one more question about prestige classes

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

When you take a level in a prestige class, does that class replace your
core class, or is it like multi-classing, so that you'll have a few
levels as a ranger and a few as arcane archer?

If that is the case, then would it be better just to advance as a single
class? It seems like the downside to doing a prestige class would be
that you never become as powerful in a single class as you would
otherwise (the same with multiclassing). Or maybe it's not as big of a
deal as I think.

 

[Guest]

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John Salerno wrote:
> When you take a level in a prestige class, does that class replace your
> core class, or is it like multi-classing, so that you'll have a few
> levels as a ranger and a few as arcane archer?
>
It is a sort of multi classing, only the minimum requirements for the
class are such that you -can't- get a prestige class without first doing
at least one level in some other class (in fact, I think you have to
have at least three levels in another class even for the simplest of the
prestige classes), and even then you have to do some planning in most cases.

The only other thing I can think of that seperates a prestige class from
regular multiclass is that the whole "favored class" problem doesn't
seem to affect them, you can be (for example) a monk/weapon master and
advance at the same rate regardless of your race, even if the two
classes are at wildly different levels. For a monk/fighter to do this,
he'd have to be human, half elf, or... Dwarf? Anyway, point is, the
prestige class doesn't count for favored class concerns.

> If that is the case, then would it be better just to advance as a single
> class? It seems like the downside to doing a prestige class would be
> that you never become as powerful in a single class as you would
> otherwise (the same with multiclassing). Or maybe it's not as big of a
> deal as I think.

Depending on the class combination, this may be true; spellcasters, for
example, sacrifice a lot when they multiclass. On the other hand,
another way to think of this is that your Prestige class is your "main
class" and the levels you took in the other class (or classes) were
merely a prerequisite in order to be able to train in that "main" class.

What you have to look at is the combination as a whole, too; often when
you multiclass (prestige or no) the combination can be more than the sum
of the parts; I have, for example, a monk/druid I'm enjoying, using the
druid buffs on top of the monk combat skills; he's not the same as a
high level druid or a high level monk, but he has his own unique advantages.

The combination can also be less than the sum of the parts, though, a
fighter wizard, for example, throws away a lot of base attack abilities,
and trades that for the ability to cast relatively low level spells with
short durations, if he takes off his armor to do so.

Lance

 

[Guest]

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Lance Berg wrote:

> What you have to look at is the combination as a whole, too; often when
> you multiclass (prestige or no) the combination can be more than the sum
> of the parts; I have, for example, a monk/druid I'm enjoying, using the
> druid buffs on top of the monk combat skills; he's not the same as a
> high level druid or a high level monk, but he has his own unique advantages.

I've never done anything other than single class before, so I'm kind of
nervous about doing it. How does this sound:

1. Begin as a Ranger
2. Take the Weapon Focus, Longbow feat at level 1
3. Take the Point Blank Shot feat at level 3
4. Between level 3-6, take a level in wizard (for arcane ability)
5. At my 6th Ranger level I'll have an attack bonus of +6
6. On the next level train as an Arcane Archer

Now, a couple of questions: first, is this a decent plan?

Second, is it possible to have an attack bonus of +6 before my 6th
ranger level?

And third, is it worth even doing this at all just for SoU? Do most
people do this with bigger plans in mind, such as with HotU?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

John Salerno wrote:

> Second, is it possible to have an attack bonus of +6 before my 6th
> ranger level?

Related to this, I was wondering: if I'm able to meet the base attack
bonus earlier than level 6, would it hurt anything to take my third
character level as a wizard (and get the Point Blank Shot feat) so I
could combine those two prereqs at the same time?

Also, once you start training as an Arcane Archer, are you losing
anything by not advancing as a Ranger anymore? The only thing I can
think of is that I wouldn't have Summon Animal Companion (unless I
trained to a 6th Ranger level, which I'm not sure I need to do.)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

John Salerno wrote:
> John Salerno wrote:
>
>
>>Second, is it possible to have an attack bonus of +6 before my 6th
>>ranger level?
>
>
> Related to this, I was wondering: if I'm able to meet the base attack
> bonus earlier than level 6, would it hurt anything to take my third
> character level as a wizard (and get the Point Blank Shot feat) so I
> could combine those two prereqs at the same time?
>
> Also, once you start training as an Arcane Archer, are you losing
> anything by not advancing as a Ranger anymore? The only thing I can
> think of is that I wouldn't have Summon Animal Companion (unless I
> trained to a 6th Ranger level, which I'm not sure I need to do.)

Sorry, one more comment: I plan to use my Ranger as a two-weapon fighter
at times, so given that, is there anything he would gain by taking more
ranger levels, or are the benefits of training as a Ranger basically
over at level 6? (I'm assuming that Rangers and Arcane Archers have all
the same base attack bonuses and such, which they seem to in the chart).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

John Salerno wrote:
> Sorry, one more comment: I plan to use my Ranger as a two-weapon fighter
> at times, so given that, is there anything he would gain by taking more
> ranger levels, or are the benefits of training as a Ranger basically
> over at level 6? (I'm assuming that Rangers and Arcane Archers have all
> the same base attack bonuses and such, which they seem to in the chart).


If you think you might be fighting melee more than once-in-a-while,
you'll want nine ranger levels to get Improved Two Weapon Fighting and
get the extra attack with the off-hand.
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Barry Scott Will wrote:
> John Salerno wrote:
>
>>Sorry, one more comment: I plan to use my Ranger as a two-weapon fighter
>>at times, so given that, is there anything he would gain by taking more
>>ranger levels, or are the benefits of training as a Ranger basically
>>over at level 6? (I'm assuming that Rangers and Arcane Archers have all
>>the same base attack bonuses and such, which they seem to in the chart).
>
>
>
> If you think you might be fighting melee more than once-in-a-while,
> you'll want nine ranger levels to get Improved Two Weapon Fighting and
> get the extra attack with the off-hand.

So do you think it's not worth doing the Arcane Archer for just SoU,
since you only to around level 12-15 with it?

 

[Vellu]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

John Salerno wrote:
> Barry Scott Will wrote:
>
>> John Salerno wrote:
>>
>>> Sorry, one more comment: I plan to use my Ranger as a two-weapon
>>> fighter at times, so given that, is there anything he would gain by
>>> taking more ranger levels, or are the benefits of training as a
>>> Ranger basically over at level 6? (I'm assuming that Rangers and
>>> Arcane Archers have all the same base attack bonuses and such, which
>>> they seem to in the chart).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If you think you might be fighting melee more than once-in-a-while,
>> you'll want nine ranger levels to get Improved Two Weapon Fighting and
>> get the extra attack with the off-hand.
>
>
> So do you think it's not worth doing the Arcane Archer for just SoU,
> since you only to around level 12-15 with it?

R9/W1/AA2-5 is not so bad, since there a no more ranger specific feats
beyond R9 (spells increase in power though).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

vellu wrote:
>> So do you think it's not worth doing the Arcane Archer for just SoU,
>> since you only to around level 12-15 with it?
>
>
> R9/W1/AA2-5 is not so bad, since there a no more ranger specific feats
> beyond R9 (spells increase in power though).


Not to mention, you can take the same character to HotU and take nothing
but AA levels. (There are some nice AA-only items in HotU that make the
class very good.)
--
Barry Scott Will
Pyric RPG Publications
http://www.pyric.com/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Barry Scott Will wrote:
> vellu wrote:
>
>>R9/W1/AA2-5 is not so bad, since there a no more ranger specific feats
>>beyond R9 (spells increase in power though).
>
>
>
> Not to mention, you can take the same character to HotU and take nothing
> but AA levels. (There are some nice AA-only items in HotU that make the
> class very good.)

Cool. I'm going to roll up a Ranger for SoU and just go with him for at
least 9 levels and see how I like it. And just like vellu said, even
only a couple levels in AA gives you some nice benefits.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

John Salerno wrote:

> Barry Scott Will wrote:
>
>> vellu wrote:
>>
>>> R9/W1/AA2-5 is not so bad, since there a no more ranger specific
>>> feats beyond R9 (spells increase in power though).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Not to mention, you can take the same character to HotU and take
>> nothing but AA levels. (There are some nice AA-only items in HotU that
>> make the class very good.)
>
>
> Cool. I'm going to roll up a Ranger for SoU and just go with him for at
> least 9 levels and see how I like it. And just like vellu said, even
> only a couple levels in AA gives you some nice benefits.

I would recommend planning your character using something like the Halls
of Advanced Training. That way you can work out exactly what
requirements you need, what feats to choose etc etc. This is what I did
for my multiplayer character (also aiming to be an AA) and I wrote down
all of the options I chose for each level. Then, each time I level "for
real" in our multiplayer game, I simply look up my notes so that I make
the right choices.

- Stoobie.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.neverwinter-nights (More info?)

Capn Stoobie wrote:
> John Salerno wrote:
>
>
>>Barry Scott Will wrote:
>>
>>
>>>vellu wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>R9/W1/AA2-5 is not so bad, since there a no more ranger specific
>>>>feats beyond R9 (spells increase in power though).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Not to mention, you can take the same character to HotU and take
>>>nothing but AA levels. (There are some nice AA-only items in HotU that
>>>make the class very good.)
>>
>>
>>Cool. I'm going to roll up a Ranger for SoU and just go with him for at
>>least 9 levels and see how I like it. And just like vellu said, even
>>only a couple levels in AA gives you some nice benefits.
>
>
> I would recommend planning your character using something like the Halls
> of Advanced Training. That way you can work out exactly what
> requirements you need, what feats to choose etc etc. This is what I did
> for my multiplayer character (also aiming to be an AA) and I wrote down
> all of the options I chose for each level. Then, each time I level "for
> real" in our multiplayer game, I simply look up my notes so that I make
> the right choices.
>
> - Stoobie.

I think I have it all in my mind. The main things are the two required
feats and the level of wizard, which I'll worry about later. For the
feats, I have levels 3, 6, and 9 in which to choose the two necessary
ones, so I think I'm good.