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This is a fundamental change to Pathfinder in general over 3.x. Prestige classes have been reduced significantly in number and in overall strength.
I think the best rumor anybody can give is that each of the companion line usually has about one PrC every two books, and there will likely be a few at least in ultimate magic due out in the spring (though what they do is still up in the air).
A lack of prestige classes is, IMHO anyways, a good thing. There were just too many in 3.x. Besides with Pathfinder reinventing all of the classes and giving them cool stuff at 20th level plus the addition of archtypes, prestige classes are fairly worthless (again IMHO).
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A lack of prestige classes is, IMHO anyways, a good thing.
Agreed. PrC bloat was one of my least favorite things about 3.5. James (at least I think it was James) has commented that Paizo wants to bring things back to core classes, and it's been stated on numerous occasions that the system is meant to promote single classed characters as well with the capstone abilities.
This topic though isn't really a Pathfinder Society question though, it's just a general game topic; so really we should be talking about it there.
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What's wrong with you all. There is the Pathfinder chronicler. We are all Pathfinders - do we need anything else ?
Okay joking aside - I think with all the different builds possible thanks to APG and the extra six classes that prestige classes have taken a step back in importance. I still aim to take one level of pathfinder chronicler for my wizard - it just fits so necely to the background. But I will take a hit in a few areas doing so.
But it should be fun.
Thod
Director of Brand Strategy
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Almost every PFRPG prestige class released in a Paizo product is legal for PFS play, with the exception of only a few I can think of that require an evil alignment or involve heavy GM adjudication, as well as several that were released under the 3.5 rules set. In general, we'll be using archetypes in place of PrCs to make variant classes and such, and those are (so far) all available for play. The rate of PrC release is a topic for a different part of the boards, as we're not going to be making new PrCs in PFS specifically. But if one appears in another book, it will receive the same consideration for being made legal for PFS play as any other rules element we produce.
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One the larger problems I noticed with many 3.5 PrCs is that they often changed very little. That is to say a large number of them continued progression of most of the base classes they were intended to ask for as prerequisites with only a handful of changes. The best examples are PrCs which continued monk abilities and spell casting while adding only a handful of new items overall. We all know many prestige classes (Archmage? Hierophant?) were also expected to be taken because there was no reason not to and no drawback to doing so. Why is it even a prestige class then?
These classes are best represented by archetypes because only a small amount of the class really changes and they are changes that can easily be scaled across 20 levels. So far I've noticed most of Pathfinder's PrCs are intended to create character with specific affiliations or concepts that aren't just an extension of a pre-existing class. That, in my mind, is a better use for Prestige Classes in general. Not "Variant Monk #13" or "Full Spellcaster With Special Snowflake Ability X".
Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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Almost every PFRPG prestige class released in a Paizo product is legal for PFS play, with the exception of only a few I can think of that require an evil alignment or involve heavy GM adjudication, as well as several that were released under the 3.5 rules set
Under which of these circumstances does the Chevalier PRC (from Second Darkness) fall? Just curious; I thought it was pretty good!
Probably because it only has three levels and it was written under the 3.5 rules. This looks like it should be remade as an alternate class for one of the core classes rather than kept as a prestige class.
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Regional Venture-Coordinator, Baltic
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Is it just me or does it seem like there is a massively underwhelming amount of prestige classes available for organized play? I've read the ones in the core rulebook, and looked at the ones available Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized play.. but don't see much of worth for the character I am looking to play.
Are there any rumors about any upcoming releases that have prestige classes? I play a wizard who currently is level 2. Thing is I'd like to know where he's going so when I can select a prestige class he isn't short on some skill ranks or a feat.
Thanks for any information you can provide :)
Justin Kellerman
There's a price for power, but if you're willing to pay it:
Bloatmage
Diabolist
>:-)
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Director of Brand Strategy
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Almost every PFRPG prestige class released in a Paizo product is legal for PFS play, with the exception of only a few I can think of that require an evil alignment or involve heavy GM adjudication, as well as several that were released under the 3.5 rules setUnder which of these circumstances does the Chevalier PRC (from Second Darkness) fall? Just curious; I thought it was pretty good!
It is one of the "several that were released under the 3.5 rules set."
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Wizard? Why not shoot for Pathfinder Savant? (In print in Seekers of Secrets, or else Archives of Nethys.
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The one issue that I can find is with the PrC Nature Warden in the Advanced Player's Guide. It specifically states that they are usually druids (or druid/rangers) and then the Prestige Class has a prerequisite that only a druid/ranger would have (favored terrain class feature), unless the PC had a level in the PrC Horizon Walker (which would defeat the purpose). Not that I was going to do that, but I was thinking of taking a prestige class with my Pathfinder Society druid.