[3.5] Build challenge: Mr Prestige

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

While I was compiling this list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12410693#post12410693) I was wondering how many prestige classes you could complete in a level 20 build? (And by complete, I mean take and keep all levels i.e. if the PrC is 3 levels, taking all 3 levels and having them in your final build - just to avoid lost level shenanigans).

For the sake of this challenge, the racial paragon classes are not considered prestige classes.

There's a lot of 3 level PrCs - how many can you cram into one build? :smallbiggrin:

Cheers - T

[Flickerdart]

Well, you have 2 levels of a base class to play around with, and then six 3-level PrCs. We'd need a 3-level with breakable prerequisites to start with, after that it would be simple since at 5th we can hit skill ranks for most of 'em.
In order:
Battle Trickster needs +5 BAB, any 3 skills with 6 ranks and 2 skill tricks. No good unless you can cheese +3 BAB and break 3 skill caps. Doesn't advance anything, 1/1 BAB and good Fort.
Cannith Wand Adept: 3 feats, Spellcraft 6, UMD 8. Not worth it. Doesn't advance anything, 3/4 BAB and good Will.
Death's Chosen: +5 BAB, 2 ranks in Spot and 1 in Religion. If you can break the BAB, a good candidate. Full BAB, good Fort.
EWM: +6 BAB, Craft 3 ranks and two feats. Worse than Death's Chosen in all ways.
Fist of the Forest: BAB +4, 4 ranks in 2 skills, 3 feats (one of which is Otyugh Hole-able). You can get the BAB to enter from a friendly high-level Bard, so this is the strongest candidate so far.
Heir of Syberis: 15 skill ranks AND a race requirement? Hah.
Hellfire Warlock: High warlock specific requirements make this useless.
Hurler: +5 BAB, 3 feats, Large size. Too hard.
Magical Trickster: 3rd level spells, a metamagic feat, two skill tricks. Cheesing spells is easy enough. 2/3 casting but only +1 BAB.
Paragnostic Initiate: 2 ranks in 3 knowledges, +4 BAB or 7 Tumble. Once again, friendly Bard gets us in, though FotF's payoff is better. Full BAB.
Reforged: Race requirement, Profession 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks. 3/4 BAB, good Will. Not worth it at all.
Ruathar: Cheesing 3rd level spells lets us in, 3/4 BAB and good Fort and Reflex, plus full spell advancement. Maybe stick Magical Trickster on top of this?
Shadowstriker: +5 BAB, Religion 2, a feat. Middle of the road.
Squire of Legend: History 2, 7 ranks in a knowledge for 2 BAB and 2/3 spells.
Stoneblessed: Appraise 2, Craft 5. That's it. Shwing! The class itself is pretty mediocre (+2 BAB, good Fort) but is the only uncheesy base we have so far.
Sword of Righteousness: +6 BAB, 2 feats. Ew.
Uncanny Trickster: My, this list is full of tricksters. 4 skills of 8 and 4 skill tricks, but 2/3 advancement of any class. Will be very valuable, but not our first choice.
Wayfarer Guide: 10 ranks in 2 skills, must cast Teleport, 2/3 spell progression. Not spectacular.
Wild Plains Outrider: 9 ranks and two feats, plus AC or Special Mount? Too stifling.
Wonderworker: 3rd level spells, two feats, Will +5. Doesn't advance spellcasting but does give bonus spells.

So, without cheese, the obvious way to go is Full BAB Class 2/Stoneblessed 3, which fetches us 4 BAB, then Fist of the Forest 3, bumping our BAB up to +7. From then, we can hop along the full BAB PrCs, since they rarely require more than a pittance in skill ranks or a few feats. Battle Trickster 3/Death's Chosen 3/Paragnostic Initiate 3/Ruathar 3 tops us up to level 20 with 6 PrCs completed and 18 BAB, so we can stick things full of holes despite not having much in the way of class features. Would have to start as Human for the feats, unless you Otyugh Hole in your backstory, use flaws or enjoy having your soul chewed on by creepy crawlies.

[Thurbane]

Well, that didn't take very long! :smalltongue:

[Venger]

Hey all,

While I was compiling this list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12410693#post12410693) I was wondering how many prestige classes you could complete in a level 20 build? (And by complete, I mean take and keep all levels i.e. if the PrC is 3 levels, taking all 3 levels and having them in your final build - just to avoid lost level shenanigans).

For the sake of this challenge, the racial paragon classes are not considered prestige classes.

There's a lot of 3 level PrCs - how many can you cram into one build? :smallbiggrin:

Cheers - T

challenge accepted (http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/004/457/challenge.jpg)


Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."

-John Cutter, "The Prestige"

For Alfred, illusionist with the brief figment ACF, because in order to perform "The Transported Man," he must have some form of double.

illusionist 2

after this point, stoneblessed is needed for entry to shadowcraft mage to consider him a gnome in spirit if not by birth due to his dedication to magic and trickery.
illusionist /stoneblessed 3/

shadowcraft mage to completion then to show how his illusions are able to thoroughly enrapture his audience, becoming realer than real.

illusionist /stoneblessed 3/ shadowcraft mage 5/

as he begins his descent into madness and crime, his deeds become quite terrifying, and he starts and finishes nightmare spinner

illusionist /stoneblessed 3/ shadowcraft mage 5/ nightmare spinner 5

finally, of the two, Alfred always was the better magician, completing "The Transported Man" without the use of magic. his own personal charisma made people look past his lack of overt magical powers in the early days and believe his trick over robert's eventual real magic, so he gets levels in evangelist

illusionist 2/stoneblessed 3/ shadowcraft mage 5/ nightmare spinner 5/ evangelist 5

Robert, on the other hand, takes a different approach. he was always the less naturally talented of the two, and as a result, always had to work harder to compete with Alfred. this is reflected by him going on his retreat with Nikolai Tesla to fully embrace the gnome artificer lifestyle more immediately than Alfred went on his self-imposed exile to teach himself to be a better magician. this is reflected with the gnomish bard class being taken first when the human Robert is not yet considered a gnome to get maximum utility out of gnome paragon. shadowcraft mage and nightmare spinner are here for similar reasons as they are on Alfred since the two share a number of characteristics in common.

the difference comes at the end. robert lacks the natural charisma that alfred has (not in-game charisma, but force of personality) alfred wins the crowds with his charm whereas robert must rely on his infernal machine. as a result, his nature is better expressed through the more introverted magical trickster rather than the extroverted evangelist.

bard 2/ stoneblessed 3/ gnome paragon 3/ shadowcraft mage 5/ nightmare spinner 5/ magical trickster 2