Villains in PRPG just don't go for prestige classes

[roguerouge]

Number of Villains with just a single class:

Bard 2
Barbarian 1
Cleric 1
Druid 4
Fighter 1
Monk 1
Ranger 1
Sorcerer 3
Wizard 1

Number of Villains with any levels in this class:

Aristocrat 2
Assassin 2
Bard 3
Cleric 3
Holy Warrior Cleric Alternative 1
Eldritch Knight 1
Expert 2
Fighter 3
Loremaster 1 (assumed)
Monk 1
Psion 1
Ranger 2
Rogue 5
Thrallherd 1
Sorcerer 2
Wizard 4

Notes:

Nobody multi-classed with druid, while every other spell caster had at least one villain with levels in something else. Does the CoDzilla live?

The bard got an awful lot of love. Did you expect that?

No single class rogues, despite their increase in talents. I guess bard is the new rogue...

No paladins, which I understand would have been a high risk choice.

Pathfinder’s rules seemed to discourage the use of prestige classes, which is one of the design principles. There were no: blackguards, arcane archers, arcane tricksters, archmages, dragon disciples, duelists (despite their keen new rules), hierophants, horizon walkers, mystic theurges, shadowdancers, or thaumaturgists.

[allen trussell]

If I had made the 32, my villain was going to be a paladin whose zealotry in the crusade against evil had led him to perform some pretty villainous acts, and consider any who judged him fallen to be corrupted and misguided...

[Saurstalk]

I'd have to go back and look at the old Dungeon magazines to rate as well. But recall that when 3e first came out, the base classes were touted as all you really need to make any sort of character. By combining feats and focusing on skills four 10th level fighters could look radically different. In this respect, Paizo has fixed a lot of things in 3e and 3.5 that didn't jive with this logic.

1. No multiclass penalty
2. Paladins and monks can multiclass
3. All skills cost 1 point. (Class skills simply get a class bonus once you invest.)
4. Traits. Like d20 Modern's occupation, this gives us further ways to make each character unique.

In this light, I'd say that the only thing missing is a wider array of options pertaining to each class's special abilities.

I have hoped for talents with 4e, but alas, no go. Certainly, we can't see talents with PRPG because of backwards compatibility, but perhaps Paizo, in its infinite wisdom, can envision ways to provide alternative special abilities for each class. In that vein, we can end up having two members of the same class look completely different, but functionally be the same class.

In the end, Paizo looks to be living up to the logic that we can not only survive, but thrive with just the SRD.