Most useless PrC?

[JMobius]

As I skim through sourcebooks, the list of PrCs seems nigh endless, and yet among them very few seem cool enough, either in concept or mechanics, that I'd ever consider taking them. To pick out the *worst* one, though, seems a very difficult task. So, in your experience, what is the worst PrC you've ever seen, from any official source? "Worst" being either a very poor or lame concept, or simply being mechanically crappy. :)

[SurlySeraph]

Hmm... I'll post more after thinking about it more, though a few leap to mind.

Shadowdancer is kinda entirely useless after 1st level.

Horizon Walker is only useful if you travel through a whole lot of different environments, including different planes, and your DM is very strict about making survival checks and the effects of terrain and planar traits.

There are dozens of prestige classes that are basically "Paladin, but with slightly different class features." The vast majority of them are unnecessary.

[Kurald Galain]

Mindbender is likewise kind of pointless after first level.

I can think of numerous wizard or cleric prestige classes that lose far too many caster levels to be worth it.

I've always found Fatespinner a bit silly considering those "spin points" really don't do all that much, except of course for the capstone ability.

Arcane Archer is really very bad.

Dragon Disciple isn't nearly as good as it looks either, but it keeps the dragon fanbois happy

Dwarven Defender is simply awful because it aggravates the mobility problems that fighters already have.

[kpenguin]

Actually, Horizon Walker is okay because of its ability to DM every 1d4 rounds.

I'd say Hierophant. A full caster only prestige class that gives no casting levels?

[EvilElitest]

Hmm... I'll post more after thinking about it more, though a few leap to mind.

Shadowdancer is kinda entirely useless after 1st level.

Horizon Walker is only useful if you travel through a whole lot of different environments, including different planes, and your DM is very strict about making survival checks and the effects of terrain and planar traits.

There are dozens of prestige classes that are basically "Paladin, but with slightly different class features." The vast majority of them are unnecessary.

Grey Guards as written are awful, but tweaking them fo that they are Neutral or evil paladins while still having smite is great
from,
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[bingo_bob]

Survivor, from Savage Species. No BAB. And your class abilities... well, let's just say they improve your combat prowess about as much as the class improves your BAB.

[Serenity]

And, to make it worse, the class abilities do not, in fact, reflect anything the fluff claims the class is supposed to do.

[Saph]

Horizon Walker is actually worth it, if only for the shifting ability. At-will Dimension Door is a good thing.

Arcane Archer, on the other hand, is awful. Awful awful awful. It's a holdover from 3.0 when arrow enhancement bonuses and bow enhancement bonuses stacked. Since in 3.5 they don't, the entire primary ability of the class is utterly worthless, since your bow will nearly always be powerful enough to negate the arrow enhancement. The special arrows generally suck too, and the capstone ability, Arrow of Death, forces a DC 20 fort save at a level where enemy monsters pretty much all have fort saves of +18 or better.

- Saph

[Aquillion]

The dimension door is the main reason to take the class, but some builds make good use of Horizon Walker's immunity to fatigue in combination with fatiguing abilities like a barbarian's rage. And Tremorsense can be useful, too... there are certainly worse PRCs out there.

[Rachel Lorelei]

Horizon Walker, like people said, is only useless if you don't read it! Immunity to fatigue, Tremorsense, and Dimension Door every 1d4 rounds! are good abilities; Ranger/Fighter/Barbarian/Horizon Walker is my favorite core melee build (well, favorite that isn't a divine spellcaster).

[Kurald Galain]

Horizon Walker is quite terrible. That would probably get my vote.

Hm, that wasn't really the class I was thinking about. Yep, dimdooring is cute. I believe I was confusing this with something else.

[Xefas]

Several of the BoVD PrCs are rather inane. The Demonologist, for instance, is a caster class with no caster progression, and one could do essentially the same thing with the same flavor by going straight caster. Not to mention things like the Malconvoker...

Disciple of Mammon and such are also pretty useless, so far as I've seen.

[Admiral Squish]

I saw the reach runner prestige class, and think it's the most pointless class ever. A couple weak skill bonuses, a five-foot speed increase, nature's stride, which you probably have considering the fluff puts you as a ranger beforehand anyway, Swift tracker, another few barely useful bonuses, one bonus feat and a rarely useful crown ability. All in all, pointless, you can spend five levels in a lot of better ways.

[Kurald Galain]

Several of the BoVD PrCs are rather inane. The Demonologist, for instance, is a caster class with no caster progression, and one could do essentially the same thing with the same flavor by going straight caster.

Oh yeah... there's this "reformed warlock" prestige class that does the same things a regular warlock does, only less so...

[SadisticFishing]

Sorry to change the topic, but the Reforged is clearly the best PrC in the game (Races of Eberron).

[shaka gl]

Mindbender is likewise kind of pointless after first level.

I recently used one as a villain and worked really good. Why do you say that?

[Admiral Squish]

Sorry to change the topic, but the Reforged is clearly the best PrC in the game (Races of Eberron).

What? How? No, it's not. The best thing it gives you is the new selection of feats at the end, and you'd get more of those as a human anyway.

[bugsysservant]

I recently used one as a villain and worked really good. Why do you say that?

For PCs its pretty crappy, mostly stemming from its half caster progression. If you really want to play a domination type, be a diplomancer. Or cleric 1/wizard 19 and DMM persist dominate person at the start of every day. Or get a cohort. Seriously, it's capstone is mediocre, and the ability to have people your friend can be done by a low level bard, without the number limit.

[Orzel]

Thief-acrobat

5 levels to waste away your combat skills to gain the ability to sneak into a safe, get caught, and die.

HWs is the best core noncaster prc, man. Full BAB, d8 HD, nice skill list, Immunity to fatigue, DDoor every 1d4 round, Tremorsence, skill bonuses, and insightbonuses, and darkvision? What's not to love?

[The_Snark]

The Enlightened Soul? That one's decent, actually; the lack of flexibility is really irritating, but if you waited a while to enter, you end up with a better eldritch blast. And it gives some abilities a standard warlock doesn't get (the fear aura, for example).

There are several from the Completes that were very unexciting in just about every way. The Dark Hunter and Knight Protector from Complete Warrior, the Dungeon Delver and Vigilante from Complete Adventurer... bleh.

The Tempest is good in theory (a class focused around making a slightly weak fighting style better), but its execution is terrible. For some reason, it revolves around Spring Attack, which is not only a mediocre tactic, but which doesn't work with your chosen style of fighting until you finish out the class... and even then, it's only back up to mediocre.

I like the Spymaster and Entropomancer in theory, but in execution they're rather weak.

(Also, Persisted Dominate Person? You know how ludicrously pointless that is? You're actually reducing the duration...)

[marjan]

What's this? No True Necromancer yet. Blasphemy I say.

Also I find Darkwood Stalker pretty useless. By the time you qualify for it all orcs in your campaign world are dead anyway.

[bugsysservant]

(Also, Persisted Dominate Person? You know how ludicrously pointless that is? You're actually reducing the duration...)

Oops, forgot about that. 'Course that only makes my point more valid, but who's paying attention anyway.

[Ganurath]

Dwarven Defender. If you meet the prerequisites ASAP, you're doing something horribly wrong.

[Fax Celestis]

Four words: Shining Blade of Heironeous.

Let's give up the good things about progressing as a Paladin (spellcasting, smites) so I can turn my sword pink a few times a day. Hooray.

[Falrin]

Name escapes me, but the "Demonskin"-PrC from complete arcane.

[Zenos]

Name escapes me, but the "Demonskin"-PrC from complete arcane.

Acolyte of the Skin.

[bugsysservant]

Four words: Shining Blade of Heironeous.

Let's give up the good things about progressing as a Paladin (spellcasting, smites) so I can turn my sword pink a few times a day. Hooray.

Hey, SCREW YOU!

some of us like pink

[marjan]

Name escapes me, but the "Demonskin"-PrC from complete arcane.

Acolyte of the Skin?

Edit: ninja'ed... few posts ago.

[Armads]

Survivor. You don't qualify for the class after you take a few levels in it.

[marjan]

so I can turn my sword pink a few times a day. Hooray.

If that doesn't make enemies run away what will?