Troll Lord Games

In 3rd edition D&D and its descendants, prestige classes are a fairly significant part of the rules, offering specialized (and often extremely powerful) options for character building if certain conditions are met. In many cases, these prestige classes are of little apparent value except to powergamers, but I think one could construct a "prestige" class in a way that was more about the flavour of a campaign and character development then about raw power.

One way to do this is to make many of the advantages of belonging to a prestige class be essentially social, rather than hard combat or magic bonuses. For example, an anointed knight in a campaign that doesn't use the knight base class would be expected to hold to a chivalric code, but could expect hospitality from other knights as well as certain deference from their social inferiors. Clerics of a particular deity would always be able to expect succor from fellow clergy and followers of their faith as needed.

Sometimes a magical or combat bonus is appropriate, but I think they should be constructed with as much of an eye towards flavour as towards raw power. Perhaps a paladin of a special branch of the faith has the ability to cast healing spells, but loses the ability to smite evil as a regular paladin. The priest of a sea diety may be able to breathe underwater and drink seawater just as fresh, abilities that are certainly useful but unlikely to be gamebreaking.

One means of balancing these assets may be to exact an XP cost per level, a fairly small one, perhaps (10% or so of base XP) for a relatively weak prestige class, up to 30% or so for something that is powerful. While I'm thinking of C&C here, this should be applicable enough for any old-school or old-school inspired fantasy RPG.

Do you have any views on the topic?

The one time I allowed "Prestige Classes" in my game is when it went high enough that the Prestige Class abilities replaced all "advancements" after level 9 of the base class. I think it worked pretty well. I also only allowed PrC's that did fit with how the players had played their CHARACTER during the first 9 levels of play. The game went to 17th level, so I got to see 8 levels of PrC abilities in play.

A simple example I thought up of.

Knight of the Path:
Necessary: Knight, Fighter or Paladin, level five or above. Lawful Good alignment. Notable reputation for being a faithful traveller on the Path of Light. Must be anointed by a Cleric of higher level than the Knight.

Code of Conduct: Knights of the Path are expected to uphold the Faith of the Light in word and deed. They are expected to abjure all worldly wealth (other than arms and armour for divine service) and cannot marry, have children or inherit land.

Divine Favor: Once per level of experience, a Knight of the Path can call upon a divine miracle, equivalent to a spell cast by a cleric of the same level.

Right of Sanctuary: Knights of the Path have the right to gain sanctuary and succor from any temples or monasteries of the Faith.

Right of Trial: Knights of the Path have the right to choose trial by Judges of the Faith in any land where the Faith is observed.

Prestige classes. BLARGH.

Prestige classes are the only way I'd ever allow paladins. The gods aren't going to empower some 1st level rube warrior with divine powers. The PC would have to prove itself devoted to goodness and right before getting paladin powers.

KaiserKris wrote: Do you have any views on the topic?

Sure, the last player of mine that wanted the insanity of prestige classes is still listed by the police as 'missing'.

Arduin wrote:

KaiserKris wrote: Do you have any views on the topic?

Sure, the last player of mine that wanted the insanity of prestige classes is still listed by the police as 'missing'.

that has nothing to do with the body I found at the bottom of the lake yesterday does it?

I also have no need for Prestige classes in my games. I'm not entirely opposed to them, but I think they are more difficult to handle in C&C than 3.X. I encourage players to roleplay differences in their characters, rather than creating a bunch of new powers. In my personal games, we use a skill system that can somewhat create the nuances of a prestige class. Also, I make it easier in my games to add-on classes to an already existing character class if the PC really wants to have other (pre-defined) class abilities.

~O

Dracyian wrote:

Arduin wrote:

KaiserKris wrote: Do you have any views on the topic?

Sure, the last player of mine that wanted the insanity of prestige classes is still listed by the police as 'missing'.

that has nothing to do with the body I found at the bottom of the lake yesterday does it?

errm... Umm... just one?

Omote wrote:I also have no need for Prestige classes in my games. I'm not entirely opposed to them, but I think they are more difficult to handle in C&C than 3.X. I encourage players to roleplay differences in their characters, rather than creating a bunch of new powers. In my personal games, we use a skill system that can somewhat create the nuances of a prestige class. Also, I make it easier in my games to add-on classes to an already existing character class if the PC really wants to have other (pre-defined) class abilities.

~O

All part of why I didn't allow them until 9th level. Of course, at the time, the CKG wasn't out either, so having some way to define/codify the levels beyond 9th was actually kind of helpful. Plus I only cared about the powers. Feats/skills given didn't get given in my games because of another house rule I have, where they must make "X" number of successful SIEGE checks IN GAME to earn something like a new skill or feat. Which in turn enforces the role play in game to earn such things.