Cool unique prestige classes.

[bogsnes]

Basically I just started looking around to try to find cool unique build-around prestige classes and the like, that aren't necessarily seen all that often. Considering that there are quite a few prestige classes and that I don't really want to have to read through all of them I decided to make a post here because I'm guessing that many of you have experiences with prestige classes like that.

Example of things I am looking for:
Trapsmith (Dungeonscape) - Trap mechanic is pretty cool, adds a new use for a skill that doesn't see much use, etc.

I'm not necessarily focused mainly on the power level of the prestige classes, more about finding cool unique abilities, etc. that could be fun to utilize in general (though not sucking a lot is a nice bonus, as being awful tends to be slightly less fun in general).

[Troacctid]

Off the top of my head:

Anima Mage
Arachnomancer
Arcane Hierophant
Ardent Dilettante
Bear Warrior
Bloodhound
Chameleon
Champion of Gwynharwyf
Crimson Scourge
Crystal Master
Daggerspell Mage
Daggerspell Shaper
Demonbinder
Diamond Dragon
Dirgesinger
Disciple of Thrym
Dragon Descendant
Dragon Disciple
Dweomerkeeper
Effigy Master
Eldritch Disciple
Eldritch Theurge
Elocater
Enlightened Fist
Geomancer
Hellreaver
Hulking Hurler
Ironsoul Forgemaster
Loredelver
Master of Many Forms
Master of Masks
Master of Shadow
Master Transmogrifist
Nar Demonbinder
Necrocarnate
Ordained Champion
Primeval
Raumathari Battlemage
Sacred Fist
Sapphire Hierarch
Scorpion Heritor
Seeker of the Song
Sentinel of Bharrai
Shadow Sun Ninja
Silverwood Arcanist
Slayer of Domiel
Soul Manifester
Soulcaster
Stormsinger
Swiftblade
Tenebrous Apostate
Thaumaturgist
Totem Rager
Trapsmith
True Necromancer
Umbral Disciple
Urban Savant
Void Disciple
Walker in the Waste
War Mind
Winterhaunt of Iborighu

[bogsnes]

Sweet! Reading through them now - many of them are fairly intriguing, which is what I wanted!

That said, for any potential future posters, writing the sourcebook would be nice, as it takes some time to find the source for each PrC when reading through a lot of them.

[Troacctid]

Oh, also, handy reference (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/prc).

[bogsnes]

Yeah, I know about that (was using D&D tools to find book then using the books themselves to read because of more read-friendly colours to not tire my eyes, etc.). Just takes a while when doing it many times.

EDIT: Also, are there more prestige classes that gives new unique uses for certain skills, etc. that utilize high skill checks in certain ways or the likes kind of in the way Trapsmith does anyways? As in skill-based prestige classes in that they gain new uses for skill check, not that they give you big bonuses that make normal uses of skills easier.

[Telonius]

Just off the top of my head, Exemplar might fit. It's very much skill-based, and you can perform a skill as though it were a mini-diplomacy check. The idea is that your'e so good at Craft: Underwater Basketweaving (or Use Rope, or whatever) that it inspires other people to like and follow you.

[ekarney]

Flux Adept.

I just love the whole concept of it, the OA PrC's seemed pretty interesting too.

[Agahnim]

I used to play a rogue/master of masks. It's quite underpowered tbh, but it's a blast to play. Raw combat power didn't matter much because I was the party scout/skillmonkey

[TheBrassDuke]

You forgot:

-Exalted Arcanist
-Geometer
-Master Specialist
-Ruathar
-Sandshaper
-Silver Pyromancer

Just a few more...

[Psyren]

Exalted Arcanist is one of my favorites. Spontaneous access to every sanctified spell makes a lot of difference; I like to throw it onto a Warmage. Thematically I also like pairing it with Silver Pyromancer from Five Nations.

[TheBrassDuke]

Exalted Arcanist is one of my favorites. Spontaneous access to every sanctified spell makes a lot of difference; I like to throw it onto a Warmage. Thematically I also like pairing it with Silver Pyromancer from Five Nations.

Sorcerer or Wizard is my go-to, but I wholly agree.

Y'know what else I like? Sor/Sand/Exalted Arcanist.

Proto-Saint of the Waste--a Pharaoh!

[Brova]

Bonded Summoner would be totally sweet if it didn't cut your casting in half. As it is, it's merely "kind of okay" if you run around sharing buffs with your pet huge elemental.

If you squint, Green Star Adept is a decent class for a melee guy with a Wizard dip.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

The above lists are pretty solid.

If you're interested in homebrew material as well, there are any number of excellent PrCs on the Homebrew forum -- some of them incredibly unique.

[sovin_ndore]

I will list some of my Favorite PrCs that I don't see played alot (some of them for obvious reason).

Archivist
Blade Bravo
Blood Magus
Drunken Master
Exemplar
Fiend of Posession
Fochlucan Lyrist
Illithid Savant
Incantatrix (PGtF version)
Sword Dancer
Tenebrous Apostate
Thief Acrobat (Song and Silence version)
Truenamer
Warshaper
Weapon Master (OA version, aka Kensai)
Zhentarim Spy

[bogsnes]

Isn't incantatrix one of the most used wizard PrCs?

Anyways, nice lists, was quite a few cool ones among them!

Currently not all that interested in homebrew as while I like it, I think that it's easier to just avoid them until I have played a campaign or two in the same group (which hasn't happened yet given that I grew up in a fairly small town with little/no options of playing D&D and only recently moved to a city).

[sovin_ndore]

Incantatrix is a top tier class, it is also banned in most of the groups I play in. As it is also both cool and flavorful, it makes my list of 'Cool and unique' though it would not make a list of 'underrated'.

[bogsnes]

Sure, that makes sense I guess.

[Battleship789]

Surprised Telflammar Shadowlord (Unapproachable East) hasn't been mentioned yet. Becoming Nightcrawler is just too much fun to pass up.

[bogsnes]

Yeah, now that you mentioned it that is indeed weird. I have seen it before multiple times though, but considering that I didn't mention anything about that you'd think that it would be one of the first PrCs that someone would mention.

[Snowbluff]

Surprised Telflammar Shadowlord (Unapproachable East) hasn't been mentioned yet. Becoming Nightcrawler is just too much fun to pass up.

On a similiar note, the Crinti Shadow Marauder. It's a similiar deal but with mounted combat instead of stealth.

[Silva Stormrage]

Master of Shrouds is also pretty interesting for a prc. Especially if you use early entry, its main trick is to summon large amounts of incorporeal undead. Progresses divine casting except for first and rebuke undead so it's pretty good.

[Pluto!]

I was digging through Eberron books to find where Escalation Mage lives, because I think that class is sweet. But you know what, just open an Eberron supplement, and there will be a sweet build-around PrC or 3.

I also have had a lot of fun with Scarlet Corsair from Stormwrack. It gives angles to optimize from the Sneak Attack angle, the Intimidate angle, the Feint/Charismatic combat angle, or any combination therein.

[Curmudgeon]

Aerial Avenger (Dragon Compendium), because it's all about perfect 3D maneuverability. :smallsmile:

[Rainshine]

Alienist gets points for searing the sample image into my brain.

Leviathan Hunter
Stormsinger
Slime Lord

[Jormengand]

A lot of the truespeak prestige classes in the tome of magic are really cool, though not necessarily any good (though I sorta managed to get a disciple of the word to work... ish).

[mabriss lethe]

I've had fun building "The Dark Porcupine", a Soulknife 9/Umbral Disciple 10/x1 debuff/reach build.

[justiceforall]

Why soulknife specifically in that build?

[Nihilarian]

Chameleon and Jaunter are pretty fun.