What PrCs need houseruling and why?

[ruleslawyer]

I'm not necessarily in agreement with the posters who say that PrCs never should just be better than core classes, at least not to the extent argued. WotC makes it rather clear in the DMG that PrCs are supposed to be slightly more powerful than core classes overall; that's why there are requirements to get into these classes.

That said, I do agree that +1 spellcaster classes are problematic, especially if they're available to the sorcerer or the cleric. The former benefits enormously from +1 caster PrCs and has practically no drawbacks.

That said, my candidates for house-ruling, among that limited selection of WotC PrCs I use, are the following:

Incanatrix:

-Requirements: Must know at least seven arcane spells from the school of Abjuration, at least one of which is 3rd level or higher.
-Remove Iron Will, replace feat requirements with "Skill Focus: Knowledge (the Planes), any two metamagic feats."

-Remove the entire clumsy language about abjuration specialization and introduce a feature identical to the Red Wizard enhanced specialization class feature requiring that the character, if not already an abjuration specialist wizard, must choose one school or set of schools from the restricted schools for the Abjuration specialist wizard. Grant no benefits from the Abjuration school.

-Remove spellcasting progression at 5th and 10th level.

Archmage/Hierophant:

-Allow the Spell Power class feature to be taken only once, at +2, and require that the archmage burn a 9th level spell slot to acquire it.

Verdant Lord:

-Require the wild shape class feature for this class, and introduce an alternate PrC for plant clerics (requirement: access to the Plant domain) with 3/4 BAB.

 

[Quixon]

Well for pure munckin power-I have to say the Icanatrix needs to be houseruled-getting a Epic level feat(Improved Metamagic) as early as 13th level, when normally someone can't qualify for it until 27th level is wrong.

The Forsaker is a little weak at higher levels but only because he gets limited in armor and weapons. Other than that the class isn't a real problem-I read these posts how he causes problems for the party and wonder if anybody has actually read the description.

It says a Forsaker loses abilities if he USES magic items or CASTS spells, not if he gets spells cast on him, he just HAS to make a save for spells that allow one, even normally benificial spells. So he can Teleport with the party just fine(it has Save: None) ect.. Go thru PHB a number of spells have no save, those work on Forsakers great, others, yes he has to make a save, but he can still have them cast on him.

As for him "accidentaly" losing his abilities because he found a luckstone and didnt know it was magical or never getting his DR because he doesn't know whats magic, that would not be his fault, thats his party spellcasters fault, who should be detecting magic (like most party spellcasters do all the time anyway). So he should be able to get his DR pretty reliably by having trinkets/potions/whatever to destroy, and if your Forsaker is ending up with magic items just "because he didn't know the item he found was magical" thats just stupidity, his and the rest of the parties.

 

[Drawmack]

And was different from him just starting out with attacks and great cleave how??

If this is what you consider 'overpowered', then I'm surprised you allow players to take any PC classes at all.

If you don't consider this overpowered then no smackdown combination is overpowered in your game correct. I didn't disallow this. I was more of a statement on effective strategies becoming over-powered in certain circumstances and how the munchkin can work within the rules to create smack down type characters.

 

[Drawmack]

I view PrCs like this.

The core class is a well-rounded individual. A cleric can do all the cleric things pretty good. Then if you take a claric PrC you become really good at a certain aspect of the cleric at the expense of the other areas.

 

[Kitsunekaboom]

The Alienist: I mean does this guy seem a bit weak? -1 in a valuable stat every few levels? This guy isn't arcane only either, so a cleric taking up this class would be utterly scewered. I love Alienists but this one just kinda sucked.

Candlecaster: This could be better used as a feat chain really.

Exotic Weapons Master: Ugh...just..No.

Oozemaster: I actually really like this guy, but since when do the words Ooze and Prestige happen in the same breath?

Cancer Mage: Only perused this guy, but is that the best name they could have come up with? Yeesh.

 

[The Proconsul]

The Forsaker is a little weak at higher levels but only because he gets limited in armor and weapons. Other than that the class isn't a real problem-I read these posts how he causes problems for the party and wonder if anybody has actually read the description.

Yes but consider the roleplaying implications. WHAT?? YOU DARE CAST A SPELL IN MY PRESENCE?!?! I KILL YOU!

I think it says, some of them work together with spellcasters, realising they are better against the evil ones, but still - this will certainly create a HUGE inner-party conflict. And while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, there should be an actual way of resolving it.

 

[Spatula]

But, there's your solution. For example, what if Loremaster kept A, C, and D, but didn't give any more spells per day?

If spell-casting prestige classes worked like this, it would be a huge pain in the ass figuring out what you're capable of, spell-wise, once you start taking levels in the class. And god forbid you take levels in more than one PrC, each one giving different "parts" of the +1 spellcaster package.

"Okay, I've got a caster level of 10, know spells as if I was 7th level, get spells/day as if I were 9th level, but can't cast 5th level spells... Ah, screw it, I'm playing a fighter."

What was the point of this thread again? Oh yeah...

Peerless Archer: Ranged power attack. Bad idea. VERY bad idea.
Hierophant: Divine version of the Archmage, but the archmage gives +1 spellcasting every level while the hierophant gives no spellcasting advancement at all...

 

[Spatzimaus]

If spell-casting prestige classes worked like this, it would be a huge pain in the ass figuring out what you're capable of, spell-wise, once you start taking levels in the class.

Some PrCs already DO work this way. The Constructor (psionic PrC from the Mind's Eye), for example, gives power points at every level, but only gives new powers known at 8 out of 10 levels. It's an obscure example, I know, but it was the first one to come to mind since I actually play one (great class, BTW). I've seen others that give caster level increases at every level but only raise spells per day at some.

It's really not that complex. I mean, practically everyone already writes down how many spells per day they get, so the only time this headache comes up is when you level, and even then it's nothing someone who's gone past third grade can't do.

Anyway, point is, the previous "+1 spellcasting level" method is just too all-or-nothing. People take the classes right up until the gap where they'd have to lose a level, then they avoid it like the plague. Splitting the abilities across levels better would really help, IMO.