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Kurald Galain
2008-01-31, 11:08 AM
This came up in a different topic earlier today, and I figured it would have been discussed in the past at some point, but couldn't google up any.

So, for a challenge, What is the build that includes the most prestige classes?

Twenty levels, no gestalt. Any D&D material by WOTC is fair game. Bonus points if it makes sense and is actually playable. Base classes don't count, because they don't have any prerequisites.

I'm asking this because I routinely come across such builds as Wizard + Beguiler/Master Specialist/Mindbender/Ultimate Magus/Mage of the Arcane Order/Incantatrix/Archmage/IOTSC, and I was wondering how far one could go.

AKA_Bait
2008-01-31, 11:13 AM
I would think you could get up to 15, at least, possibly more if you can find some PrCs that can be taken before level six, which most can't. I'll take a look at creating something later, when I'm home with my books.

Baxbart
2008-01-31, 11:14 AM
The most I've ever had was 1 class and 6 PrCs - it wasn't particularly optimised, but it was fun! I'll have to dig it out and put it up.

RTGoodman
2008-01-31, 11:15 AM
Well, most in a single build, or most in a single viable build?

If it's the latter, I'm sure there's a way to get a bunch by just being an arcane caster - you can even start at like level 3 or 4 (forget which) with Master Specialist.

EDIT: I guess I should read whole posts. I was thinking of something along the lines of the one you had at the bottom of your original post.


EDIT 2: Ooh, awesome! I've never been a ninja before!

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-01-31, 11:15 AM
You might be able to get 16, if you take master specialist at level 4 and use flaws. I'm to lazy to stat it, but it's doable.

edit: stupid ninja

Bauglir
2008-01-31, 11:20 AM
Commoner 1/Survivor 1/Half-Elf Paragon 1/Stoneblessed 1/Human Paragon 1/X15 because it's not so hard to find Prestige Classes that you can qualify for now. Although Paragon classes might not be prestige classes. Not sure. If not, I'm stumped on how to get two more prestige classes before level 5.

AKA_Bait
2008-01-31, 11:37 AM
Looking a crystal keeps list of PrC availablity per class, without getting into detailed prerequisites, it seems that if you start with Bard 2 you might be able to squeeze in 18 if you really, really tried.

playswithfire
2008-01-31, 12:04 PM
Human Monk* 1/Forsaker 4/fist of the forest 1/shiba protector 1/FotF+1/Ruathar 1/Kensai 1/Human Paragon 3

*overwhelming attack variant
feats:
1 Great Fortitude
flaw(Shaky) Lightning Reflexes
flaw(Sacred Vow)
human Iron Will
monk Power Attack and Improved Unarmed Strike
3 Alertness
6 Combat Expertise
9 Weapon Focus(unarmed strike)
12 Vow of Poverty
Human Paragon (Superior Unarmed Strike)
So that's 6 by level 13 that I can reasonably string together (You're a human dedicated to the protection of the wild and has rejected magic due to a magical attack that nearly killed you and while patrolling the forests, you performed a great service to the elves); only issue may be using the kensai favored weapon(unarmed) while being a forsaker. You can probably fluff it away by saying that it's not magic, it's the result of training, or a blessing by the Guardians of the Green like how VoP gives bonuses from your gods.

EDIT:reasons this may be viable
only stat requirement for a feat is that INT is at least 13 for combat expertise and that's not so bad since I might need skill points later for other prestige classes
WIS untyped bonus to AC while unarmored (monk)
CON untyped bonus to AC while unarmored (fist)
CON natural armor bonus to AC (forsaker)
4 stat point increases from forsaker
+2 stat point increase from human paragon
WIS to all attack and damage rolls (shiba)
all the VoP bonuses to make up for no gear (haven't picked exalted feats yet, but there are some that help this build, like intuitive attack and sanctify natural attack)

So INT at 13 boost WIS and CON as much as possible and nothing else matters

Will possibly update this as things come to me

my one regret is that one can't take both Shiba Protector (humans only) and Deepwarden(dwarf only) or I'd definitely work it in

RTGoodman
2008-01-31, 12:28 PM
my one regret is that one can't take both Shiba Protector (humans only) and Deepwarden(dwarf only) or I'd definitely work it in

I'm not sure if you could fit it in the build somehow, but there's a 3-level PrC in Races of Stone called Stoneblessed that lets you count as a dwarf, goliath, or gnome (whichever you live among) for any purpose, including meeting prerequisites.

playswithfire
2008-01-31, 12:46 PM
I'm not sure if you could fit it in the build somehow, but there's a 3-level PrC in Races of Stone called Stoneblessed that lets you count as a dwarf, goliath, or gnome (whichever you live among) for any purpose, including meeting prerequisites.

:biggrin: It fits

Human Monk* 1/Forsaker 4/fist of the forest 1/shiba protector 1/FotF+1/Ruathar 1/Kensai 1/Human Paragon 3/FotF+1/Stoneblessed 3/Deepwarden 2

*overwhelming attack variant
feats:
1 Great Fortitude
flaw(Shaky) Lightning Reflexes
flaw(Sacred Vow)
human Iron Will
monk Power Attack and Improved Unarmed Strike
3 Alertness
6 Combat Expertise
9 Weapon Focus(unarmed strike)
12 Vow of Poverty
exalt12 Nymph's Kiss
Human Paragon (Endurance)
exalt14 Intuitive Attack
15 don't know yet
exalt16 Sanctify Natural Attack
deepwarden Track
18 don't know yet
exalt 18 don't know yet
exalt20 don't know yet

so that's 8 by 19, including 3 that go to completion and I can probably shuffle it around to do better (in terms of number of classes, not necessarily viability)

Tack on CON to AC in place of dex (deepwarden) and a +2 boost to CON (stoneblessed) to the good stuff this build has.

So that's CON to AC 3 times (Dex, Natural and untyped) and WIS to AC once, to Attack twice(Intuitive attack and No thought from Shiba Protector) and damage once (no thought)

This is a friendly guy; he performed a service to the elves and was accepted by the dwarves. But then again, he's exalted, so people should like him.

Reinboom
2008-01-31, 02:01 PM
Half-Elf

1 :Commoner [Any metamagic feat]
2 :Survivor
3 :Half-Elf Paragon [Iron Will] [Skill Focus (Knowledge Religion)]
4 :Human Paragon
5 :Squire of Legend
6 :Paragnostic Initiate [Spell Focus (evil)] -Must become evil at this level-
7 :Ur-Priest
8 :Ruathar (+ Ur-Priest)
9 :Divine Oracle [Energy Substitution (Acid)] (+ Ur-Priest)
10:Seeker of the Misty Isle (+ Ur-Priest)
11:Master of Masks (s)
12:Magical Trickster (s) [Cooperative Spell]
13:Assassin
14:Elemental Savant (+ Assassin)
15:Unseen Seer [Open Minded (s)] (+ Assassin)
16:Mystic Theurge (+ Assassin, + Ur-Priest)
17:Geomancer (+ Assassin)
18:Mage of the Arcane Order [Open Minded (s)] (+ Assassin)
19:Fiend Blooded (+ Assassin)
20:Fatespinner (+ Assassin)

19 Prestige classes work?
This guy has to flip from good to evil suddenly, however. :smalltongue:
(s) = Had to take this for skill points.
Requires 16 int, and prefers to have 16 wisdom.

P.S. So not playable. Though, isn't bad for awhile after hitting level 10.

Douglas
2008-01-31, 02:10 PM
I'm not going to check that thoroughly, but Mage of the Arcane Order requires Cooperative Spell in addition to any other metamagic feat, so that's at least one set of prereqs you're not satisfying.

Reinboom
2008-01-31, 02:29 PM
Ah, oops.
Human paragon satisfies a class skill, so, I can skimp on an open minded anyways.

ZeroNumerous
2008-01-31, 02:44 PM
Paragon classes aren't prestige classes because they have no requirements.

Tengu
2008-01-31, 02:57 PM
Paragon classes aren't prestige classes because they have no requirements.

You need to have a certain race, and you cannot start with them at level 1 (by RAW, though I see no reason not to allow that) - sounds pretty much like prestige classes to me.

CASTLEMIKE
2008-01-31, 05:03 PM
Human Specialist Mage -1 with 2 flaws for feats, Human Paragon -3 (Gray not a PRC per se but also not a base class IMO), Master Specialist-1, 15 other preferably fullcasting PRCs ends up with L19 spellcasting using 16 PRCs, 1 other class and a single level in the base class.

A Half Elf or Half Orc could use divided ancestry to take a second racial paragon class.

Dragonmuncher
2008-01-31, 05:59 PM
Commoner 1/Survivor 1/Half-Elf Paragon 1/Stoneblessed 1/Human Paragon 1/X15 because it's not so hard to find Prestige Classes that you can qualify for now. Although Paragon classes might not be prestige classes. Not sure. If not, I'm stumped on how to get two more prestige classes before level 5.

I might be missing something, but why did you start as a Commoner? And what's the "Survivor" class?

Chrismith
2008-01-31, 06:16 PM
I might be missing something, but why did you start as a Commoner? And what's the "Survivor" class?

Survivor is a prestige class from Savage Species whose sole (mechanical) entry requirement is that the character's highest base save bonus be lower than their character level. I assume that's why commoner was used for the first level -- it has 3 "low" saves, thus allowing the PrC to be entered at level 2.

Draz74
2008-01-31, 07:06 PM
You need to have a certain race, and you cannot start with them at level 1 (by RAW, though I see no reason not to allow that) - sounds pretty much like prestige classes to me.


Paragon class levels can be taken any time a character gains a new level, even at 1st level (in which case they receive four times the normal number of skill points gained at each succeeding level).

That's why I never thought they were PrCs.

Kurald Galain
2008-02-01, 06:14 PM
Half-Elf
19 Prestige classes work?
This guy has to flip from good to evil suddenly, however. :smalltongue:
(s) = Had to take this for skill points.
Requires 16 int, and prefers to have 16 wisdom.

P.S. So not playable. Though, isn't bad for awhile after hitting level 10.

That was awesome :)

I hadn't thought of paragon classes beforehand, actually, as I've never seen those come up in actual play...

Maerok
2008-02-01, 06:22 PM
The most is at least 16: 15 normally, but Master Specialist comes at 3rd level.