC too early (at too low a level), when the class features would be too powerful. If a bard takes Dragonsong Lyrist, the limiting factor is the Perform requirement, since it takes until 7th level to get 10 ranks. The feat, I guess, pushes you in a certain direction, but I don't think the other skill requirements do much mechanically... What do you think?

 

[Arkhandus]

Well, if you just want to handwave stuff that doesn't seem directly important/necessary as requirements, you may as well just handwave away the Concentration, Knowledge, and Diplomacy requirements away, and reduce the Perform requirement to 8 ranks or something so it can be acquired at 6th-level (and the PrC entered at 7th).

Otherwise the PC won't get into the prestige class until his 10th character level most likely (I'm assuming it's the feat prerequisite that demands 10 ranks of Perform? And he wouldn't be able to take the feat except at 6th or 9th level....).

I don't know specifics cuz I can't afford to get a copy of Draconomicon, so I'm not quite sure what the details are on the prestige class or other stuff.

 

[Quartz]

The character could multiclass to Bard or Rogue for a level or two.