WotC PrC Book?
- Thread starter Numion
- Start date
I wonder if this refers to that FR book Faiths and Avatars, isn't that supposed to be full of those Faiths of Fearun PrCs from Dragon?
Davelozzi
Explorer
Re: That's the point...
Check out the Prestige Class Online Design Workshop from Monte's site:
Part 1 - http://www.montecook.com/arch_dmonly9.html
Part 2 - http://www.montecook.com/arch_dmonly10.html
mkletch said:
Check out the Prestige Class Online Design Workshop from Monte's site:
Part 1 - http://www.montecook.com/arch_dmonly9.html
Part 2 - http://www.montecook.com/arch_dmonly10.html
Claude Raines
First Post
DarwinofMind said:
I doubt he means this. The focus of Faiths & Avatars is a little different from just a PrC book, and the topic was more or less specifically on class book accessories.
Numion
First Post
Dark Psion said:
The articles about class combos in Dragon have been generally good, but the problem is that they don't bring anything new to the game. It might end up as a book that tells us things that we basically know already.
And I guess most people like to call their PC an Order of the Bow Initiate rather than a Fighter/Rogue. (Yes, I know, we ENBoarders are not like most people, we are special .
mkletch
First Post
Re: Re: That's the point...
Yes, well that is troubleshooting classes that someone put together; not to be confused with actually designing one. Which is easier: pointing out 'flaws' of contestants in the Miss America pageant or designing a photorealistic 3D model of a human woman?
Monte's articles point out some general guidelines, but anybody with good rules experience or some design experience could have done the same easily (though without the 'authority'). Design aids would include equivalencies between different ability options, power limits, ways to gauge requirements, etc. Basically, take the 'art' of making a prestige class and make it into a statistically consistent, point-based 'science' of constructing a PClass like building with an Erector set or Legos.
-Fletch!
Davelozzi said:
Yes, well that is troubleshooting classes that someone put together; not to be confused with actually designing one. Which is easier: pointing out 'flaws' of contestants in the Miss America pageant or designing a photorealistic 3D model of a human woman?
Monte's articles point out some general guidelines, but anybody with good rules experience or some design experience could have done the same easily (though without the 'authority'). Design aids would include equivalencies between different ability options, power limits, ways to gauge requirements, etc. Basically, take the 'art' of making a prestige class and make it into a statistically consistent, point-based 'science' of constructing a PClass like building with an Erector set or Legos.
-Fletch!
Davelozzi
Explorer
Re: Re: Re: That's the point...
That's ridiculous. We're talking about critiquing elements of game design in order to improve the design. How is that similar to comparing a real human body to a model? It's not.
I wholeheartedly agree that such a set of tools would be great and hope that this book turns out to be exactly that. In the meantime, at least Monte's article is something to work with.
mkletch said:
That's ridiculous. We're talking about critiquing elements of game design in order to improve the design. How is that similar to comparing a real human body to a model? It's not.
mkletch [/i][B] Monte's articles point out some general guidelines said:
I wholeheartedly agree that such a set of tools would be great and hope that this book turns out to be exactly that. In the meantime, at least Monte's article is something to work with.
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It would be nice to have a collection of all the prestiges that have appeared in Dragon magazine up to this point. Perhaps this is what this book is intended to be.
If I had to choose though, I would rather have a book ON prestige classes rather than a book WITH prestige classes, if you know what I mean.
An even better idea would be a book on designing new RPG material for 3E D&D *in general*. A chapter on designing new monsters, a chapter on designing new feats, one for designing new prestige classes, one for adding new equipment, one for new spells, and so on. Many of these subjects have been touched on for 3E by different articles in Dragon, but it would be nice to see them rehashed and expanded upon as the game continues to evolve. Such a book would be also very helpful to current and aspiring third party developers.
If I had to choose though, I would rather have a book ON prestige classes rather than a book WITH prestige classes, if you know what I mean.
An even better idea would be a book on designing new RPG material for 3E D&D *in general*. A chapter on designing new monsters, a chapter on designing new feats, one for designing new prestige classes, one for adding new equipment, one for new spells, and so on. Many of these subjects have been touched on for 3E by different articles in Dragon, but it would be nice to see them rehashed and expanded upon as the game continues to evolve. Such a book would be also very helpful to current and aspiring third party developers.
mkletch
First Post
Re: Re: Re: Re: That's the point...
It is the art of making comparitive judgements between two things (relatively easy) as opposed to the art of making from scratch something both complex and balanced when placed next to the existing body of knowledge (hard or very hard, depending on what you are doing).
Obviously the 'point' was lost...
-Fletch!
Davelozzi said:
It is the art of making comparitive judgements between two things (relatively easy) as opposed to the art of making from scratch something both complex and balanced when placed next to the existing body of knowledge (hard or very hard, depending on what you are doing).
Obviously the 'point' was lost...
-Fletch!
Sam
First Post
Re: That's the point...
Hear Hear Fletch! I agree with everything in your post. I LOVE the flexibility that PrCs give my campaign. They allow my players to develop and advance their characters in the exact way they want to. It also allows me to create and run NPCs that are not cookie cutter, or some absurd extension of the core classes to make a point.
The characters and NPCs in my game should not be like anyone else in the game world. They are unique heroes and villains; the availability and selection of PrCs allows them to expand on their personalities and abilities without being like every other fighter/rogue out there.
I am also hoping for a guideline as to PrC development balance. I'd like to develop some concepts that I have, and give my players the opportunity to provide input or develop their own classes. I'd also like to see if some of the non-WotC developed PrCs are as imbalanced as I think they are.
Bottom line is, I don't think there can be too many prestige classes. And anyway, you can always decide which ones to allow and which to ban.
--Sam
mkletch said:
Hear Hear Fletch! I agree with everything in your post. I LOVE the flexibility that PrCs give my campaign. They allow my players to develop and advance their characters in the exact way they want to. It also allows me to create and run NPCs that are not cookie cutter, or some absurd extension of the core classes to make a point.
The characters and NPCs in my game should not be like anyone else in the game world. They are unique heroes and villains; the availability and selection of PrCs allows them to expand on their personalities and abilities without being like every other fighter/rogue out there.
I am also hoping for a guideline as to PrC development balance. I'd like to develop some concepts that I have, and give my players the opportunity to provide input or develop their own classes. I'd also like to see if some of the non-WotC developed PrCs are as imbalanced as I think they are.
Bottom line is, I don't think there can be too many prestige classes. And anyway, you can always decide which ones to allow and which to ban.
--Sam
