Prestige class prerequisites: the mere utterance of such a phrase and send groans around the game table. No one likes them, seeing them as an onerous and complicated barrier to character advancement. No one has a kind word to say about prerequisites, unless it happens to be “this class is awesome, very low prerequisites!” This is the prevailing opinion, but as a class designer, it shouldn’t be yours. You should thank the heavens above that they exist, because prerequisites are one of the most powerful things in your design toolbox.

The Pathway to Advancement

Prerequisites exist for two reasons – as a mechanical barrier preventing a character from obtaining power too quickly and as a method of ensuring that every member of a prestige class has a common base of skills. While the first reason is important, it is the second that we designers must really focus upon. No other part of the design process can aid you like prerequisites. They ensure that your class has a focus from ground zero, ensuring all members of your class have a common focus and skill set.

In order to use this powerful tool we first have to break down the two types and flavors of prerequisites. One we have a common understanding we can really look at how prerequisites can shape your prestige class.

Prerequisite Game Mechanics

There are two types of mechanical prerequisite: soft caps and hard caps. Soft caps are prerequisites that can be obtained at variable class levels and are mostly used to provide flavor to a prestige class. Hard caps are prerequisites that can only be obtained at set levels and serve as a minimum class level for entering a prestige class.

Soft Caps Include:

• Feats: Generally you can obtain most feats at any character level with a bit of creative planning.
• Roleplaying Requirements: While they might seem like a hard cap, they are not enforced by game mechanics and thus are considered a soft cap.
• Base Saving Throws: As the saving throw bonus from multiple classes stack, a saving throw bonus is a soft cap.

Hard Caps Include:

• Base Attack Bonus: You can never have a base attack bonus higher than your class level. This is most often used as a prerequisite of melee and ranged combat prestige classes.
• Caster Level: You can never have a caster level higher than your class level. This is most often used as a prerequisite for spellcasting prestige classes.
• Certain Feats: Some feats require a hard cap as a prerequisite, in which case they can sometimes serve as a hard cap. Examples of such feats are Improved Two-Weapon Fighting or Spring Attack.
• Hit Dice: You can never have more hit dice than your character level (unless you happen to be a monster, but then again monster hit dice count as class levels for our purposes).
• Skill Ranks: You can never have a skill with more ranks than your current level + 3. While it is easy to obtain a cross-class skill as a class skill by multiclassing, it does not actually allow you to increase your skill ranks beyond this hard limit. This is often used as a prerequisite for almost all prestige classes.

In general you should include both soft and hard caps as prerequisites. Your hard caps ensure that no character can enter the class earlier than you intended and soft caps serve as flavor (more about this below).

When setting your requirements make sure that the class builds on at least some of those requirements. In particular, if you require a skill to enter the prestige class make sure that it appears on the list of class skills.

Setting the Theme

Now that we understand a bit of how prerequisites can limit the level at which you obtain a prestige class we can turn our attention to the true value of prerequisites – ensuring a common skill and talent base.

When you think about your prestige class you should first determine what common talents and skills a typical member of this class had before taking on his new duties. This is going to immediately show a player that this class focuses on a few key areas and develops them further. Basically you’re thinking about what every person had in common before they entered the prestige class and then requiring those things for entry.

This is an incredibly powerful tool. You can literally ensure that your vision of each class member remains constant will still allowing every character to make meaningful choices. Prerequisites should always be hallmarks of your class, the things each member was known for before he even became a member.

For example, take the fictional prestige class Knight of the Royal Guard. You know that all these guards have a reputation for being alert and every vigilant. It’s probably a fair bet that members of this guard have ranks in Listen and Spot as well as the Alertness feat. While you’ll probably play around with the exact numbers of those skill ranks depending on your target base class, you do know that all members should be good at Listen and Spot.

Furthermore they are well known for being able to disarm foes to their liege lord. Given this it’s probably safe to require Combat Expertise and Improved Disarm, as each member of the class would have been expected to have some knowledge of this talent before taking up the mantle of Knight of the Royal Guard.

Finally, you want each member to have been oathed and sworn in to the rightful ruler of the realm. This becomes a special requirement of the class and ensures that you have a bit of DM control on when or if a character enters the class.

Now, it doesn’t seem like we’ve done a whole lot, but we have. Immediately a player can look at this class and know that members should be alert, loyal to the crown and posses the knowledge of how to disarm an opponent. That speaks of a dedicated warrior who prefers non-lethal means of subduing an opponent.

Building on the Theme

Once you’ve set your basic prerequisites now you can start designing the class. You know what they’re already good at so it’s a simple manner of improving on their already set skills. Our fictional prestige class is more than likely going to get abilities based on keen perception and the ability to disarm and otherwise subdue an opponent in a non-lethal manner. By setting the prerequisites we’ve given our design focus. And focus is a wonderful thing to have when designing anything.

Understand that your prerequisites are often going to change throughout the design process. This is a good thing! It means that you’re continually thinking about what this class is good at and what it takes to become a member. If you later start giving the class a lot of abilities related to supernatural endurance you might consider adding the Endurance feat as a prerequisite. In this way your prerequisites and class are one glorious and harmonious whole that immediately conjures an image of each class member.

How Many Prerequisites?

Generally you should avoid requiring too many things for any one class. A good rule of thumb is that a character should be able to enter by your target level if he focuses everything in that area. As a general ballpark figure a character should only have to expend about 75% of his character resources towards fulfilling prestige class prerequisites. This number can fluctuate by as much as 25-50% depending upon the power and scope of the prestige class.

Mostly learning just how many prerequisites is too many is an art form and learned skill. It’s likely that you’ll struggle out of the gate and need help – don’t sweat it! The internet is a wonderful thing and by asking others for help you can learn much more quickly than you do struggling on your own. As always ask your friends and players for help and feedback if you need it. No one designs anything in a bubble and prestige classes are no exception.

Conclusion

There you have it – a quick breakdown of why prestige class prerequisites are such an important part of the design process and the class in general. When you start doing your own designs don’t forget that prerequisites are your golden standard of acceptance. If you’re still confused about anything in this column start asking questions on the message boards or looking at other classes. Often learning by example is the quickest path to improvement. Join me next month when we start looking at the core mechanics of a class. Until next time good designing and happy gaming!