Best PrCs ("Best" Meaning That They're Fun To Play And Are Crunchly Sound, Not IotSV)

[Mr.Bookworm]

Inspired, obviously, by the worst PrC thread.

I was wondering, what PrCs are the best, in your opinion?

Let me clarify "best" for the purpose of this thread. By "best" I mean PrCs that are both fun to play, and are mechanically sound.

If anyone has a better word, I'm open to changes to the title.

Anyway, I'm a fan of the Alienist, and the Blood Savant. Both are interesting, and fun to play as.

[Roderick_BR]

People'll claim any fullcaster PrC that gives you full progression.

Other than that, one fave is the War Priest. If you actually read the fluff & the crunch, you'll see it's more a PrC for paladins than clerics, since you get full bab and several spells as spell-like abilities that you could get more going full cleric.

[TomTheRat]

Despite being mentioned in the worst PrC thread, I'm throwing my vote in for Thief-Acrobat.

Get Roll With The Punches twice a day (level 11+ rogue ability)? check.
Get Improved Evasion? check.
Tumble, Balance at full movement? check.
Climb at half? check.
Charge over rough terrain? (fine, not awesome, but good for mobility) check.
Free +2 to AC, with another +1 when you're being defensive? check.
Get up from prone as a free action, no AOO? check.
Fight without penalty while prone, climbing, or kneeling? check.

Sure, you lose a little sneak attack, and 2 skill points per level, but in terms of maneuverability and defence, it's great.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Chameleon. A sound mechanical class, and the flavour is absolutely delicious.

[Solo]

Fatespinner, or the first four levels of it at least. Very flavorful and mechanically sound.

Archmage. Iconic and cool

Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil (How does it *not* lose caster levels?) for being very powerful

Incantrix again, very powerful

Mage of the Arcane Order (well, for sorcerers) it's nice to have as a sorcerer because it gives you greater flexibility with your spells known, even if by just a little.

[Shas aia Toriia]

One thing though, people are likely to read only the title, not the OP. Therefore it would be wise to stress that first post a bit more.

[Mr.Bookworm]

Good idea.

*changes*

[BardicDuelist]

Well, I like Virtuoso and Sublime Chord. Of course I play bards mostly. The Chameleon is a ton of fun to play.

[TheGrimace]

I adore the Halfling Rock Skipping Champion!

Loremaster.

Frenzied Beserkers are also a hoot.

Occult slayer is pretty well balanced too.

[Kaelik]

Occult slayer is pretty well balanced too.

Only if by well balanced you mean utter suck. In which case I recommend Monk to get into it. That way you can pile the "balance" on top of itself.

[RandomFellow]

Pale Master. Being able to punch people so hard they fall over and rise as zombies under your control rocks.

If you want a massive undead army. Otherwise, it is kind of marginal.


I also like Thrallherd and Great Captain.

I like building Armies rather than just a single character. =) Can you tell?

[The Great Skenardo]

I like the Green Star Adept. I know that it's quite expensive to progress and dependent upon plot, but there's just something about gradually turning into a golem that appeals to me, and I've made more than one effective melee character using it. A little Power Attack, a little Improved Critical, and suddenly the strength increase and the natural armor makes a Wizard/ToB character quite interesting to play, as well as distinctive!

[Rachel Lorelei]

I like the Green Star Adept. I know that it's quite expensive to progress and dependent upon plot, but there's just something about gradually turning into a golem that appeals to me, and I've made more than one effective melee character using it. A little Power Attack, a little Improved Critical, and suddenly the strength increase and the natural armor makes a Wizard/ToB character quite interesting to play, as well as distinctive!

Fun to play and mechanically sound. Green Star Adept definitely isn't the latter.

I like Chameleon and Unseen Seer.

[Mr.Bookworm]

Yeah, I also meant PrCs that don't screw you over for playing as them.

Green Star Adepts definitly fit into this category.

[Newtkeeper]

For great fluff supported by adequate crunch, I like the Horizon Walker. To boldly go where no one has gone before, and all that.


Archmage is definitely up there. Perhaps not *the* most powerful PrC for wizard, but it has style. It's all "I'm a Wizard, man!".

[Xefas]

Dunno if I think it's the "best" but I've always liked the Apostle of Peace.

It makes a hellish nightmare for PCs who like to go around smashing stuff to solve their problems if you can pump the DCs of their calming aura or shatter skin thingy. Not to mention freakishly powerful Hold Person for great justice, following by a Coup de Grace throat punch to unconsciousness.

Great way to remind players they aren't the biggest fish around without killing them.

[Iku Rex]

Neither the Occult Slayer nor the Green Star Adept are notably underpowered. I don't understand why anyone would think otherwise.

[Newtkeeper]

Neither the Occult Slayer nor the Green Star Adept are notably underpowered. I don't understand why anyone would think otherwise.

Well, compared to a fighter, or even a barbarian, they can certainly shine. But a wizard with full caster levels (i.e., every class or PrC level advances his spellcasting as a wizard) can outshine them by far, in just about anything. I agree, however, that this isn't much of an argument, as a wizard with full caster levels outshines everything.

In general, giving up caster levels is bad for your power. Greenstar adept, however, has one very important fluff bonus- immortality! And really, who doesn't want that?

[Hyfigh]

Chameleon. A sound mechanical class, and the flavour is absolutely delicious.

I agree with this mostly. While I love the class and all it offers, I absolutely despise that none of it's class features or abilities allow it to qualify for feats or other PrC's. This means you can't obtain metamagic feats, item creation feats (if you need to meet CL), reserve feats, etc. I know it's easy enough, and completely reasonable to bypass this rule, but following RAW for this drives me nuts.

[Solo]

Well, compared to a fighter, or even a barbarian, they can certainly shine. But a wizard with full caster levels (i.e., every class or PrC level advances his spellcasting as a wizard) can outshine them by far, in just about anything. I agree, however, that this isn't much of an argument, as a wizard with full caster levels outshines everything.

In general, giving up caster levels is bad for your power. Greenstar adept, however, has one very important fluff bonus- immortality! And really, who doesn't want that?

Reach level 20 and become a lich or just start off as an Elan

Either way, you 'd get immortality without becoming addicted to space crack.

[Conjurer]

I'm a fan of the Master Specialist and the archmage.

Master Specialists give a nice touch to those who choose specialization and Archmage is just very flavourfull.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Reach level 20 and become a lich or just start off as an Elan.

Why is it that everytime I hear somebody talk about Elan's I think about an entire species of our dimwitted bard?

*shudders*

[Riffington]

Reach level 20 and become a lich or just start off as an Elan

Either way, you 'd get immortality without becoming addicted to space crack.

I'm sorry, did you just suggest that it's better to kill yourself and put your soul in an unholy gem than to shoot up a little kryptonite?

[Shas aia Toriia]

I agree with this mostly. While I love the class and all it offers, I absolutely despise that none of it's class features or abilities allow it to qualify for feats or other PrC's. This means you can't obtain metamagic feats, item creation feats (if you need to meet CL), reserve feats, etc. I know it's easy enough, and completely reasonable to bypass this rule, but following RAW for this drives me nuts.

Agreed. I've always found that as a bit odd. I guess just house-rule in that you can take the feat, but you don't gain the benefits unless you're in the proper class techniques.

[Signmaker]

Ruathar.

Let's see...

Elfiness? Ding.
Free magical item? Ding.
Lifespan increase? Ding.
Full Caster Progression? Always a ding.

Being able to win a CR10 Encounter, saving an Elf's life by using your own, or performing a great deed to the elven community in to the current roleplay to fufill the prereq? Priceless.

Also in the midst, Invisible Blade and Master Thrower are quite potent for the dagger-obsessed, and the prideful arrogance of the Invisible Blade with the haughtiness of a Master Thrower is always a fun topic.

On a more darkish note, Whisperknife. Not exactly the greatest PrC (Take plenty of levels to actually utilize well, and 10th level's practically useless), but the halfling revenge angle is fun.

[Xefas]

I'm sorry, did you just suggest that it's better to kill yourself and put your soul in an unholy gem than to shoot up a little kryptonite?

I hear anti-drug commercials like that all the time.

[Signmaker]

I hear anti-drug commercials like that all the time.

"Lichdom: My anti-drug"

[The Great Skenardo]

I stand by Green Star Adept; You might not be able to go toe-to-toe with Captain Optimised, but the abilities complement well any arcane/martial class such as Duskblade or Hexblade, if you don't mind dipping one level in rogue to fulfill the skill requirements.
Anyways.

Another fun PrC is Nature's Warrior.

[WrstDmEvr]

Why is it that everytime I hear somebody talk about Elan's I think about an entire species of our dimwitted bard?

*shudders*

I feel your pain.

[Icewalker]

Well I got Frostburn for Christmas, and, while I'm not sure of the balance, the story around Winterhaunts of Iborighu is awesome. Probably going to have a BBEG one.