What Prestige Classes shouldn't be allowed in adventurer parties?

[Quasqueton]

There's a discussion in the Rules forum about whether a forsaker would work well with a standard adventurer party. I've read many comments on how frenzied berserkers should not be in an adventurer party.

What prestige classes are bad matches for inclusion in an adventuring party?

Quasqueton

 

[Corsair]

Almost any thing can be included if you are prepared for it.

I've played alongside a frenzied berserker, and I was the wizard tasked with reigning him in after a given fight. (Spell Focus enchantment, high Int, and a Tasha's Hideous Laughter usually put him down until the frenzy wore off unless he rolled a 20 on the save)

But on the same token, nearly any character can cause friction if put in the right party. A thrallherd of any alignment wouldn't get along with a Holy Liberator or Paladin of Freedom (UA) for example.

 

[Crothian]

None. They can all fit with the right characters, players, and DM. Or maybe it is all but a few, since most presitge classes would take the characters out of what would be called a standard adventureing party.

 

[Enamel_32]

All work, when played right. I once played a paladin who had to subdue the frenzying beserker in our party.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I don't like evil PCs, so no assassins or blackgaurds for my party (unless the assassin as been houseruled to allow non evil).

 

[Rystil Arden]

Frenzied Berserkers are fine. The Frenzied Berserker in my main FtF group only failed the save maybe once in four years, at which point he nearly killed the wizard, but his Deathless Frenzy has saved the party countless times. He has become so infamous, that enemy spellcasters who know they must fight him always save a Disintegrate for the final blow, as he won't fail a Fort save either. Of course, his saves are aided by his two levels in Paladin of Freedom.

 

[Remathilis]

Short answer: Whatever disrupts the Party.

Longer Answer: some PrCs that don't work well fall into two broad catagories: Icky and Annoying. Examples:

Icky: Alienist, Assassin, Blackguard, Ur-Priest, Pale Master. Usually, Icky PrCs are evil or transform you into something gross or otherwise scare-the-villagers horrible. These don't work in traditionally good parties, but make great villians.

Annoying: Forsaker (breaks magic items that could otherwise be used by others), Frenzied Beserker (can attack allies), Green Star Adept (requires special quests to gain class abilities). These classes require much dedication on the whole team to make the PC viable, which can drain resources, divert quests, and bore other players.

The third catagory (plain broken: see Pelor, Radiant Servant of) is never fun no matter the game.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I agree with Remathilis. If it fits (very subjective, leads to a small number of PrCs, and follow the above suggestions for this) and the DM is comfortable balancing it, then it can stay.

Note that if the DM just doesn't like the PrC, then it doesn't fit.

 

[JediSoth]

If I may offer an abstraction: any prestige class the player is taking to increase his/her PC's power, rather than to fit a character concept he/she has been roleplaying towards.

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I've found my player look at PRCs just for the extra boost they can give their PCs.

I think most of the PRCs can work in a game that's set up for them.

JediSoth

 

[Sejs]

Apostle of Frickin' Peace.

Seriously. Very annoying. Might not be so bad if the dang aura of sit on your thumbs was IFF or something, but noooo...