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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fanboy2000" data-source="post: 1648674" data-attributes="member: 19998">I've solved most of my problems with PrCs by making a list of PrCs that exist in my campaign world and presenting them to my players. If they really, really, really, want to take a PrC not listed, then I have to approve it and they must attempt to convince me. I'm prety conservitive with PrCs, so it's not easy. By doing this, I've found that players naturaly tend to see how their character fits into the world. I ask them to tell me before hand what PrC they want (about 1 level before hand, to show that they are training for it.) I don't find Prestifes Classes any more complicated than normal multi-classing.Here's a good example of a PrC that adds flavor to the campaign: The Heir of Siberys from Eberron. It is the only way to get a Siberys dragonmark, there is not clear path to the PrC, it is not suited for any one class. Some PrCs are obviously for fighers, monks, wizards, etc . . . that's just tacky. this one essentaly asks you to be high level, and never, ever, ever, have a dragon mark. Oh, and if you gain levels in this PrC, you're probably going to be hunted down. It's only 3 levels, so while it distracts you from your normal class route, it isn't an end unto itself.  You could make a Siberys mark feat, but that would be the same. Siberys marks are supposed to be rare, and their supposed to interupt your life. By makeing it a PrC, it distracts your character enough from his life to make it beliveable roleplaying wise. I like it. That said, PrCs do have some serious flaws. 1. If a PrC allows +1 caster level progression for spells every level, then there is almost no reason for a sorcerer not to take it from a min/max perspective. Sorcerers get two things from the sorserer class, familer progression and spells. Familers don't give you a lot, so if a PrC gives you +1 spells every level, then there is almost no reason not to take it. Such PrCs are inherantly better than taking the class up to 20!2. If a PrC causes a character to lose caster levels in exchange for an ability, the ability is almost never worth it. 3. Wizards are almost in the same position as sorcerers when it comes to PrCs. Wizards get bonus feats, but only item creation and metamagic. If your not interested in either one of those (and many players aren't) PrCs start to look atractive. Particulary if you don't have to give-up caster levels. 4. Many PrCs are simply better versions of a base class. Oh sure, you may give up some ability you don't use in exchange for improving an ability you use a lot. I had a ranger in my game who never cast spells, didn't even write down what spells they had prepaired. She was an excellent archer, and took the Order of the Bow PrC. Now what kind of trade-off was giving up spell progress for her? None. The balancing facter of trading one class ability for another was nill. In 3.5 the designers tried to keep classes from being front loaded so that people would have incentive to stay in the class for more than one level. for some reason, it didn't ocure to them to look at the wiz/sor classes. The Eldritch Knight is a good PrC because it allows a wizard or sorcerer to have a good BAB (the one thing stopping wizards from being adiquate fighters) and trades off about 2 caster levels. (Only one, if you wait a really long time to take it.) The 2 caster levels are a good trade of in this case because your replacing it with a game mechanic that is usefull at all levels, just like the spell progression would be. If the Eldritch Knight runs out of spells, then they can fall back on normal attacking. A standared wiz/sor would have a hard time doing that with their low BAB and low HD. No feat exists that gives a wizard a good BAB and a higher HD.</blockquote>

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