Prestige Classes

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Prestige classes allow characters to become truly exceptional, gaining powers beyond the ken of their peers. Unlike the core classes, characters must meet specific requirements before they can take their first level of a prestige class. If a character does not meet the requirements for a prestige class before gaining any benefits of that level, that character cannot take that prestige class. Characters that take levels in prestige classes do not gain any favored class bonuses for those levels.

FAQ

If a prestige class requires 5 ranks in a skill and I have 6 ranks in that skill, do I still meet the requirements?

Yes, because skill ranks are inclusive: if you have 6 ranks in a skill, then you have 5 ranks in that skill, and therefore meet the “have 5 ranks in [this] skill” requirement. In the same way, if you have a BAB of +6, then you have a BAB of +5, and therefore meet the “have BAB +5” requirement. In the same way, if you have Str 15, then you have Str 13, and therefore meet the “Str 13” feat prerequisite for Power Attack. However, spellcasting ability is not inclusive: it is possible (mainly through the use of spell-like abilities) to be able to cast 3rd-level spells but not 2nd-level spells. If you can only cast 3rd-level spells, that does not meet the requirement of “able to cast 2nd-level spells.” Likewise, feat prerequisites are not inclusive, as it is possible for a creature to have a feat without meeting that feat’s prerequisites. For example, a ranger can select Precise Shot as a ranger bonus feat without having the Point Blank Shot feat; he does not meet the prerequisites for Far Shot (which has Point Blank Shot as a prerequisite) because he doesn’t actually have the Point Blank Shot feat, even though he has a feat that lists Point Blank Shot as a prerequisite.

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