Low-level PrCs

[Thurbane]

There's kind of an unwritten rule that PrCs are designed to be taken once a character is level 5 or higher. BUt there are a couple that you can get into earlier - the Master Specialist can be 3rd level (2nd if you take the cheesey definition of the Precocious Apprentice feat). A Rogue or Marshal can also get into the Mythic Exemplar PrC at 4th level.

Does anyone know any others?

[Lochar]

Survivor can be taken at second level, if you go Commoner 1.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

There's a Binder/Wizard PrC that you can take starting at 3rd level(requires Precocious Apprentice). Racial Paragon classes are takeable at 1st level, though not PrCs technically. Warshaper is enterable at first level by a Changeling, and a very good base class for them. The problem is, most PrCs are designed to be only taken at 6th level, and have skill point rules to that effect. All other limitations can be bent, but not those.

[Eldariel]

Well, through use of the "Primary Contact"-feat from Cityscape, you can enter a number of classes with skill prerequisites a level early, most notably Ruby Knight Vindicator on level 5. Also, Precocious Apprentice allows entering dual progression casters on 4 (which is amusingly close to the point where they should be enterable to keep them competitive with straight casters). Surprisingly enough, Ordained Champion is available level 5 right out of the box - I suppose they didn't want to force the Cleric to lose two points of BAB when taking the martial route.

Mostly though, without cheese I'm not aware of other classes that can be entered before level 6 (seems to be the popular entry point).

[CASTLEMIKE]

ECS Master Investigator at fourth level only requires Investigate Feat and Gather Information and Sense Motive with 6 ranks (+Search with 3 ranks).

ECS Dragon Mark Heir Appropiate Least Dragon Mark (race specific), 7 ranks in two skills and Favored in House feat.


The problem is, most PrCs are designed to be only taken at 6th level, and have skill point rules to that effect. All other limitations can be bent, but not those.

I agree minimum skill ranks are the real mechanical standard to barring entry because you need something like a PC mortally possessed by a Diety (Possess Mortal salient ability Dieties and Demipowers) to break them which requires DM/GM approval for his or her campaign.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#possessMortal

Skills
The mortal can use its own skills and the deity’s skills. If the mortal and the deity have the same skill, use the skill of whichever has more ranks in the skill. Use the mortal’s effective ability scores to determine skill modifiers.

(Most dieties are 20D8 Outsiders with 40 - 50 class levels buncha skill points and levels there even with puny mortal ability modifiers. :smallcool: Think of the gaming possibilities with a willing DM/GM)

[Chronos]

Warshaper is enterable at first level by a Changeling, and a very good base class for them.Nope, they have the Shapechanger subtype, but it still requires a BAB of 4.

The [Illithid] Slayer (XPH/SRD) can be entered by a ranger 4, if he took the Wild Talent feat or is of a naturally-psionic race like elan. But the version in XPH, at least, requires the character to single-handedly kill a mind flayer, which is pretty much impossible for a fourth-level character (the SRD version omits this requirement). And it's a bit of a waste to enter it that early, anyway, since it gives almost-full progression of a previous manifesting class, and a ranger can't manifest, so you're better off throwing in a level or two of psion, as well.

[Thurbane]

Jut thought of another - Church Inquisitor - which a 3rd level Cleric can get into.

[playswithfire]

Forsaker can be taken at level 2 if flaws are allowed

[AstralFire]

Aren't BAB issues fairly insurmountable as well? I am unaware of any method to get a BAB higher than your character level.

[Adumbration]

This isn't exactly entering it at first level, but it's otherwise good if you're building a higher level class. Defiant from Planar Handbook. You can enter it at fifth level as a cleric (+5 base will save bonus requirement), but once you do, you can convert all your cleric levels into Defiant levels. Thus you can be Defiant 10, without any base classes. Combine it with Ur-priest, and you have some nice abilities, 9th level spells, and any divine casters thrown against you are screwed.

I really have to do this some time...

[Zeful]

I know nothing of the Defiant, (or for that matter the Ur-priest) but I'm going to mention that PrCs with +1 to divine/arcane spellcaster/manifester levels. Need a class with those abilities to advance, so Trading in all your cleric levels for Defiant might not be the best thing.

[Adumbration]

Defiant is basically PrC that doesn't believe in gods. Well, they know they exist, but if I recall correct, they think they're just powerful mortals. They get some nifty abilities against divine spells, including a spell rebound and spellresistance. Ur-priest is a spellcaster that siphons magic from the gods, and during the ten levels reaches nine spell levels.

This is, of course, a very specific build, but it's also decent for in-game character rebuilding, if you don't want to play a cleric anymore and you like the fluff. :)

[expirement10K14]

There's a Binder/Wizard PrC that you can take starting at 3rd level(requires Precocious Apprentice). Racial Paragon classes are takeable at 1st level, though not PrCs technically. Warshaper is enterable at first level by a Changeling, and a very good base class for them. The problem is, most PrCs are designed to be only taken at 6th level, and have skill point rules to that effect. All other limitations can be bent, but not those.

Anima Mage, with the right race you can get it at level two-
Kobold + Draconic Right of Passage= 1 Sorcerer Spell/Day
Precocious Assistant= 1 Second Level Sorcerer Spell/day
Take Binder and needed feats through flaws.
Take Anima Mage.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Human Mulhorandi Divine Minion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) can take Master of Many Forms with their first class level at ECL 2.

A Hexblade 4 can go into Talon of Tiamat, which actually turns out to be a very powerful character if you build/play it right.