Conversions Issues and Prestige Classes

[Orland]

This has been discussed on the Official NWN boards, and I am hoping a official responce pops up from them, but lets see what everyone thinks over here as well.

1)As it has been stated there are no kits. But before you sigh and put your Baldur's Gate 2 character away, it has been asked, what about the prestige classes?

In 3rd Edition, Prestege classes are basically more indeph forms of, yep you guessed it, Kits. But, there is a notable difference, these classes are literally seperate classes and can be multi-classed at later levels or played outright. And example of this would be Hunter of the Dead/Paladin. Just like in dual-classing, you stop gaining levels in your paladin class, and continue on in the prestege class. Also, there can be a Hunter of the Dead/Rogue or Hunter of the Dead/Sorceror. The Prestege Classes unlike the Kits, are not limited to a class, but more a path toward which current class has specialized.

So, while there might not be the kits of Baldur's Gate 2, there has been demand for official prestige classes based on the previous kits being used to suppliment people who chose kits. Hopefully there will be an answer soon, as people are asking about it.

So what do you think about Prestige Classes?

2) There has also been talk of stat conversion to 3rd edition and the effects when you make your imported character Official. Basically, there's the different experience tables, which if you play an unofficial character, should prove humorous (it's only 36k exp to be level 8 if I remember correctly, which is a 1/10 of what it was.), though according the the written conversion rules, you'd be placed at you current level.

Here's where it gets really unusual. You remember that exceptional strength (ex: 18/01-18-00)? Well, this rule is nolonger in effect. Now, if they go by the written conversion rules, your strength is converted. 18/68 is now 20, 18/00 is now 23. Now, for an unofficial character, this isn't a problem, but for an official, starting out most stats on a human are limited to being a max of 18 at level one. Now, if you convert your character officially who had say 18/00 strength, according to current written rules, your level one has a 23 in strength. While this conversion should have just about every person lining up they're Baldur's Gate 2 character for the conversion, there is a catch.

It is the conversion for the written 3rd Edition Rules. Hopefully they're go with it, but even if they don't and knock strength down to 18, by the time you're level 8 you will have an additional 2 attribute points to place (love these 3rd Edition rules).

So what do you think about Converting your character?

Thanks for reading the post (it's a long one, I know).

[handwash]

I like the idea of prestige classes a lot. Nice way to individualise your character more, and all those combinations inherent within the framework are cool.

Converting? Bah, I suppose it's not really right for a lvl1 character to have, for example, 20 STR. It kinda unbalances the game. Adding of stat points afterwards, however, compensates it, and I don't think massive stat loss is really gonna worry anyone a lot.

[wolven86]

but i want my fighter with stength 21 constitution 21 and charisma 20

[Skunk]

let me put this as nicely as i can, Your wrong. As an avid player of AD&D and currently D&D i want to say your all on crack, prestige classes are terrible. They dont provide for nearly as much customization as kits!!!! if your playing a fighter and then you take a prestige at level 8 it supid, one day your just a fighter and the nxt day you have all these new powers that have nothing to do with your concept or your character and your just taking itbecause you can. Kits on the other hand provide so much customization, you take standard class and tweak it so it represents your character oerfectly, her strengths and weaknesses her likes and dislikes and her alignment, The kit is your character . if you have only played computer rpg's i can understand this but you have ever played pen and paper d&d then you are very very confused. prestige classes dont have that, a kit represents your players specialti and training prestige class does not, one day your a ranger, you go to bed and you decide to take a specialized class? no. you have to be trained in a specialized class, and this cannot be implemented in an rpg on th pc so they will suck, second edition kits are better thn 3rd edition prestige classes no matter how you look at it.

[HungLong]

I don't see why they changed from kits to prestige class in the first place. Are kits that complicated? I don't know if any of you played Warhammer40k, but when they changed from the old rules to what they are now they neutered it. The only reason they changed things was to make it more appealing to the younger crowd, the slower crowd. Sure the rules were a bit confusing at times, but that's when you compromised with the ppl you were playing with and figured things out for yourselves. Does it seem like WotC changed the D&D rules for the same reasons? To make a more marketable product? I used to play AD&D 2nd Ed, and I haven't read the new D&D rules.

[fable]

Skunk writes:
As an avid player of AD&D and currently D&D i want to say your all on crack, prestige classes are terrible.

As it happens, I prefer kits; but Skunk, what exactly is so wrong about other people preferring prestige classes that you have to become violently aggressive over the matter? Since this is a matter of opinion, what's wrong with people of differing views all being right, each for themselves?