What prestige class should Roy take?

[LeighTheDwarf]

Do you think Roy should take a prestige class? If so, what are some good non-casting prestige classes that allow martial characters to make use of their mental stats in combat?

[Kish]

I think he's going to end the story still a single-classed fighter.

Spoiler: Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tails

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He said, when fighting his 4ed counterpart, that the reason he's a fighter and not a warblade is "Dad would never have paid for a PhD program." I suspect, however, that the Doylist reason, is that Tome of Battle maneuvers would be substantially less approachable to a non-D&D-playing audience than "stand in one place and dish out a Full Attack." And that being the case...I think he's going to end the story still a single-classed fighter.

If Rich surprises me and has him take a prestige class, it will most likely be one Rich made up like the Dashing Swordsman, not one from a D&D book.

[woweedd]

I think he's going to end the story still a single-classed fighter.

Spoiler: Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tails

Show

He said, when fighting his 4ed counterpart, that the reason he's a fighter and not a warblade is "Dad would never have paid for a PhD program." I suspect, however, that the Doylist reason, is that Tome of Battle maneuvers would be substantially less approachable to a non-D&D-playing audience than "stand in one place and dish out a Full Attack." And that being the case...I think he's going to end the story still a single-classed fighter.

If Rich surprises me and has him take a prestige class, it will most likely be one Rich made up like the Dashing Swordsman, not one from a D&D book.

(Emphasis mine.)
I would say Bearer of the Ancestral Weapon, especially as we have both an anxcestral weapon and a single-clased fighter ancestor ripe for the taking but it requires spellcasting so not gonna happen.

[DataNinja]

I think he's going to end the story still a single-classed fighter.

Especially since the person he drew inspiration from the most, Horace Greenhilt, is a single-classed fighter, and is proud of Roy for doing the same thing.

[Morquard]

Pretty sure once he hits level 21 he has to multiclass. :)

[Mandor]

Clearly, he should go for Dashing Swordsman. Though, he'd have to find a variation of it that works with greatswords, and snarky comments rather than puns.

[SaintRidley]

Fighter seems like a good one for him. Seriously, he's going to stay single-classed.

And no, Morquard, he wouldn't have to multiclass after level 20. He could just as easily keep taking epic fighter levels.

[Kish]

Pretty sure once he hits level 21 he has to multiclass. :)

If this is a joke, I'm afraid I don't get it.

"Just got access to epic feats" is a good candidate for the worst time to multiclass.

[Roland Itiative]

Fighter seems like a good one for him. Seriously, he's going to stay single-classed.

And no, Morquard, he wouldn't have to multiclass after level 20. He could just as easily keep taking epic fighter levels.

I imagine he would jump with joy at the (attack of) opportunity to take Spellcasting Harrier :P

[Morquard]

And no, Morquard, he wouldn't have to multiclass after level 20. He could just as easily keep taking epic fighter levels.

Ah see waht I know... I thought they stopped at 20.

[Morquard]

If this is a joke, I'm afraid I don't get it.

No joke, just me being wrong.

[wumpus]

Clearly, he should go for Dashing Swordsman. Though, he'd have to find a variation of it that works with greatswords, and snarky comments rather than puns.

The whole point of dashing swordsman is to use charisma instead of strength/dexterity. While Roy has a decent charisma, we tend to assume that his strength was at least equal and he has been putting his level ups there (constitution might make more sense to meatshield while the casters take whoever down, but that isn't Roy's style).

Some sort of wizardslayer would work, but considering the feat Horace taught him it is rather pointless now. Expect Roy to retire a full fighter.

Will any of the others take prestige classes? I suppose they should, and none of them have the attachment to class purity that Roy does, but it looks like only Elan will have a prestige class (unless Belkar takes one right before croaking).

[KillingAScarab]

Once Roy is done proving that 20 levels of fighter without alternate class features (but some help from just one splatbook) is good enough, his next challenge will be to prove that survivor is worth it. To date, even the Iron Chef Optimization Challenge hasn't touched that.

[The MunchKING]

"Just got access to epic feats" is a good candidate for the worst time to multiclass.

I wouldn't see why. He's still got 20 character levels, so he should still have ACCESS to those feats.

[InvisibleBison]

I wouldn't see why. He's still got 20 character levels, so he should still have ACCESS to those feats.

The difference is in the number of feats. If he took 10 levels of some prestige class, he'd get 4 feats from character levels. If he took 10 levels of fighter, he'd get those same 4 feats, plus 5 epic fighter bonus feats.

[Emanick]

The difference is in the number of feats. If he took 10 levels of some prestige class, he'd get 4 feats from character levels. If he took 10 levels of fighter, he'd get those same 4 feats, plus 5 epic fighter bonus feats.

Also, it's been a while since I read through the epic feats, but aren't there some that require being a level 21+ fighter?

[dps]

If you mean what he should do from a narrative perspective, the answer is obviously that he shouldn't take any prestige class. If you mean what should he do from an optimization POV, I'll leave that to people more familiar with 3.5 to answer.

[Morty]

Narratively speaking, Roy did just get a major upgrade when he unlocked his sword's potential. So a prestige class would be entirely redundant.

[Jasdoif]

Well, if we're assuming Roy's forced to take a prestige class...I'd say Legacy Champion. Fancy abilities with his legacy weapon, still have most of the progression on his Fighter bonus feats, boost that Will save he's got, and get more skill points. He'd lose out a bit on hit points, attack bonus and Fort save though.

[Nightblade]

If a prestige class would give him a significant power boost, increasing his chances of defeating Xykon and saving the world, would he let his pride get in the way and NOT take it?

[martianmister]

Airship Pilot

[Poison Mushroom]

If a prestige class would give him a significant power boost, increasing his chances of defeating Xykon and saving the world, would he let his pride get in the way and NOT take it?

Occult Slayer (CW) could theoretically be an option, but Xykon is far too much of a blaster for even 2/day Spell Turning to be any kind of useful. The immunity to mind-affecting abilities is nice, but maybe not worth 5 levels of mediocre PrC.

[B.I.T.T.]

I kinda doubt he will. First of all, Roy strikes me as the kind of guy who'd just stick with Fighter. It's worked out well enough for him in the past and he has a lot of personal investment in the class. His grandfather was a fighter and he wields the sword his grandfather wielded in the past. He also seems to want to serve as an example that fighters aren't dumb.

Second, Mr. Burlew seems to be kinda getting away from the game rules aspect of the strip. Most of the jokes these days seem to come more from the situation the Order gets into rather than poking fun at the rules.

[Jay R]

None. He's a single-class Fighter, and will remain so.

[littlebum2002]

If a prestige class would give him a significant power boost, increasing his chances of defeating Xykon and saving the world, would he let his pride get in the way and NOT take it?

It's also a question of how easy it is to start a prestige class in this world. So far (I believe) we have only met 2 characters with prestige classes, which suggests that they're not something that most characters do, for whatever reason. Add onto that the fact that a good portion of Roy's character is trying to fulfill his grandfathers legacy (and prove to his father that fighters are competent) by defeating Xykon as a fighter.

Sure, we know that he'll be stronger as a Prestige Class, but it's entirely possible he doesn't know that. And if we're on the line of reasoning that "he'll be stronger in a prestige class, so it would be irresponsible not to", then he should just be a Warblade.

[RatElemental]

It's also a question of how easy it is to start a prestige class in this world. So far (I believe) we have only met 2 characters with prestige classes, which suggests that they're not something that most characters do, for whatever reason.

Well, there was Tsukiko (Mystic Theurge), Elan (Dashing Swordsman), Julio (Also Dashing Swordsman), and... uh...

*Checks the OOTS wiki*

Well, there was that Shadow Dancer guy from the hotel arc. Still, 4 is not many examples.

[littlebum2002]

Well, there was Tsukiko (Mystic Theurge), Elan (Dashing Swordsman), Julio (Also Dashing Swordsman), and... uh...

*Checks the OOTS wiki*

Well, there was that Shadow Dancer guy from the hotel arc. Still, 4 is not many examples.

I was thinking of Tsusiko and Elan. Not sure how I forgot Julio, but the shadow dancer totally slipped my mind.

However, considering that like 95% of the classes in the comic are Core, if we do want Roy to pick a prestige class it should be a Core class. And TBH I can't think of any that would be even slightly useful

[Ruck]

Well, there was Tsukiko (Mystic Theurge), Elan (Dashing Swordsman), Julio (Also Dashing Swordsman), and... uh...

*Checks the OOTS wiki*

Well, there was that Shadow Dancer guy from the hotel arc. Still, 4 is not many examples.

There's Chuck the Arcane Trickster!

[HerbieRAI]

He's already a fighter/fighter with one level of fighter for the HP and bonus feet. I doubt he'll want the experience penalty for having another class.

[Peelee]

If a prestige class would give him a significant power boost, increasing his chances of defeating Xykon and saving the world, would he let his pride get in the way and NOT take it?

I don't think you quite understand how pride works.