Prestige Classes

Share an idea or post some constructive criticism for the server.
Toros
Posts: 208
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 3:54 am

Re: Prestige Classes

Postby Toros » Mon Nov 14, 2016 10:30 pm

The entire purpose of PRCs is that you have to meet prerequisites and sacrifice your base class for a powerful but narrowly focused PRC.

In general under the current system I think very, very few are mechanical improvements over the base classes at level 8. Maybe 3/17, and they all have significant pre-requisites.

For example, I don't think witch hunter is particularly strong, as it requires a feat investment and 6 points invested cross-class with a rogue base, and at level 8 you could get some unique benefits, but to be honest none of them compare to rogue 8 plus an extra feat and skill points. Even if you could get all 6 levels of the benefits... so what? A normal rogue would be getting 2d6 bonus ranged damage or 4d6 melee damage, and has a capstone option that causes 2 strength damage.

There are some edge cases where the alchemy bonuses are potentially useful, but in general it doesn't have the flexibility or universal usefulness of straight rogue. As far as I know, PRCs that have come through the server are Sword Leader, Shifter, Skin Carver, Spirit Caller, Harper Scout. That's not a great deal, and mechanically most aren't powerful. The ones that have come through happened because someone wanted to make a character tailored for that PRC.
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Also, I play Galondel.

Loreweaver
Administrator & Builder
Posts: 542
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 10:39 pm

Re: Prestige Classes

Postby Loreweaver » Mon Nov 14, 2016 11:06 pm

As you'll know, the PrCs have either 5 or 6 levels listed on the wiki, but characters can only take 3 or 4 levels in them at best. To take those levels, characters need to make some specific build choices and get at least 5 or 4 levels in one or more base classes first. The last two levels of the PrCs would require that the server's level cap is raised from 8 to 12 (or 10 at a minimum). They're listed on the wiki because we hope it'll help players understand what to expect from the classes further down the line.

For us, the main idea behind a PrC is that the class provides either a unique tool or makes a rare tool much more reliable, but in a way which excludes most people from unlocking its powers. They're there for those who chase after them, who dedicate their training to them, and make the necessary sacrifices to master an unusual style.
It's an entirely valid approach to treat some or all of them like any other class, to unlock them at a very low level with minimal prerequisites, for anyone to dip into, but they haven't been designed for that purpose so indeed that would take some reshuffling and downscaling of powers.

We entertain three basic scenarios for advancement beyond level 8.
- If there is no further advancement, PrCs may either be condensed or adjusted for an earlier start.
- If the level cap is raised, PrCs simply play out as scheduled.
- If there is E8 advancement, it's likely that the presently unaccessible PrC abilities can be picked up or developed as E8 feats. There is no reason that a 7/1 build should be preferable to an 8/- or 4/4 build in this; it may allow you to acquire a PrC's powers eventually, but does so at the expense of other benefits.

At the moment, efforts are focussed on making the E8 system worthwhile. That means tailoring PrCs to the level 8 maximum is not really a priority, and that the information on high level PrCs on the wiki is likely to change.


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