Last month we took a look at the first of the core mechanics of a prestige class. This month we continue delving into the core mechanics, this time we’ll be dealing with skills, spellcasting progressions, and core class progressions. Remember, as with most game design, it’s as much art as it is science.
Class Skills
Class skills help to define what a member of the prestige class is good at when not fighting dangerous monsters in dark dungeons (and sometimes what they’re good at in the dungeon as well). Generally you want focus on class skills, as it will help to define the focus of the class.
When designing your class, take a look at your target entry classes. By and large your prestige class should have roughly the same class skills as the target base class. Only when you’ve greatly altered the focus of the class should you drastically alter the class skill list.
When determining class skills for your prestige class, start with the class skills of the most similar base class and then add and subtract from there. This will ensure that your class has the skills that are appropriate to the prestige class function.
For example, if you were making an arcane tomb raider style class, you’d want to start with the wizard class skill list: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Knowledge, Profession, and Spellcraft. Since this you’ve determined that the class is still a spellcaster, Concentration and Spellcraft stay. Craft and Profession can also stay, as they’re appropriate to nearly any class. You might consider dropping a few knowledge skills, depending on the focus of the class.
Now you look at adding skills. First of all, any skill that is required for prestige class entry should always be a class skill. If you require the skill, the class should be good at that skill. Next you’ll add any skills you think appropriate. For our arcane tomb raider, they’ll need to be good at appraising items, so Appraise is added. They’ll also need to be aware of traps, so the class gets Listen, Search, and Spot. Finally, in order to deal with traps and locks, you’d want to add Disable Device and Open Lock. That rounds out the skill list.
Skill Points
Skill points go hand in hand with class skills. Generally you’ll want to give a class 1 skill point for every 3 to 4 class skills. Remember that skill points are added in multiples of 2, up to 8 skill points per level. If you’re having trouble figuring out how many skill points to grant, go with 4. It’s generally a very happy medium.
Personally, I feel that 2 skill points is just pathetic, no matter the class. I consider 4 skill points to be the minimum for any class, though your methods may vary. I’d generally go with 4 to 6 skill points per level, granting 8 only to the very skilled classes. I’d only grant 2 skill points if the class had a bare handful of class skills, but even then it’s nice to have a few extra.
It’s worth noting that class skills and skill points will very rarely make or break the balance of a class. Generally try to error on the side of fun and breadth, rather than be too stingy. It’s not a huge focus of the game for most characters, so be generous. At the very minimum, grant enough skill points to allow a player to place one rank in every skill you consider essential to the focus of the class.
Core Class Progressions
Core class progressions are things like increased sneak attack dice, improved turning ability, or other aspects of a core class that rely on character level. There is absolutely no formula for this aspect of class design. You’re going to have to rely on trial and error, with a few general guidelines. Play testing and feedback are going to be your best method of determination here.
The most important thing to remember is that prestige classes always require some sort of trade off between the base class and the core class. The prestige class should very rarely offer the same method of progression, unless it is a strong focus of the class. Generally, the more other special abilities you add to the class, the fewer core class progressions they should get.
Be wary of offering a full advancement of a class feature that is one of the singular abilities of a class. For example, if your class offers both full divine spellcasting progression and full turn undead progression; you’ve completely eliminated any drawback to advancing in the base cleric class. The class should give up something, whether that is a loss of spellcasting power, a lower hit dice, a poorer base attack progression, or anything else. Just don’t make the prestige class completely equal to the base class, as there is no reason not to take the prestige class at all (See Design Step Zero).
If you need a general guideline to go on when designing, offer progression of a base mechanic at 3/4 of the standard class. Don’t offer an advance on the first level, either. That just encourages a single level dip. Now, if you’re trimming back another aspect of the class, you might be able to offer a full progression of other class features.
Spellcasting Progressions
Spellcasting progression is one of the most common advancement among prestige classes. After all, if the class is targeted at a spellcaster it would be silly not to allow them access to higher level spells.
Generally speaking, this can be a bear to tackle. It’s also an aspect of class design that has changed over the years. The approximate value of full spellcasting progression has become cheaper with each successive prestige class, to the point where prestige classes that don’t offer full progression tend to look very poor in comparison.
Personally, I feel that loosing even a single level of spellcasting hurts a spellcaster greatly. That isn’t to say that you should offer a full spellcasting progression, only that you should think about what you’re offering in return. Generally the other class features should be worth a level of spellcasting power.
As with core class advancement, spellcasting progression is more art than science. Fortunately, there are some general guidelines to go on.
- Going from a poor (1/2) to a moderate (3/4) base attack progression is generally worth the loss of 1 to 2 levels of arcane spellcasting progression, depending upon how good the other class features are.
- Going from a poor (1/2) to a full (1/1) base attack progression is generally worth the loss of 3 to 5 arcane spellcasting advances, again depending on the other class features offered. I tend to think that the loss of 3 to 4 arcane spellcasting advances is more than enough drawback for a class.
- Going from a moderate (3/4) to a full (1/1) base attack progression is generally worth the loss of 3 to 5 divine spellcasting advances, with 3 being a lot easier to swallow. This still removes the ability to gain 9th level spells, which can be a huge loss.
- Reducing the base attack bonus of a class is worth about the same loss as the increase. So, if you reduce a divine spellcasting class base attack bonus to poor (1/2) from moderate (3/4), you can roughly grant abilities worth about 3 to 4 spellcasting levels without removing any spellcasting advances.
- If your class requires a class feature found only in a non-spellcasting class, this should be considered the loss of a spellcasting advance for the purposes of balance. If your class requires 1d6 sneak attack, for example, you could consider this requirement to be equal to the loss of one level of spellcasting progression.
- When in doubt, be stingy with spellcasting advances and then add them later if you find the class to be underpowered. It’s easier to add abilities to bring the class up to snuff, especially if you’re play testing the class in a live environment. Instead of feeling like a nerf, it’s like an upgrade.
- If you’re going to remove spellcasting advances, make sure that one of the “dead levels” for spellcasting is level one of the class. This prevents a one level dip for a special ability. Also try to avoid backloading or frontloading the loss of spellcasting power – spread the losses out as equally as you can, preferably on a level when the class gets a cool new ability.
