Prestige class for Hound Archon 3.5e

[EdenNotRaven]

Hey guys,
Which prestige classes are available for Hound Archon ECL 12?
He start with +5 LA and 6 Hit dice.

Thanks a lot for answering.

[Saintheart]

Any that he qualifies for using his statistics. Level Adjustment doesn't affect what prestige classes a PC can qualify for, only the character's ECL - i.e. what in effect their character level is.

For example, he has BAB +6, so he'll qualify for any prestige class that has that as a prerequisite (so long as he can satisfy all the other prerequisites of that prestige class as well.)

[EdenNotRaven]

Any that he qualifies for using his statistics. Level Adjustment doesn't affect what prestige classes a PC can qualify for, only the character's ECL - i.e. what in effect their character level is.

For example, he has BAB +6, so he'll qualify for any prestige class that has that as a prerequisite (so long as he can satisfy all the other prerequisites of that prestige class as well.)

Huh!
I see, Where can I find the prestige classes that match Hound Archon?

Thank you,
Eden

[Inevitability]

Warshaper is a really good class that you can immediately enter!

War Mind gets you psychic warrior powers, which can really help out a melee character, though you need two feats to get knowledge(psionics) as a class skill and obtain power points.

Suel Arcanamach can get you some nice arcane casting (which classes like Abjurant Champion can then improve further), but you need cross-class ranks in tumble and a feat for spellcraft.

Pious Templar is a good way to get divine casting instead, and fits the celestial fluff.

Hellreaver is a great melee class that gets some supernatural abilities and specializes in fighting evil outsiders without giving up allround power.

If you want to stay pure mundane, Kensei is alright and helps you save money to spend on other useful things. Exotic Weapon Master can be useful depending on how you want to fight.

As a sidenote, it's commonly agreed that the LA for Hound Archon is much too high. The LA-assignment thread in my sig assumed that +1 would be fine in a mid-op environment, and even at weaker tables something like +3 should be more than enough to balance it out.

[Rebel7284]

Many?
What role do you expect to play in your party?
How long do you expect the campaign to last?
Can you switch your feats around or are you stuck with the pre-selected ones?

The sky-high LA might make it fairly difficult to contribute in an ECL-12 party, but hey, gotta try!

Typically, I recommend one of two approaches here:
1. Ur Priest: Evil archon seems weird, but it is one of the best ways to even attempt to catch up on casting. Still takes a few levels to get going.
2. Tome of battle classes: Since any HD counts as half an initiator level, you would start at initiator level 4. Still not amazing, but hey, there are some nifty second level maneuvers and 3rd level ones (white raven tactics) are just one level away!

edit: You are also a single BAB away from Divine Crusader, which can be a fairly solid class in these circumstances and is a much better flavor fit than Ur Priest

[holbita]

I wouldn't recommend a prestige class for this character. Just go Paladin, check the entry for Hound Archon Hero Mounts, a Hound Archon Paladin can select a juvenile bronze dragon as mount.

"In the course of their adventures, many hound archon heroes befriend bronze dragons, which may come to serve as their mounts. The relationship between these mounts and their celestial riders goes beyond even the special bond between paladin and mount. The dragon and the archon are naturally allies and friends, as can be expected of two powerful servants of cosmic justice. The juvenile bronze dragon mount gains 2 additional HD, 4 points of Strength, an additional 4 points of natural armor, improved evasion, and +10 feet to speed in all its movement forms. The dragon cannot, however, command other creatures of its type as other kinds of paladin mounts can."

You may want to talk with your DM about progression, but even if just taken from the book as is, a juvenible bronze dragon is a 15HD dragon creature, and you can do wonders with that.

[Rebel7284]

I wouldn't recommend a prestige class for this character. Just go Paladin, check the entry for Hound Archon Hero Mounts, a Hound Archon Paladin can select a juvenile bronze dragon as mount.

"In the course of their adventures, many hound archon heroes befriend bronze dragons, which may come to serve as their mounts. The relationship between these mounts and their celestial riders goes beyond even the special bond between paladin and mount. The dragon and the archon are naturally allies and friends, as can be expected of two powerful servants of cosmic justice. The juvenile bronze dragon mount gains 2 additional HD, 4 points of Strength, an additional 4 points of natural armor, improved evasion, and +10 feet to speed in all its movement forms. The dragon cannot, however, command other creatures of its type as other kinds of paladin mounts can."

You may want to talk with your DM about progression, but even if just taken from the book as is, a juvenible bronze dragon is a 15HD dragon creature, and you can do wonders with that.

That's a great find! However, normally a Paladin needs a whooping 5 levels to get the mount. However! There are Prestige Classes that give the mount ability immediately! A quick google search gives me:

Cavalier: Lots of mount-related feats and BAB 8 required, still saves you two levels.
Knight of the Blue Moon: Some very weird feat and organizational requirements, but get in at the same time as Cavalier with Sorcerer 1/Cleric 1 entry. Might be able to get in earlier with some shenanigans (Cleric + Magic in the Blood)

[holbita]

And that would indeed be the more optimized way to go about this... if your DM does not rule this to be a Hound Archon Paladin ACF, but just a general substitution that a Hound Archon with a special mount can do. Make sure you check first which rule would be the one applied. In our table we only allow it if you take it as a paladin, since the Hound Archon Hero presented in the book has paladin levels.

[Biggus]

That's a great find! However, normally a Paladin needs a whooping 5 levels to get the mount. However! There are Prestige Classes that give the mount ability immediately! A quick google search gives me:

Cavalier: Lots of mount-related feats and BAB 8 required, still saves you two levels.
Knight of the Blue Moon: Some very weird feat and organizational requirements, but get in at the same time as Cavalier with Sorcerer 1/Cleric 1 entry. Might be able to get in earlier with some shenanigans (Cleric + Magic in the Blood)

Cavalier doesn't give you a special mount, its levels just stack with Paladin for the bonuses an existing one gets. Knight of the Blue Moon does though.

Edit: there's a list of classes which give you a special mount here, under M for mount: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?454553