Booklet or article on Prestige Class archetypes?


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That might be out of left field, but has there ever been archetypes for [b]prestige[b] classes?

Think about it: What if you want to be an Arcane Archer with a firearm or crossbow instead of a bow? What if you wanna play a Good-aligned Assassin? What if you wanna be a Crimson Assassin that used spiders instead of mantises? What if you wanna be an Eldritch Knight using divine spells? What if you wanna play a more combat-oriented Dragon Disciple? What if you wanna be a Horizon Walker that specializes in only one terrain?

I could go on and on, but you get the general idea, right? If classes can get archetypes, it shouldn't be impossible for prestige classes to get some as well.

I'm just wondering if that was ever done before, and if so, where.

Grand Lodge

To my knowledge no one has ever done it.
Is it possible, yes, BUT PrCs are more specific design, so it would break the mold which is never a bad thing.

if it is a home game, just make a ruling and have your gm agree on it.


I haven't come across it at all. As far as I can tell, the only real interaction prestige classes have with archetypes is whether they block or grant prerequisites for getting into the PrC. And of course, in one case, the archetype IS the major prereq (See the Winter Witch Archetype and the PrC by the same name)


Nope, there are no known examples, though there might be some homebrew. Although one of your ideas (divine eldritch knight) exists in several flavors, the best known being the holy vindicator.

Grand Lodge

Archetypes are Paizo's answer to Prestige Classes in terms of customization. In 3.x, the Prestige Class (PrC) was a way to specialize and/or customize your character. In Pathfinder, PrCs are about, well, prestige. It's about being an Eagle Knight or Hellknight, not about customizing your character's abilities.

I know, it doesn't really fit with the PrCs in the Core Rulebook, but remember that those are a holdover from 3.5 rather than something Paizo created themselves. Their design philosophy on them is different so I wouldn't expect much support for customizing the core PrCs.

For more ideas on how Paizo thinks of PrCs, check out Paths of Prestige.

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