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General Tabletop Discussion
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)
The future of A5e Prestige Classes
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<blockquote data-quote="Steampunkette" data-source="post: 8728024" data-attributes="member: 6796468"><p>I've never liked Prestige classes. Not because they're a bad design space, but they almost invariably require multiclassing, which is a thing I've never -really- enjoyed.</p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong, I dual and triple-classed back in 2e when I was younger, but the tradeoff in power for variety never really sat well with me. The feeling of being levels behind the rest of the party in effectiveness kind of sucks. I could cast weaker spells than my contemporaries or swing my weapons less effectively than other contemporaries... there never felt like there was a solid time for the trade-off.</p><p></p><p>And sure, modern D&D and Level Up in particular front-load classes with features that don't have to scale to be effective, like a Barbarian's rage, for example, or a Warlock's Eldritch Blast scaling based on character level rather than class level. But then there's stuff like Bardic Inspiration, Spell Slots, and Sneak Attack which do need to scale to keep up with the world around the character.</p><p></p><p>There's also the baked-in delay. If I wanna play a Shadowdancer I've gotta wait 'til 5th or 6th level (so I can get 2 levels of Rogue and 3 of Wizard) before I can play the character I wanted to play at level 1.</p><p></p><p>It's the same discomfiture I have with A5e's Synergy Feats in that regard. Multiclassing required and mechanically delayed narrative just doesn't appeal to me.</p><p></p><p>You know what -might- work in that sort of way to create a distinct identity without those mechanical constraints?</p><p></p><p>Mini-Classes.</p><p></p><p>Instead of making a 20 level class or a 10 level prestige class that requires you to have X Rogue and Y Wizard levels, how about an 8 level character class designed for short campaigns and multiclassing. You start out as the Shadowdancer, you get some spellcasting and sneak attack early on to make sure you're as effective as your allies at low level, but after 8th level you have to start choosing whether to progress your Spellcasting or your Sneak Attack by taking Wizard/Sorcerer/Bard/Warlock/Cleric/Druid levels or Rogue levels... or if you wanna go in a wholly different direction and snap up some Herald levels to add some Divine Smiting to your Sneak Attacks.</p><p></p><p>Mini-Classes is a terrible name, though. Prestige Class is taken... Gestalt? Sure, 3e had a leveling setup for gestalt characters, but Gestalt Classes could be a fairly nice name. Concept Class would also work. Maybe Motif Classes? Slap on a restriction that you can't take 'em after 8th level and can only take 1 and let 'er rip.</p><p></p><p>Anyway... that's always been my personal grievance with 'em.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Steampunkette, post: 8728024, member: 6796468"] I've never liked Prestige classes. Not because they're a bad design space, but they almost invariably require multiclassing, which is a thing I've never -really- enjoyed. Don't get me wrong, I dual and triple-classed back in 2e when I was younger, but the tradeoff in power for variety never really sat well with me. The feeling of being levels behind the rest of the party in effectiveness kind of sucks. I could cast weaker spells than my contemporaries or swing my weapons less effectively than other contemporaries... there never felt like there was a solid time for the trade-off. And sure, modern D&D and Level Up in particular front-load classes with features that don't have to scale to be effective, like a Barbarian's rage, for example, or a Warlock's Eldritch Blast scaling based on character level rather than class level. But then there's stuff like Bardic Inspiration, Spell Slots, and Sneak Attack which do need to scale to keep up with the world around the character. There's also the baked-in delay. If I wanna play a Shadowdancer I've gotta wait 'til 5th or 6th level (so I can get 2 levels of Rogue and 3 of Wizard) before I can play the character I wanted to play at level 1. It's the same discomfiture I have with A5e's Synergy Feats in that regard. Multiclassing required and mechanically delayed narrative just doesn't appeal to me. You know what -might- work in that sort of way to create a distinct identity without those mechanical constraints? Mini-Classes. Instead of making a 20 level class or a 10 level prestige class that requires you to have X Rogue and Y Wizard levels, how about an 8 level character class designed for short campaigns and multiclassing. You start out as the Shadowdancer, you get some spellcasting and sneak attack early on to make sure you're as effective as your allies at low level, but after 8th level you have to start choosing whether to progress your Spellcasting or your Sneak Attack by taking Wizard/Sorcerer/Bard/Warlock/Cleric/Druid levels or Rogue levels... or if you wanna go in a wholly different direction and snap up some Herald levels to add some Divine Smiting to your Sneak Attacks. Mini-Classes is a terrible name, though. Prestige Class is taken... Gestalt? Sure, 3e had a leveling setup for gestalt characters, but Gestalt Classes could be a fairly nice name. Concept Class would also work. Maybe Motif Classes? Slap on a restriction that you can't take 'em after 8th level and can only take 1 and let 'er rip. Anyway... that's always been my personal grievance with 'em. [/QUOTE]
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