[HoTU] Of XP penalties and prestiege classes...

[Jim]

Having successfully played as a Fighter/Dwarven Defender, I'm pondering whether to try another prestige class out in a new game.

I'm really tempted to try a Red Dragon Disciple (due to the extreme stat bonuses one can acquire), combined with a fighter. If I choose a Half Orc fighter for my starting class (with decent STR and CON stats, and around a 12 CHA), and pile as many skill points into Lore as I can, then at level 4 if I take a level in bard and then bring my Lore skill base to 8, I figure I can advance as a Red Dragon Disciple. If I then take the Red Dragon Disciple to level 10, and all subsequent levels are placed into fighter, will my character suffer a 20% XP penalty? The favored class for a Half Orc is fighter, so no problems there, but will the difference in Red Dragon Disciple and Bard levels cause the penalty, or do the prestige classes not count when determining XP penalties?

Your views are appreciated.

[ 01-05-2004, 05:17 AM: Message edited by: Jim ]

[andrewas]

IIRC, PRCs don't inflict an XP penalty.

[ecarletti]

BUT I'm pretty sure the favored class for half orcs is
BARBARIAN. Replace fighter with barbarian and it will
be OK.

[Jim]

Thanks guys.

Right you are ecarletti, Barbarian it is then.

I wonder how the pristege classes work with humans, since their favored class can be anything, and is always the highest level class...

[Epona]

Red Dragon Disciple is absolutely brilliant, and you get a pair of wings that flap when you walk, what more could you want?

I played SoU and HotU through as a Monk/Sorceror/Red Dragon Disciple and nothing could touch me. I particularly liked that combo since they complement each other well - get a nice robe, cast defensive or stat boosting spells on yourself, then run (and boy, do I mean run, esp. with boots of speed!) into combat chopping and kicking your way through everything you meet. The RDD stat increases are perfect for that combo too, increasing your strength and charisma. My 'regular' stat increases went on Wisdom. If I couldn't fight it, I could talk my way out of it

My only gripe is that when it comes to weapon upgrades, monk gauntlets don't count as weapons

[ 01-05-2004, 10:34 AM: Message edited by: Epona ]

[philip]

Originally posted by Jim: I wonder how the pristege classes work with humans, since their favored class can be anything, and is always the highest level class...

Highest non-prestige class class counts then.

Originally posted by Epona: My 'regular' stat increases went on Wisdom. If I couldn't fight it, I could talk my way out of it

Most
Bluff and pursuade are all going on CHA. The only thing you can see with wisdom is when someone's speaking the truth.

[Jim]

Highest non-prestige class class counts then.

Right you are, but aparently there's a bug with humans that causes an XP penalty if CoT becomes the highest level class, and the remaining 2 classes become unbalanced. Hopefully this will be addressed in the upcoming patch.

What would the situation be if I decided to take 2 priestege classes? For example, if I wanted to create a Red Dragon Disciple/Pale Master/Bard as a human, is there a danger of an XP penalty?

[ScottG]

http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cg...c;f=7;t=002299