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  1. #1
    Birthright Developer Raesene Andu's Avatar
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    Another prestige class for comments.
    Let me claim your Birthright!!

  2. #2
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    A nice lengthy description of the prestige class in action which is definetly a plus and helps define the indentity of the class. However, one could cut out some of the history as it is repeated elsewhere ad nauseam.

    Requirements:

    1) I would suggest adding Favoured Enemy (Humanoids: Human) to the list. Although due to the division of the human race in Birthright, it might go so far as to specify certain human cultures (notably Anuireans).

    2) I would add that the knight must be able to cast 1st level arcane spells due to the magical nature of the sidhe people (and to help combat the divine magic of the humans).


    Class features:

    1) Animal Empathy no longer exists as a skill, same for Intuit Direction and Wilderness Lore (change to Survival).

    2) I would add Sense Motive to the list of class skills as the Knights of the Gheallie Sidhe are distrustful and jaded. Bluff and Disguise might also be appropriate so they can move freely in sidhelien cultures that might frown upon such actions or infiltrate human settlements.

    3) I'm tempted to add Ride as a class skill as the warcard depicting the gheallie sidhe does have them as a cavalry unit.

    4) I find the prestige class to be a bit narrow-minded to be a 10 level class. A 5 level class would be more appropriate.

    5) The Will save seems appropriate as the sidhe that take this class are pretty much headstrong and cannot truly be reasoned with. I would change reflex save to be a fortitude save to represent that they will push their bodies to the extreme in their quest to eradicate all humans from Cerilia.

    6) If we add ride to the list of skills, fast movement is unnecessary. Instead of the ability I would recommend an improvement on their Nature's stride ability (from the BRCS 3e) that would allow them to move at their regular movement rate with move silently without the -5 penalty in forest/woodland areas. It could also allow the knights to Track humans at regular speed without the -5 penalty as well in similar conditions.

    7) I would add Favored Enemy (Humanoids: Human) to the list of class features that could be taken for either a second human culture or have it stack with a favored enemy for a human culture you would already have selected.

    8) With 2 strong saving throws, Elven Zeal is redundant and a tad twinkish.

    9) Human Bane replicates the Favoured Enemy ability and can thus be removed.

    10) Manhunter is a very nice idea but I would alter the length ot be a number of rounds equal to the Knight's charisma modifier to fit in line with other similar abilities from other classes.

    11) I'm against giving a bonus feat because classes that do so are based around a facet of a warrior trying to improve himself by devoting his skills towards one facet of combat. Something this class doesn't really emulate.

    12) Due to the magical nature of the sidhe, I would suggest giving the gheallie sidhe knights a unique spell list much like the assassin or +1 level to an existing arcane class spell progression.


    Class Feature progression as a 5th level class could be:

    1) Favored Enemy (Humanoids: Human culture), Improved Nature's Stride
    2) +1 spell progression (if this suggestion is taken)
    3) Smite (Human Culture) 1/day
    4) +1 spell progression (if this suggestion is taken)
    5) Manhunter

  3. #3
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    Interesting how I so agreed with Phil on another PrC but think the opposite of him here.

    While in general I like shorter level progressions for BR, I think 10 levels is fitting for elven PrCs. Especially a soul consuming one like this. They seem to have a higher number of higher level characters than humans, so a progression with depth and slowly accumulated abilities fits. Meeting a NPC with more than two levels in a PrC wont be super rare in an elven kingdom.

    Requirements are mostly fine. Adding favored enemy or arcane spellcasting restricts what really is a hate based PrC. Why would a hatefilled elven fighter have to take ranger or wizard levels to perfect his hate?
    I might remove the Track feat requirement and instead give that feat at first level, move fast movement to 5th level, and remove the two bonus feats.

    Ride should definitely be a class skill as elven cavalry does exist.

    Elven Zeal should maybe apply only to Will and Fortitute. How zeal would help with reflex saves is perplexing.

    The bonus feats could be removed, but merely if the community thinks this PrC is overpowered. Thematically they work to give the PrC a bit of fighter-like flexibility. The closest comparison powerwise might be the paladin i think.

    The above comments should be understood to be modifying the posted original, not Phil's version unlike the other PrC Phil modified.

    The flavor text is seemingly contradictory. The hunt was honorable challenges at first, but Rhoube changed them in favor of a guerrilla type approach. But it said that he created the first of the Gheallie Sidhe Knights. Other than the name knights I dont know that we need to keep the honorable challenge history. The class has nothing of a chivalrous code in it, just genocidal.

    Overall a good PrC. Dont want to meet one of them in the forest...

  4. #4
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    I agree with some points Danip brought up but I do feel the class is still a bit too narrow of a focus to be a full-fledged 10 level prestige class.

    Where I do agree with him is that Favored Enemy and Track need not be a class requirement upon reflection. However I would also add a special requirement that candidates must slay a human to prove their devotion to the cause.

    For the Arcane spellcasting requirement, I should have elaborated more. elves have wizard as a favored class and coincidentally all the Gheallie Sidhe NPCs that I recall had both fighter and mage levels. This also weighs in on my thoughts of a 5 vs 10 level prestige class. If it were a 10 level prestige classs I cannot help but feel it will stereotype the character by making most knights of the gheallie sidhe extremely similar if they devote all their levels to it. By keeping it at 5 levels it does allow some more variety in those that take up the hunt of the elves as the fiction does seem to indicate the gheallie sidhe operates as small highly specialized warband more than single individuals going out to kill.

    After rereading the flavour text with a more attentive eye, Danip is indeed correct. Further, I recall in Rhuobhe's history that he joined the gheallie sidhe after some time and did not create it. However, he did excel in it like no other.

  5. #5
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    My first thought was that it seemed overpowered, then I looked at the

    "Foe Hunter" in MoW. OK, it`s not so overpowered.

    I did like the later suggestion that it lose the Fast Movement, and

    concentrate on Ride-related things. Considering that the Elven Horse in the BRCS

    can fly, why wouldn`t you use those?

    The descriptive text seemed a bit repetitive, may I try my hand at

    editing it?



    Lee.

  6. #6
    Junior Member void's Avatar
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    I like Phil's version with the changed prereqs.

  7. #7
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    I agree with Danip on this.

    As far as number of levels, it seems to be a life devotion so ten sounds right.

    I would also suggest adding a survival prereq.
    I also like the idea of killing a human to prove your devotion. Possibly by going on a hunt or raid with current members.

  8. #8
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    The human killing prereq seems fine. I had just kind of assumed that any elf taking this would be very experinced in human butchery by now....

    As for the arcane spellcasting prereq, while almost all elf NPCs described in the original material have some wizard, i dont know that is grounds enough to make that nesscessary for the PrC. Some individualistic PC build or a straight up ranger shouldnt be made to take a silly single arcane level just to meet the prerequisite if it doesnt meet their idea of the perfect human hater.

    If it were a 10 level prestige classs I cannot help but feel it will stereotype the character by making most knights of the gheallie sidhe extremely similar if they devote all their levels to it. By keeping it at 5 levels it does allow some more variety in those that take up the hunt of the elves as the fiction does seem to indicate the gheallie sidhe operates as small highly specialized warband more than single individuals going out to kill.
    Remember that according to the flavor text only some of the gheallie sidhe take this PrC. This PrC kind of represents an elite few who harken back to the old days of elven knighthood. How many elves will have taken five levels of a PrC much less 10? I dont know that many will have more than 5, making the 5 vs 10 argument moot. This also goes to the arcane spellcasting requirement. If you dont want them to be cookie cutter, why require they all have some wizard? The mixed backgrounds will make them less cookie cutter.
    Maybe we could change some abilities to make the 10level progression better? A charisma modifier with members of the hunt at higher level (going with phils warband feel)? Some more choices if other people feel it is too cookie cutter...

    Lee, Give the flavor text a rework for sure. While the history is contradictory, I like the idea that the PrC harkens back to an older knightly way. This gives its members something more in common than just hating humans and a bloodthirsty hobbie. Note thought that the older tradition doesnt have to be all chivalrous and good. These guys could be the KKK core of the hunt (hoods and burning crosses and rituals and such).

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