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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009695" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Ultimate Prestige Classes Vol. 1 (UPC1) is a collection of prestige classes, from Mongoose Publishing but featuring some OGC from other publishers.UPC1 is a 256-page hardcover book coming in at $34.95. Space usage is good. The internal mono art runs from average to good. The writing style is somewhat constrained by the nature of the subject matter. Editing seems fairly good, with occasional errors.After a brief inroduction to the book, there follows a discussion of the role of prestige classes in a campaign, including organizations and institutions, specialized training, and natural development, as well as some ideas for in-game methods of gaining prestige class levels.The next section is entitled 'Design Your Own Class' and gives guidelines for designing prestige classes for your own campaign. This had been the section I was most looking forward to, but I was somewhat disappointed with the discussion, as it seemed to be based mainly on reminders of the basic d20 rules and their application to existing core and prestige classes in Core Rulebooks I and II. This is useful for the beginner in designing prestige classes, but seemed mostly common sense and waffle for someone who has already designed Prestige Classes of their own. The most difficult aspect of designing prestige classes is the game balance issue - on this the book states that although there are points systems out there to assess how balanced a prestige class is, there are class features that fall outside these measures and therefore the book does not present a system, merely the advice to compare to a class with an equivalent character level, with basic information on how to assess the equivalent level of a Prestige Class. If I hadn't recently read Steven Palmer Peterson's impressive system for designing combat manoeuvres, I might have glossed over this aspect, but felt that I would have liked to have seen a points sytem offered, even with the additional advice to assess the finished article with a sceptical eye for balance issues. Then again, the plethora of material in the rest of the book does give many cases to compare balance issues with. The Design section covers such aspects as number of levels, hit die, requirements, skills, base attack, saves, weapon and armour proficiency, spellcasting, and class features.The first set of prestige classes focus on classes with combat as their main focus:* Berserker - 5 level savage fighter focused on Rage-orientated class features* Brawler - 5 level typical bar-room brawler suited for close-quarter unarmed combat* Buccaneer - 10 level pirate-type with swashbuckling class features* Dragon Slayer - 10 level PrC with improved combat attacks against dragons and similar creatures* Gladiator Champion - 10 level PrC oriented towards fame, fortune and devastating attacks with exotic weapons* Green Sentinel - 10-level hunter of the supernatural that can multiclass with paladin* The Knight - 10-level historical knight with retainers, free equipment, and the responsibility of command* Knight Of The Griffin - 5-level lone travelling knight with strict code of honour, fearless and heroic class features* Legend - 5-level killing machine, usually unique to a campaign, minimum 15th level* Living Blade - 5-level master swordsman* Master Bowman - ditto with a bow* Noble Defender - 5-level noble with leadership and renown class features - also gains a castle from liege lord* Nomad Lord - 5-level mounted specialist with magical links to a favourite mount* Officer Of War - 5-level army officer with inspirational qualities* Reaver - 10-level savage pirate with some leadership qualities* Shock Trooper - 10-level PrC specialised in group fighting* Student Of The Dragon - 10-level monk-type with fighting style based on dragon* Silver Hearts - 10-level female unicorn-riding warriors with class features useful on a battlefield* Stonegaard - 3-level dwarven militia PrC with close-quarter fighting abilities* Swashbuckler - another swashbuckling type with 5 levelsThe next set of prestige classes focuses on arcane magic users:* Arcane Avatar - 5-level specialist in magical energy with spell resistance, metamagic improvements, and improved counterspells* Arcane Delver - 5-level elven spellmaster who can control the area and timing of spells* Arcane Leech - 5-level PrC with improved abilies to disrupt, dispel, and even steal magical energy* Arcanist - suited for a multiclass arcane/divine magic-user, gaining more spells at the cost of reduced metamagic and item creation feats* Artificer - 10-level specialist in magic item creation* Crypt Lord - evil 10-level PrC specialised in necromancy and seeking lichdom* Darksoul - 5-level Drow specialist in negative energy and shadow* Dreamer - 10-level PrC that collects the essence of dreams to power his spells and potions* Forge Mage - 5-level dwarf PrC specialising in the creation of magical arms and armour* Keeper Of Songs - 5-level PrC steeped in elven musical traditions which power his spells* Navigator-Wizard - 10-level specialist in ocean-oriented magic such as weather and direction spells* Penumbral Lord - 10-level shadow plane specialist* Physical Adept - 5-level magic-user who enhances their physical abilities withe their spells* Sea Witch - magic-user who bonds with a ship, can summon beasts of the sea, with own spell list (10 levels)* Seeker - 10-level magic using bounty hunter* Society Of Atheists - 5-level specialist in countering divine magic* Spelleater - 10-level PrC specialising in stealing spells for his own use* Sonomancer - 10-level sound attack specialist with own spell list* Soulforger - 10-level PrC arcane magic-user who strives to create new life-forms - there are guidelines for creating these new creatures* Summoner - 10-level summoning specialist with a powerful patron lord who aids their magic* Sun Mage - 5-level PrC who specialises in light magic, the antithesis of shadow magic* Wordbearer - 5-level specialist using powerful arcane words to create magical effectsThe next set deal with users of divine magic:* Bloodchild - avatar-like 5-level PrC, min. 15th level, with divine essence and strong connectio to a deity* Blood Witch - 10-level PrC that uses blood sacrifice to power magical effects* Chirurgeon - 5-level PrC with more traditional healing skills* Church Provisioner - 5-level PrC with potion brewing expertise* Divine Emissary - 5-level PrC with diplomatic and oratory skills to spread the word of his deity* Divine Hammer - 5-level war cleric* Divine Herald - 10-level PrC, min. 11th level, theat slowly takes on divine qualities* Golden One - 10-level PrC with a positive energy aura, an increasing resistance to energy drains, and code of honour* Healing Hand - magical healing specialist (10 levels)* Hierarch - 10-level PrC high up in the church hierarchy, with the power and responsibility which go with such a position* Incarnate - a 10-level PrC that openly violates the tenet of designing a PrC round a core class, this is a neutral-aligned Druid-only class that can be taken from 4th level - the incarnate has reincarnated many times and can use an altered wildshape ability to switch between any life form the druid has embodied in past lives* Investigator - 5-level PrC that invests in protecting against threats to the church's followers* Knight Of The Left Hand - holy knight who sacrifices curing ability for martial prowess (5 levels)* Knight Of The Right Hand - holy knight trained in diplomacy and the art of peacemaking (5 levels)* Puritan - anti-magic 10-level PrC who specialises in cancelling magical effects* Redeemer - 5-level summoning specialist* Revered Elder - 10-level PrC focused on traditional tribal leadership with a divinatory bent* Scion - another avatar-like PrC - this one is 10-levels and slowly merges with his deity* Wind Speaker - 5-level worshipper of the wind with divinatory abilities  Next up are prestige classes aimed at rogues and bards:* Agent Of The Crown - foreign spy with varied social skills (5 levels)* Arcane Burglar - 10 level PrC - mix of roguish, arcane and divine class features used for stealing* Bounty Hunter - 10 level cross between rogue and ranger with subdual and disarm abilities* Calligrapher - 10-level PrC with a focus on Decipher Script-like features* Cat Burglar - 10-level house thief with hiding skills and a dose of luck* Commando - 5-level ambush specialist* Connection - 10-level PrC with the ability to use network of contacts for information gathering and influence* Crusading Footpad - good thief who steals from the evil to give to the good (10 levels)* Discreet Companion - 10-level courtesan who trades in information and forbidden charms* Executioner - 5-level thug-like killer* Explosives Specialist - 10-level PrC focusing on use of bombs and firearms* Gifted Maker - 10-level PrC who can make magical items without the normal magical prerequisites* Guildmaster - archetypal head of thieves guild (10 levels)* Herald - foreign messenger with political influence (10 levels)* Infiltrator - specialist in Open Lock and trap evasion (5 levels)* Roofrunner - thief who uses local city knowledge to thieve and escape the law* Sea-hawk - roguish salty sailor with ocean-going class features* Shadowy Avenger - urban vigilante (10 levels)* Skald - barbaric bard-like storyteller and lorekeeper (10 levels) * Street Fighter - dirty fighting specialist (10 levels)* Tomb Raider - specialist in getting into (and out of) tombs with treasure (5 levels)* Trapmaster - trap specialist (10 levels)* Treasure Hunter - 10-level PrC similar to Tomb Raider* Vigilant - jack-of-all-trades with a penchant for surviving almost anythingFollowing this is a chapter dedicated to PrC's with psionic capabilities:* Anipath - 5-level PrC with a psychic connection to the animal world* Beastmaster - similar to the Anipath but 10 levels* Dreamwalker - 10-level dream specialist* Guardian - 10-level psi-cop, who defends others against psionic attack* Life Stealer - 5-level insane psychic killer* Mind Sink - 10-level PrC who sap psionic powers from those around them* Psychic Thief - 10-level cross between a psion and a rogue* Psychic Vampire - beings that feed off others thoughts with some powerful abilities but stringent demands (5 levels)* Reborn - 5-level PrC who can dissolve into ectoplasmic matter and re-form as an astral constructThe final chapter deals with PrCs for monsters:* Arcane Masquerader - 5-level PrC to give spellcasting and other abilities to doppelgangers* Battle Shaman - 10-level PrC designed to enhance orc spellcasters* Centaur Scout - 10-level PrC for centaurs with variety of wilderness skills* Dark Rangers - 5-level PrC for bugbears with rogue/wilderness features* The Guiser - 10-level PrC designed for medusas who have integrated themselves into 'normal' society* Insinuator - 10-level PrC to enhance assassination abilities for doppelgangers* Reef Warrior - 10-level PrC for aquatic monsters with combat-enhancing features* Seastorm Witch - 10-level PrC for sea hags, giving spellcasting and shapechanging abilitiesThe book ends with a 5-page index.Conclusion:Despite its attempt at guidelines for designing your own prestige classes at the beginning of the book, the real lesson comes hidden in the prestige classes themselves - most of which seem well-designed and balanced, interesting and appealing without being over-powered, and with huge numbers of class features that could be 'stolen' from the original to build your own prestige classes (as if there weren't enough already). There are also plenty of ideas for enhancing NPCs and monsters as well as useful for PrCs for players, and the psionic PrCs are a real bonus to those who use the psionics rules. I liked the fact that many of the PrC's were archetypal in nature, allowing them to be blended in to most fantasy campaign settings relatively easily. Only a few of the prestige classes seem to overlap in theme.According to the OGC information in the book, only 17 of the 102 PrCs are actually reproduced from other publishers' work, which was somewhat surprising given the blurb on the back of the book talking about a compilation of the best prestige classes available. Mongoose obviously rate themselves very highly! Speaking of 102 prestige classes, is there such a thing as Prestige Class overload?</blockquote>

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