RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Several PrCs REQUIRE that a character receive some sort of 'training' from another member of the PrC in order to begin gaining levels in it in addition to the other prerequisites for joining the PrC in the first place. A question to the other DMs out there: When a player tells you "I want to pick up X PrC as soon as I hit level Y and can make the prerequisites" do you manipulate events to have this 'trainer' enter the scene at some convenient point to permit the player his desired build or do you just have the trainer show up 'eventually,' possibly screwing up the player's desired build considerably? Do you even require trainers at all for the various PrCs or do you just say "Yeah, you're in town. You find one. He teaches you"?
I'm curious to see how others handle this. I usually shoot for Option 1 because, even though it can seem contrived "Wow, there just HAPPENS to be an Order of the Bow Initiate willing to teach me his art way up here in the Frozen North?!" it gives the players something that is significant to their characters when they need it.
This is, of course, assuming that you have decided to allow the PrC in the first place.
While none of my players have asked to play a PrC that requires this I have thought about how I will deal with this when it comes up. I plan to actually make them seek out whoever they need to train them and them have that person accompany them on campaigns and train them. This has some reality to it and it creates its own adventure.
Well, if time allows and I knew beforehand that a player wanted to adopt a prestige class, I would probably try and set up a quest for them to track down a member of the class or stronghold of the organization and then prove themselves worthy. This is where the prerequisites would come into play. Maybe the organization tests combat aptitude within a controlled environment or has a skill challenge lined up. Maybe they would need a sponsor in the organization so that they could forge a relationship with an NPC or two.
Depends two things the first being style of my current campaign which will influence my second of how tight with the rules I’m being. In looser campaigns I don’t worry about the whole trainer bit. In other campaigns I make them use it a sub-plot/side quest.
"Wow, there just HAPPENS to be an Order of the Bow Initiate willing to teach me his art way up here in the Frozen North?!"
My amazing ranks in Sense Motive are picking up on something... :D
I typically try and make sure the player gets the training in before his desired level of access to the class. I'm all about making the game as fun as possible, and unless there's a damned good reason why that player wouldn't be able to do this, forcing them to waste levels and screwing with their character/build just seems arbitrary and tyrannical to me. Now, say Frostrager had a training prerequisite, but you're in a massive Sahara-like desert; I'd consider that a damned good reason why the player couldn't do it (and why the hell would he want to go Frostrager in that sort of game, anyway?).
As far as what that "training" would entail, depending on the nature of the class, I would typically have the player roleplay meeting the NPC in question and have some build up to it over the preceding levels. When it actually came time to get into the class, I'd use the idea from Dungeoncraft in Dungeon #145. There would be a brief description of some training, quest, or challenge the character would have to perform, a relative ability or skill check would be made with aout an 80% chance of success, and if the PC made it, he's in. If it fails, a "roleplaying" week or so passes, and you try again.
As said in the article, if you succeed, it adds roleplaying flair and depth to the character. If you fail, well... that's part of the fun of a challenge, the risk of failure. And you get a retry. Several, in fact. And even if you fail numerous times, the character gets the ability, along with some ribbing from the other players and something to live down in the future.