So I myself would perfur to remove the "Prestege" class requirement and make Knight of the Crown a core class that can be taken at 1st level. Here is how you could do it, while keeping balance so people don't compain about it.
1. Make skills (Int Mod+2 *4) at 1st level and int + 2 skills per level (Plus any pertenant bonuses if the character is human)
2. Keep all class abilities the same, in other words you get them as you level up in the class.
3. Crown Knights are proficent with all simple and martial weapons, and with a lance.
4. Knights as they are recruited by the order, are given equiptment from the armory. They are given a medium suit of armor (Their choice), a Sword, A Lance, A Shield and a Horse. However the knights also make it worthy to hold little material wealth, donating it to worthy institutions. Because of that, Knights only get 1d4*10 steel pieces at character creation, to purchase equiptment beyond their allocation. While the order understands that knights need revenue to pay for rations, room and board, etc... they do not usually carry more than their share.
Now the Balacing Factors:
1. Crown Knights must obey the Measure, and the duty of a Crown Knight. They also must obey commands of a superior officer, unless they have GOOD reason to disobey the order (for instance an injust command or being forced into circumstances that are unbefitting a knight. For instance Strum Brightblade disobeyed Derek Crownguard because in his view his orders were wrong). Doing an act of evil, or acting aginst the order, means they lose all class related abilities (But not their base attack bonus and saves), until they confess their sins and do proper atonement (either to a memeber of the Order, or a good aligned cleric). They may also chose to exchange their levels for Rogue Knight levels, if they chose not to seek redemption.
2. Crown Knights are often prompted to Tithe revenue they find to the order, to better the works of the knights, help the poor and misfortunate, etc... etc.. Therefore whenever a Crown Knight usually must tithe 10% or more of his revenue found on adventures. While this might not force the knight to give up a useful magical item, an item can be donated if he/she wishes it. This only applies to His/Her share of the loot, the knight is not abliged to force othe players to Tithe, although he may promote such wellbeing if he/she wishes it.
As for other prestege classes (Sword/Rose) I probably would reduce the level requirements but still require the various tests to be done before they can advance into another order.
Now this allows PC's to play as a knight at 1st level, and allow the knights to be in a more sizeable number than what a 4th level character class would be. Now I'm not saying there would be ENTIRE legions of knights, no they still would be more of an "Elete" type troop in an army, thus rarer than Warriors/Fighters and other classes, but still able to exist in a sizeable number to actually have a noteworthy force. Hopefully you can understand my logic in this.
Given the restrictive entry requirements of the knightly orders, the limitation on race and social class, the need for training, oaths, trials, and quests, and the specific structure of the three orders, it makes sense that all three are prestige classes. Do remember that if you don't want to use the prestige class you can still play a knight as a fighter, paladin, or noble. Entry into the knightly orders is a prerequisite of the Solamnic PrCs, not a result of them, so if you roleplay out the knight's trial and so forth you aren't obliged to take the PrC.
Of course, then you don't get all of the cool abilities. That's the price of having a lack of commitment.
Cheers,
Cam
My view: If it was a Core Class in 2nd Edition, it Should be in 3rd Edition.
Well, that would mean that nothing much changes between editions, class-wise.
My view: If it was a Core Class in 2nd Edition, it Should be in 3rd Edition. It must have been a balanced class to begin with if you could take it as a 1st level character in 2nd edition, rather than muticlassing into it.
Balance appeared to be the last thing on anybody's mind when they were working on the 2nd edition material.
Cheers,
Cam
Do remember that if you don't want to use the prestige class you can still play a knight as a fighter, paladin, or noble.
I'd add cleric to that list as well, or any multiclass combination of the above.
Heavy RP requirements, an essential keystone concept for the campaign setting that goes beyond core. I always liked organization PrCs, not that you need to take the PrC to be in the organization but it helps flesh out roles. Heck look at the legion PrCs from AoM, I love those.
ANYWAY, another (quite apt) point, methinks, is that Sturm was a mid level fighter and still a Squire, not only that when he was was in Solamnia it stated that it was not unusual for men in their mid to late twenties to be squires because the road to Knighthood was a long and hard one. This if anything DEMANDS it be a prestige class rather than a base class.
I also dont see what the problem is of going up 3 levels in Fighter. Pretty much most people would go up 4 levels anyways, to get Weapon Specialization. I think it fits pretty well that a Knight has training in a regular class before they ever become a Knight. A Solamnic Knight isnt something that you just start out as. You work toward it and eventually *earn* it.
I agree with Nived that the Knight of the Crown prestige class "should be framed and hung up as a shrine to what a prestige class SHOULD be." It is very well written, with good abilities that reflect what a Knight of the Crown is and should be. The only problem I have with it is that it almost makes you not want to advance to Sword
Personally I think Knight of the Crown should be framed and hung up as a shrine to what a prestige class SHOULD be.
Dragonlance, IMO, is the model setting for how prestige classes should be used. The KoS, KoN, WoHS, LoS...all of which are great examples.
Plus, each PrC seems to fill a role within the world. There really aren't any arbitrary PrCs.
Heavy RP requirements, an essential keystone concept for the campaign setting that goes beyond core. I always liked organization PrCs, not that you need to take the PrC to be in the organization but it helps flesh out roles. Heck look at the legion PrCs from AoM, I love those.
My biggest problems with the Legion PrCs are the requirements, at least in regards to meeting both the Steel Legionnaire requirements and the Legion PrC requirements, and then the idea that by the time you get into a Legion PrC, you're around 7th - 8th level.
All of that being said, I will say that my favorite part of the LoS in regards to PrCs is that there's something for all character types almost. Yes, it is a mortal-centric organization, so you're not likely to see clerics, but you can have a full adventuring group with warriors, arcane and divine spellcasters, and rogues.