Sgt. Cookie
2013-01-02, 02:02 PM
Welcome friends, one and all. This is a small guide to helping you choose what class you should use with the Prestige Bard/Ranger/Paladin. This guide is not here to help you optimise those classes, there are plenty of guides for that.
This entire guide is my personal opinion, your's can differ.
What are they?
Prestige Bard, Paladin and Ranger, as you might have guessed, are Prestige Class versions of the Bard, Paladin and Ranger. These appeared in Unearthed Arcana, but are also available on the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm).
Should you use them?
Prestige Paladin and Ranger? Absolutely. If the option to use them is available, do so.
Prestige Bard? This is an odd one. If regular Bard isn't available, this is brilliant. If both are available, it really depends. Generaly, I would recomend that you use it, but you may find that normal Bard is better for you.
Colour coding
Green: Absolutely fantastic, the best choice.
Blue: As good as Green, but using them has some convoluted or costly entry.
Purple: Pretty darned good, but still only above average.
Black: Average. Might be useful, might not. Depends on you, really.
Brown: Below average, might be useful in certain circumstances. But on the whole? Don’t use them.
Red: Very poor choice. Don’t even bother.
Prestige Bard
(NOTE: It is assumed that the Apprentice feat, DMG II, is being used to give you Perform)
BASE:
Hexblade (Complete Warrior)
No.. Just. No. 4th level, few spells and very weak ones at that. Don’t even think about it.
Warlock (Complete Arcane)
You need a single level of Wizard (If you can use PHB II, use Beguiler instead), for the spell requirement, but from then on out, you use Bard to progress your Warlock levels. This gives you standard Bard abilities, combined with Greater Invocations, and 7d6 Eldritch Blast. Let your foes fear your might!
Wizard (Player’s handbook)
It’s an Int based caster. On a Bard. If you get lucky and have the stats to spare, maybe. But as a whole, there are much better choices. This is average because you do get 8th level spells. As a 1 level dip, for spellcasting requirements, it shifts to Green. Provided Beguiler isn’t in use. Then it slides to Black again.
Sorcerer (PHB)
Chances are, this is what they had in mind when they created Prestige Bard. A Charisma based full caster. But it’s not one of the best. Not by a longshot.
Beguiler (PHB II)
Sorcerer may have been the intent, but Beguiler is the Dog’s Testicles. Its spell list is almost completely Divination, Enchantment and Illusion spells, which are all cast at a +2 caster level. Add in to that access to 8th level spells, two more than standard Bard, and you have the ultimate go-to base class for Prestige Bard.
Duskblade (PHB II)
Bard would only ever get access to 4th level spells, most of them would be cast at -2 power level and they are all combat spells. Why isn’t this Red? The sheer number of spells per day.
Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)
Despite my normal disdain for 4th level spells, Spellthieves make for semi-decent Bards, simply because they can nick the spells of other people for their own use. UPDATE: As has been pointed out to me, Master Spellthief, which every Spellthief takes anyway, pushes him up to Blue, because this is the only Class that can give 9th's. It's not Green because Spellthief's built in casting progression is awful.
Warmage (Complete Arcane/Miniatures Handbook)
Despite it being a full caster, it’s all evocation. Ignore it, move on.
Wu-Jen (Complete Arcane)
I have little experience with Wu-Jens, so I can’t make a judgement.
Dragonfire Adept (Dragon Magic)
Like Warlock, except with fewer invocations. If you don’t have Warlock, this is a suitable substitute, but Warlock is the better bet.
Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror)
On it's own, DN is red due to the lost caster levels. With practiced spell caster and Requiem, this upgrades to Blue, simply due to the fear inducing panic that is an undead horde empowered by Bardic Music, and all that you can do with that.
PRC
Sometimes, a PrC can do better than a Base Class. Sometimes not. The following are some PrC’s with their own spellcasting. Usualy, you won’t get more than a level or two before you lose Bard levels, so be aware of that. Generally speaking, if a PrC gives less than 6th level spells, don’t bother. Though there are exceptions.
Assassin/Avenger (DMG/Online)
Why are they grouped together? Same class, different entry requirements. 4th level spells, Sneak Attack entry requirements. No, you can do without this.
Vigilante (Complete Adventurer)
Unless you can sneak 33 level 3 spells past your DM, don’t bother here.
Sublime Chord (Complete Arcane)
UPDATE: If you take EXACTLY 3 levels of Prestige Bard before you take a level of sublime Chord, this can give you 9th level spells. This bumps it up to green.
Suel Arcanamach (Complete Arcane)
Fairly decent, you get 5th’s, a -5 to ASF, and a +6 to the dispelling DC of spells. Access to illusion, enchantment, divintiation and transmutation spells. Personally, I think all that outweighs the fact that the first level you can take this class is 7.
Trapsmith (Dungeonscape)
HELL AND NO! 3rd level spells, and very few spells at that. The fact that this is all in red should tell you how much of a bad idea this is.
Corrupt Avenger (Heroes of Horror)
4th's. Need I go on?
Fatemaker (Planar Handbook)
Yet again, 4th level maximum.
This entire guide is my personal opinion, your's can differ.
What are they?
Prestige Bard, Paladin and Ranger, as you might have guessed, are Prestige Class versions of the Bard, Paladin and Ranger. These appeared in Unearthed Arcana, but are also available on the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm).
Should you use them?
Prestige Paladin and Ranger? Absolutely. If the option to use them is available, do so.
Prestige Bard? This is an odd one. If regular Bard isn't available, this is brilliant. If both are available, it really depends. Generaly, I would recomend that you use it, but you may find that normal Bard is better for you.
Colour coding
Green: Absolutely fantastic, the best choice.
Blue: As good as Green, but using them has some convoluted or costly entry.
Purple: Pretty darned good, but still only above average.
Black: Average. Might be useful, might not. Depends on you, really.
Brown: Below average, might be useful in certain circumstances. But on the whole? Don’t use them.
Red: Very poor choice. Don’t even bother.
Prestige Bard
(NOTE: It is assumed that the Apprentice feat, DMG II, is being used to give you Perform)
BASE:
Hexblade (Complete Warrior)
No.. Just. No. 4th level, few spells and very weak ones at that. Don’t even think about it.
Warlock (Complete Arcane)
You need a single level of Wizard (If you can use PHB II, use Beguiler instead), for the spell requirement, but from then on out, you use Bard to progress your Warlock levels. This gives you standard Bard abilities, combined with Greater Invocations, and 7d6 Eldritch Blast. Let your foes fear your might!
Wizard (Player’s handbook)
It’s an Int based caster. On a Bard. If you get lucky and have the stats to spare, maybe. But as a whole, there are much better choices. This is average because you do get 8th level spells. As a 1 level dip, for spellcasting requirements, it shifts to Green. Provided Beguiler isn’t in use. Then it slides to Black again.
Sorcerer (PHB)
Chances are, this is what they had in mind when they created Prestige Bard. A Charisma based full caster. But it’s not one of the best. Not by a longshot.
Beguiler (PHB II)
Sorcerer may have been the intent, but Beguiler is the Dog’s Testicles. Its spell list is almost completely Divination, Enchantment and Illusion spells, which are all cast at a +2 caster level. Add in to that access to 8th level spells, two more than standard Bard, and you have the ultimate go-to base class for Prestige Bard.
Duskblade (PHB II)
Bard would only ever get access to 4th level spells, most of them would be cast at -2 power level and they are all combat spells. Why isn’t this Red? The sheer number of spells per day.
Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)
Despite my normal disdain for 4th level spells, Spellthieves make for semi-decent Bards, simply because they can nick the spells of other people for their own use. UPDATE: As has been pointed out to me, Master Spellthief, which every Spellthief takes anyway, pushes him up to Blue, because this is the only Class that can give 9th's. It's not Green because Spellthief's built in casting progression is awful.
Warmage (Complete Arcane/Miniatures Handbook)
Despite it being a full caster, it’s all evocation. Ignore it, move on.
Wu-Jen (Complete Arcane)
I have little experience with Wu-Jens, so I can’t make a judgement.
Dragonfire Adept (Dragon Magic)
Like Warlock, except with fewer invocations. If you don’t have Warlock, this is a suitable substitute, but Warlock is the better bet.
Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror)
On it's own, DN is red due to the lost caster levels. With practiced spell caster and Requiem, this upgrades to Blue, simply due to the fear inducing panic that is an undead horde empowered by Bardic Music, and all that you can do with that.
PRC
Sometimes, a PrC can do better than a Base Class. Sometimes not. The following are some PrC’s with their own spellcasting. Usualy, you won’t get more than a level or two before you lose Bard levels, so be aware of that. Generally speaking, if a PrC gives less than 6th level spells, don’t bother. Though there are exceptions.
Assassin/Avenger (DMG/Online)
Why are they grouped together? Same class, different entry requirements. 4th level spells, Sneak Attack entry requirements. No, you can do without this.
Vigilante (Complete Adventurer)
Unless you can sneak 33 level 3 spells past your DM, don’t bother here.
Sublime Chord (Complete Arcane)
UPDATE: If you take EXACTLY 3 levels of Prestige Bard before you take a level of sublime Chord, this can give you 9th level spells. This bumps it up to green.
Suel Arcanamach (Complete Arcane)
Fairly decent, you get 5th’s, a -5 to ASF, and a +6 to the dispelling DC of spells. Access to illusion, enchantment, divintiation and transmutation spells. Personally, I think all that outweighs the fact that the first level you can take this class is 7.
Trapsmith (Dungeonscape)
HELL AND NO! 3rd level spells, and very few spells at that. The fact that this is all in red should tell you how much of a bad idea this is.
Corrupt Avenger (Heroes of Horror)
4th's. Need I go on?
Fatemaker (Planar Handbook)
Yet again, 4th level maximum.