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prestige classes

claxtonclaxton ClubPA regular
edited October 2006 in Critical Failures
In my first DnD gathering, I found out about prestige classes. After going home and looking them up, if found out there are a fuckload of them. And so I decided we needed a thread to talk about fun ones. Of the ones I looked at, frenzied berserker sounds awesome. Unable to die while in a frenzy? Unable to stop attacking while in a frezy? awesome. So, anyone know of any fun prestige classes they've played as?

Its not enough to win. You want nothing left of your enemy but a skull nailed to a fence post so everybody understands the cost of crossing you. -Durga
claxton on

Posts

  • Conditional_AxeConditional_Axe Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    claxton wrote:
    In my first DnD gathering, I found out about prestige classes. After going home and looking them up, if found out there are a fuckload of them. And so I decided we needed a thread to talk about fun ones. Of the ones I looked at, frenzied berserker sounds awesome. Unable to die while in a frenzy? Unable to stop attacking while in a frezy? awesome. So, anyone know of any fun prestige classes they've played as?
    I may be in the minority, but I like most if not all of the official PrCs, especially if you can tie a good roleplaying hook to them.

    In terms of sheer number crunching fun, I like giving a scout or rogue Invisible Blade. I think a few fighter levels also go a long way on top of that.

    Conditional_Axe on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I played a Frenzied Berserker.

    Very fun, but don't get too attached to the character; it probably won't last very long.

    Thanatos on
  • claxtonclaxton ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    If you list a prestige class, could you say something about how it played? I'd like this to be an informative thread also.

    claxton on
    Its not enough to win. You want nothing left of your enemy but a skull nailed to a fence post so everybody understands the cost of crossing you. -Durga
  • RhakaRhaka Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Alienist is awesome. You summon monsters? Now you summon tentacle monsters. Also you slowly go insane and get kidnapped by aliens once you're supposed to die of old age.

    Wild Mages would be awesome if they weren't a glorified Rod of Wonder in 3.5. They were so amusing in BG2, though.

    Rhaka on
  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Doc wrote:

    Yep, that one there was a prestige class I ran on my old DM and jacked his shit up completely; the only one that was more broken was the Geomancer from Masters of the Wild 3.0.

    That class could knock some shit DOWN.

    Darth Waiter on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Doc wrote:
    I don't think Mystic Theurge is broken. You exchange higher-level, higher-powered spells for having a lot more spells, of lower level, and, usually, lower saving throws.

    Thanatos on
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Church Inquisitors are funnnnn, plus you can be them at 4th lvl.

    PiptheFair on
  • SageinaRageSageinaRage Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I recommend Forsaker for anyone who hates their DM and other players. It's pretty much designed to just be a dick to everyone else.

    SageinaRage on
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  • SilpheedSilpheed Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I recommend Forsaker for anyone who hates their DM and other players. It's pretty much designed to just be a dick to everyone else.
    Please, elaborate.

    Silpheed on
  • SanderJKSanderJK Crocodylus Pontifex Sinterklasicus Madrid, 3000 ADRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    In the Dark Sun game i DM there is a Cerebremancer who isn't overpowered compared to the Shadow Wizard (which is a DS only straight Arcane PrC, doesn't do much, so pretty much a straight caster) (At level 11)

    The BBEG my players had most trouble with was an Arcane Trickster, mostly because the combo of sneak attack+Buff Spells+Improved Invisibility on a smart character who enjoys traps and ambushes is pretty nasty. On low levels those combo classes are annoying though, since you are 3 levels behind on the rest of the party at one point, with little to nothing to show for it. (High int, rogue/wizard mentality, neutral evil, has a few giants as henchmen)

    Oh, and on the DM nightmare list you could add the Thrallherd, who for the loss of 1 manifester level has an infinite supply of lackeys, "bomb squad", ends up with 2 cohorts at level-1 and level-2 at level 15. I still want to play one though, if i ever get an evil campaign going.

    Prestige classes can be very fun, but not every class benefits equally. Not many caster PrC's have full spell progression (Mage of the Arcane Order (Complete Arcane) is a notable exception, and a favorite among sorcerors (who should always PrC, since their class has 0 abilities apart from familiar and spell progression).

    For Fighters / Barbarians it's probably the most interesting, since they get next to no abilities at high levels beyond bonus feats or improvements on the abilities they already have.

    SanderJK on
    Steam: SanderJK Origin: SanderJK
  • ReynoldsReynolds Gone Fishin'Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Silpheed wrote:
    I recommend Forsaker for anyone who hates their DM and other players. It's pretty much designed to just be a dick to everyone else.
    Please, elaborate.

    You destroy magical items in exchange for power. You can't have any magical items at all, but you get bonuses for that. And you have a valid reason for trying to take/destroy everyone else's items, and killing wizards and such. I think if you combine it with some flaw/feat "Vow of Poverty" you then become far too powerful.

    My DM made special prestige classes for all of our characters, in the game where we were medeivil super-heroes. I quite liked that!

    Reynolds on
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  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    I played a druid with a vow of poverty once, and that was irritating enough. I took the deed to a castle and some massive... tracts of land that we got as a big quest reward and gave it to the elves who originally lived in the area but had been displaced by logging.

    Doc on
  • SanderJKSanderJK Crocodylus Pontifex Sinterklasicus Madrid, 3000 ADRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Reynolds wrote:
    Silpheed wrote:
    I recommend Forsaker for anyone who hates their DM and other players. It's pretty much designed to just be a dick to everyone else.
    Please, elaborate.

    You destroy magical items in exchange for power. You can't have any magical items at all, but you get bonuses for that. And you have a valid reason for trying to take/destroy everyone else's items, and killing wizards and such. I think if you combine it with some flaw/feat "Vow of Poverty" you then become far too powerful.

    My DM made special prestige classes for all of our characters, in the game where we were medeivil super-heroes. I quite liked that!
    A Vow of Poverty player needs to be exalted and give away AT LEAST his share of all loot to a good cause. Whoever was being a Forsaker / VoP was powergaming and/or not reading what the BoED says (which is a LOT) on Vow of poverty and behaviour.

    SanderJK on
    Steam: SanderJK Origin: SanderJK
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Thanatos wrote:
    Doc wrote:
    I don't think Mystic Theurge is broken. You exchange higher-level, higher-powered spells for having a lot more spells, of lower level, and, usually, lower saving throws.

    Its actualy underpowered compared to a straight caster if you run the recommended number of encounters per day.

    Its handy if your party doesnt have a healer/divine spellcaster, but other than that its nothing too spectacular.

    Not like the Initiate of the Seven Fold Veil, or the Fate Spinner

    Goumindong on
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  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Then there are alternate base classes, a la Artificer, which is actually very well balanced.




    Apparently my Elven Duskblade has convinced my current GM to never allow that class again. He does, however, love the Knight class.

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    This one time, I was playing a ranger in a star wars game. Or a soldier or something. I don't really remember. Weeks of character building and waiting to play, and we played like three times over the course of months. Anyways, I found a really cool "PrC"-- the antarian rangers, and was hella pumped to play as one. They are pretty much ranger commando guys who help the Jedi and whomp a lot of ass.

    The girl playing one of the jedi pretty much just said no, and I was really mad for about four hours.

    DouglasDanger on
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY wrote:
    Then there are alternate base classes, a la Artificer, which is actually very well balanced.




    Apparently my Elven Duskblade has convinced my current GM to never allow that class again. He does, however, love the Knight class.

    The artificer is probably the most broken class in the game...

    Duskblades are awesome, but not overpowered.

    Knights are also awesome.

    Beguilers are probably a smidge overpowered.

    Goumindong on
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  • INeedNoSaltINeedNoSalt with blood on my teeth Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Fighter imho

    INeedNoSalt on
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    What are you saying, Salt?

    DouglasDanger on
  • INeedNoSaltINeedNoSalt with blood on my teeth Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    "Who needs a prestige class when you can take levels in Fighter," mostly.

    I'm not a fan of prestige classes.

    INeedNoSalt on
  • SageinaRageSageinaRage Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Reynolds wrote:
    Silpheed wrote:
    I recommend Forsaker for anyone who hates their DM and other players. It's pretty much designed to just be a dick to everyone else.
    Please, elaborate.

    You destroy magical items in exchange for power. You can't have any magical items at all, but you get bonuses for that. And you have a valid reason for trying to take/destroy everyone else's items, and killing wizards and such.

    It's also just the ultimate 'lone wolf' kind of class - you can't carry any magic items, and also have to make a save against any kind of spell cast on you - even your own cleric's heals.

    In exchange for this, you get spell resistance, damage resistance, huge saving throws, and an ability score increase each level.

    SageinaRage on
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  • ReynoldsReynolds Gone Fishin'Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I also heard you could eventually treat non-magical items as if they were magical. They got huge bonsues and such...

    Reynolds on
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  • claxtonclaxton ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    what is this duskblade, and what book is it? Please explain what sets it apart.

    claxton on
    Its not enough to win. You want nothing left of your enemy but a skull nailed to a fence post so everybody understands the cost of crossing you. -Durga
  • Anthrax! Please.Anthrax! Please. Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Duskblade is in the Player's Handbook II, and it is a decent class. Spells through fifth level, though a very small set. Fighter base attack bonus, and the ability to channel spells through their swords as part of a standard action, or later, as part of a full attack action.

    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    I am currently playing one in a campaign with people who are moderate power gamers, and I am about par for the course in terms of damage dealing with our Scout/Dervish/Tempest and our Blackguard Mounty-chap.

    Anthrax! Please. on
  • Raiden333Raiden333 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I recall at one point reading of Hulking Hurler builds that can literally move the earth.

    Raiden333 on
    There was a steam sig here. It's gone now.
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    claxton wrote:
    what is this duskblade, and what book is it? Please explain what sets it apart.
    The duskblade is essentialy the Spell Sword or Eldrich Knight pretige classes, but a base class, and done right.

    Goumindong on
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  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Goumindong wrote:
    claxton wrote:
    what is this duskblade, and what book is it? Please explain what sets it apart.
    The duskblade is essentialy the Spell Sword or Eldrich Knight pretige classes, but a base class, and done right.

    Eldrich Knight I think still serves a purpose, even with the duskblades existance. You can get alot bigger spell pool, alot higher level spells and more spells per day with an Eldrich Knight.

    Duskblade does kinda make the Spell Sword seem pointless though. Then again, warmage + whatever feat lets you cast in heavier armor + mithril armor + eldrich knght always seemed better then Spell Sword to me...

    I guess the channel two spells at once into your sword thing is pretty nifty...

    Edit: Duskblade is a class from the Players Handbook 2. It has full BAB progression, decent HP and gets spells. At 20th level it has acess to 5th level spells. It has some other cool features, like quicken spell X number of times per day at will, and during full attacks being able to expend a touch spell to add the affects of the touch spell to each swing of the attack (although it can only affect a single enemy once in a turn).

    Inquisitor on
  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    Actually, of all things, his main problem with the class is the quick-cast ability and the swift spells on the list.

    The fact that I can one-hit-kill things with a good hit is just icing.

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • Anthrax! Please.Anthrax! Please. Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY wrote:
    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    Actually, of all things, his main problem with the class is the quick-cast ability and the swift spells on the list.

    The fact that I can one-hit-kill things with a good hit is just icing.

    Have you considered the possiblity that your GM has no idea what he's talking about?

    I have.

    Anthrax! Please. on
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY wrote:
    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    Actually, of all things, his main problem with the class is the quick-cast ability and the swift spells on the list.

    The fact that I can one-hit-kill things with a good hit is just icing.

    Swift spells are pretty awesome actualy, even then though it shouldnt be enough to matter.

    Goumindong on
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  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Well, I've learned that Swift Expeditious Retreat is just about the best spell ever if you're wearing medium armor. Probably moreso in light.

    Der Waffle Mous on
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  • PkmoutlPkmoutl Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Personally, I am not much for Prestige Classes.

    A lot of them are a little overpowered, as far as I'm concerned. Some of them are just, well, lame. I basically look over the Prestige Classes and decide which ones actually make sense and which ones are just some sweaty gamer's wet dream he came up with while jerking off over his 1983 copy of The Compleat Adventurer or the copy of Dragon with the fucking "Duelist" class in it.

    As far as I'm concerned, you can't be without the Assassin and the Blackguard. Those are just mainstays of D&D. A lot of the Prestige Classes look like good NPC classes for things like antagonists and major villains (i.e. I would never ever allow a PC to play a fucking Pale Master, but I would use one for a major villain).

    That and I have a group of people that I play with who have mostly been playing since 1st edition AD&D, and we've seen classes like a lot of these be abused and overused. I also have really strict rules for doing things like multi-classing that most people would whine about. But then again, none of you ever had to play with a Fighter/Thief/Duelist who could backstab with a two-handed sword, never miss and block all other attacks--even missile attacks--with a dagger in his off-hand.

    Pkmoutl on
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Pkmoutl wrote:
    But then again, none of you ever had to play with a Fighter/Thief/Duelist who could backstab with a two-handed sword, never miss and block all other attacks--even missile attacks--with a dagger in his off-hand.

    I am intrigued. Show ussss thisss build, Preciousss.

    Darth Waiter on
  • DonaldRumsfeldDonaldRumsfeld Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY wrote:
    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    Actually, of all things, his main problem with the class is the quick-cast ability and the swift spells on the list.

    The fact that I can one-hit-kill things with a good hit is just icing.
    I have to agree with the duskblade being an awesome base class and I can see why your DM has a problem with it. if you are in a group with 2 fighters and/or barbarians you can do some serious damage in a couple of rounds. I have only played one up to 6th level and I always felt I was outshining the other melee characters so I would drop back and cast some rays to not over step my bounds in the party. I had some close calls death wise when a battle dragged on and whenever a strong melee enemy was going one on one with me.

    DonaldRumsfeld on
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  • PkmoutlPkmoutl Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Pkmoutl wrote:
    But then again, none of you ever had to play with a Fighter/Thief/Duelist who could backstab with a two-handed sword, never miss and block all other attacks--even missile attacks--with a dagger in his off-hand.

    I am intrigued. Show ussss thisss build, Preciousss.

    One thing you have to realize was that the Duelist class was one of those cheezy classes that came out in Dragon that sounded like a good idea, but it ended up fucking the game up. The Prestige Class one they have in...oh, I don't remember which book it is off-hand, well, it is much improved.

    The original Duellist could only use a Rapier, but the damage depended on his level, plus he got his Strength AND Dex bonuses to hit and to damage. On top of that, he could block an attack, one attack per level plus Dex bonus. So a 14th level Duellist with an 18 Dex could block something like 19 attacks per round. He also could block the same way if he had a dagger, buckler or another rapier in his off-hand. Plus, if he had a dagger or rapier in the off-hand, he could also attack with it. There are tales of Duellists taking on dragons alone while the rest of the party went to pick up the pizza. It was a travesty.

    Fortunately, I never allowed those characters in my games, but I was in a few that did allow them. Usually, if anyone said, "It's this new class out of Dragon that I read about last month..." it meant the rest of the party was going to be in for a good nap.

    Pkmoutl on
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    WHY wrote:
    WHY: Your GM was probably missing the fact that the Arcane Channelling thing, at 13th level, only lets the spell affect a given target once. For example, if you used Touch of Idiocy on someone, you would not be able to hit them with it more than once.

    Actually, of all things, his main problem with the class is the quick-cast ability and the swift spells on the list.

    The fact that I can one-hit-kill things with a good hit is just icing.
    I have to agree with the duskblade being an awesome base class and I can see why your DM has a problem with it. if you are in a group with 2 fighters and/or barbarians you can do some serious damage in a couple of rounds. I have only played one up to 6th level and I always felt I was outshining the other melee characters so I would drop back and cast some rays to not over step my bounds in the party. I had some close calls death wise when a battle dragged on and whenever a strong melee enemy was going one on one with me.

    If the duskblade was outshining the fighter and the barbarian, the fighter and the barbarian werent doing their job, which is battlefield control.

    The duskblade is not the frontline fighter that a fighter or barb is, something was going wrong with your group.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that duskblades "peak" at 5th level (in realative power) due to shocking grasps 5d6 damage cap.

    That being said, you shouldnt have been outshining your team mates.

    Goumindong on
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  • SanderJKSanderJK Crocodylus Pontifex Sinterklasicus Madrid, 3000 ADRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I think the Duskblade is pretty awesome from reading only, but it has been outshone by the Tome of Battle classes already. The maneuver/encounter thing is quite nice, giving fighters options during each fight, and the ability to change the options beforehand, and relying less on one or two tricks, (like the much favored mounted combat/charge build for insane damage, until something eats your mount or you have to go inside somewhere) as well as potentially better scaling (i haven't played these classes yet) at higher levels, makes for a potentially very fun character.

    SanderJK on
    Steam: SanderJK Origin: SanderJK
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Anyone ever played or DM'ed for a Bloodhound?

    Heard a bit about it, but don't have any of the books that spell out the class. It sounds like it might be a fun direction to take a ranger or rogue character.

    Horseshoe on
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  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    jdarksun wrote:
    Raiden333 wrote:
    I recall at one point reading of Hulking Hurler builds that can literally move the earth.
    It's broken, and most DMs simply will not allow that PrC. There are a couple similar builds that are insane, I'll see if I can dig up the links.

    The Corrupted template from BoVD is pretty sick. Causing vile damage with a touch? Yeesh.



    Here they are:

    Pun-Pun, the mighty kobold
    Become a diety by CR5.

    The Omniscificer
    Uses The Perpetual Damage Machine and the masochism spell to achieve a (literally) +Infinity bonus on skill checks, which is then used to alert divine forces of the pending Pun-Pun ascension (or anything else the Omniscificer desires). CR4.

    omniscificer is unneeded to alert a deity to a Pun pun ascention, the base DnD god of magic, senses all magical happenings[of any kind] some seven weeks before and after they happen. Just for the record.

    Tome of Battle is awesome, it "casterizes" melee fighters, giving them scaleable abilities. Its a good step for melee types.

    Re:Bloodhound

    I have never played or DM'd a bloodhound, they seem a decently solid class for a specific instance. Unless your game involves a lot of tracking, it isnt very usefull. This means that bloodhounds are typical builds.

    Other than that, i dont know how it performs.

    Goumindong on
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