What are the most powerful prestige classes?

[FireLance]

Shifter!

I think shifters are cool.

But then, I loved the Mavin Manyshaped/True Game books by Sheri S. Tepper when I was younger.

 

[Archer]

Iron Will as a fighter feat isn't bad. Its way better than endurance. You can pretty much top out at 8 levels of Singh Rager. The last 2 levels don't give you that much. Every level of Singh Rager is 2 levels of barbarian like you said.

You could be a paladin, rager, templar, windrider, divine champion and have it all: top saves, immunities, dr, attack bonuses, smites, specialization, uber mount, mettle, turning uses and with a ring of evasion and armor of absorbtion you are set. Wrath and rage stack. Smite evil and smite infidel stack.

 

[LuYangShih]

The most overpowered PrCs I've seen are:

Archmage.
Incantatrix.
Singh Rager.
Hospitaler.
Contemplative.
Arcane Trickster.
Frenzied Berserker.
Any Archer PrC.

 

[John Smallberries]

Red Wiz/Archmage combo is pretty sweet.

 

[Samhain California]

the best bang for the buck is for spell casters to take the PRCs that givethen full advancment in spellcasting levels and extras, the worst one of them all is the Contempletive that gives clerics monk and theif abilityes and still goes up in caster level

the most "powerful" PrC depends entirely on circumstance
red wizards is uber if you have 9 underlings giving you spellslots

same way powerful classes that are front end loaded similar to the templar, ranger and even the bard.

ohh hand classes i wouldnt allow in my campaign
shifter, incantrix, and Runecasters(FRCS)

shifter: even though you loose spell progression, the abilities to shift in to anything you want anytime you want AT 15TH LEVEL!!!
seems a bit overpowerd to me someone pointd out that class gives (virtually) 8 epic feats.

Incantrix, lowering meamagic costs is wrong. that class is supposedly about fighting outsiders IMHO

Runecaster: gains the ability to create permanent runes hat work so many time per day, eventually they can create a rune of CLW that functions an unlimited amout per day and has no charges.

and the can create runes of keen edge etc tha can be used like a potion.

 

[DM_Matt]

surprised noone has noticed the incredible power inherent in the Mighty Contender of Kord PrC.

Not to mention your customized "Even Mightier Contender of Kord"

 

[Azure Trance]

Someone mentioned the Weaponmaster PrC from Sword & Fist, and although I think it wasn't repeated by anyone else, I'd like to ask ... really? I recall when thumbing through the PrC that it seemed merely 'average' to me. Some bonuses here and there, but nothing that magic items of an appropriate level couldn't duplicate or improve on by itself.

 

[Chun-tzu]

the best bang for the buck is for spell casters to take the PRCs that givethen full advancment in spellcasting levels and extras, the worst one of them all is the Contempletive that gives clerics monk and theif abilityes and still goes up in caster level

There are a couple Cleric PrCs worse than the Contemplative. The Contemplative, at least, gains no Undead Turning ability and is dropped to Wizard's BAB.

The Radiant Servant of Pelor (from Dragon Magazine) keeps full spellcasting and has IMPROVED undead turning ability, as well as special powers. Cutting it down to a d6 hardly balances all the benefits. Then there's the Doomguide, from Faiths and Pantheons. Full spellcasting, full undead turning ability, and extra special abilities. Reduced to d6, but that hardly balances it out.

shifter: even though you loose spell progression, the abilities to shift in to anything you want anytime you want AT 15TH LEVEL!!!
seems a bit overpowerd to me someone pointd out that class gives (virtually) 8 epic feats.

The shifter's not that bad, actually. First, it's restricted by hit dice. A 15th level Shifter can assume any form with up to 15 HD. No Tarrasques, for example. It's also limited by what creatures the Shifter is familiar with. And they don't gain any spell-like or supernatural abilities. It seems pretty well balanced. You gain a lot, but also lose a lot.

 

[hong]

Red Wiz/Archmage combo is pretty sweet.

Damn, my head just exploded.


Hong "and when they put it back together again, it'll look just like John Smallberries' avatar!" Ooi

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Hong, when you're back in one piece, add Shadow Adept to that combination.

I'm not sure how to get +19 spell power for Enchantment without going epic, but I'm sure someone figured it out and is using it.