Prestige classes

[Gabriel_Luna]

I'm new around here, and this might be a silly question, but...what's up with 2nd ed. prestige classes?

I picked up the game starting with 2nd ed. so I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that there are lots of 1st ed. prestige classes in the books, and that Mongoose didn't want to copy previous material. However, for those of us starting out on the shiny blue book...well let's just say my players didn't jump at the options in the 2nd ed. core book. This is going to be an issue in a couple of months as they are nearly finished with the Ragged Edge and have expressed an interest in playing their characters beyond the end of the scenario...

Is there a plan to publish 1st ed. classes converted to 2nd ed? Or am I doomed to poverty because I have to buy 1st ed books as well as 2nd ed books?

 

[lastbesthope]

We're waiting on a conversion guide to port all 1st edition stuff over to 2E.

LBH

 

[Ateth Istarlin]

Even 1E was shy when it comes to prestige classes!
I'd like to se a lot more published - poss. a suppliment dedicated to prestige classes? (esp. as core classes only go up to 10th lvl now). :wink:

 

[Shadow Queen]

I have 2 players who want to play techno mages

 

[Gabriel_Luna]

How do you handle something like that? I mean you want to work with your players, but...I have a hard time with the idea of a Technomage PC. Unless you have a game designed around that idea, I think it'd be really tough to handle that. Is the Technomage book worthwhile, even, or is it a bit too over-the-top?

And on the topic of prestige classes: Any good stories, concepts or favorites? I'm curious as to what's out there in the published 1e material.

 

[Shadow Queen]

it is but only in 1st edition

 

[CharlieMonster]

Even 1E was shy when it comes to prestige classes!

I can't comment on 2nd Ed. 'cos I'm still waiting for my copy to turn up grrrr! But 1st Ed had quite a few, but they are scattered throughout to the supplements.

I gather one of the biggest changes is that Rangers (who were a prestige class) are now a basic class. I'm of the opinion however that until Sheridan moves the IA HQ to Minbar (if then) the only race who should be able to start as Rangers are bonehe... erm, Minbari. All the alien* rangers in the series up to and including Legends of the Rangers, had some backstory.

----------------------

*Obviously in this context Humans are aliens, as the Anla Shok are native to Minbar**

**I realise thats really obvious, but I like using footnotes in a vain attempt to appear brighter than I really am.***

***Of course if I was that bright I could probably do a better job of staying on topic!

 

[Gabriel_Luna]

Actually I agree with that Ranger comment, and take it a step further. It seems like the sort of thing that should be a prestige class. The 2e book says that it's traditional not to class into a ranger until 5th level unless you're born into it, but that just means the (well MY) players say "Oh, well I'm Minbari and a ranger yet I'm way out here wherever the campaign is anyway"...I think it ought to be something you work toward no matter what, so I've said that while it doesn't have any prerequisites (other than formal training), you still need to be at least 5th level in something before you advance in that class. Seems to me that no matter the caste, you'd train some in the basics (Soldier, or Scientist, or Diplomat, or Worker or whatever) even if you were Minbari, and if you aren't you don't have a prayer to be a Ranger at level 1.

 

[PhoenixAndy]

I'm of the opinion however that until Sheridan moves the IA HQ to Minbar (if then) the only race who should be able to start as Rangers are bonehe... erm, Minbari. All the alien* rangers in the series up to and including Legends of the Rangers, had some backstory.

I assume you mean the only non-human race should be the Minbari. If so, I'd agree with you. It wasn't until the formation of the ISA that the other races were allowed in, and obviously they needed to train before being able to do anything.

Humans, on the other hand, were regularly seen doing Ranger missions throughout the series, from season 2 onwards, meaning there's plenty of scope for human Rangers in the series timeline.

 

[frobisher]

Humans, on the other hand, were regularly seen doing Ranger missions throughout the series, from season 2 onwards, meaning there's plenty of scope for human Rangers in the series timeline.

But I think the point is that they probably were something else before becoming a Ranger (which various bits of show continuity support), which a Prestige class enforces...

 

[Gabriel_Luna]

Exactly, Frobisher. I wouldn't forbid it (though I think finding time for Ranger training for most groups is tough...), but I would want the character to have some levels in something before the Ranger class.

But back on track: anyone have any good stories/concepts/etc about prestige classes? What worked, what didn't work?

Oh, and here's something that bugged me: The Thenta Ma'kur Assassin. It's a great assassin class, don't get me wrong...but wouldn't it work perfectly well as a general assassin class, with a note saying something like "This works particularly well for the Thenta Ma'kur"? Racially limited prestige classes tend to bug me on general principles, unless there's a _really_ good reason for it. (Minbari prestige classes, for example, might make more sense...) So is there anything in there I'm missing? I can't see a reason to limit it, so long as it's not called that, and I have a player who wants t give it a try, so any advice would be helpful.

 

[R Arceneaux]

My biggest problem, if you want to call it that, with the prestige classes is that there is only one prestige for Telepaths--Psy Cop. I remember that in the series as it ran on TV there were almost psy cops called bloodhound units as well. And there were elite telepath fighter units as well. There were court approved mind scans of comotose vicitims of assault and dieing people. How about just a darn good commercial telepath?

Could we not have some official prestige class for telepath pilot, telepath scout, telepath military, telepath investigator or just simply a prestige for skilled telepath commercial scanner. No matter what it is the class deserves more than one prestige class to give somene playing a less than P 12 something to shoot for that centers entirely on telepathy.

Perhaps the developers of the game with 'Think' of something?

R A

 

[lastbesthope]

I was sure the 1st Ed Psi Corps book had more than one prestige class, or at least bloodhouinds were in the 1E rules somewhere.

LBH

 

[Mongoose Gar]

1st Edition Earth Alliance sourcebook has the Bloodhound and Psi Experiment classes, anyway.