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Tusalu
2009-04-07, 03:15 PM
I am going to DM a campaign in my own campaign world, and I wanted to do a more low-magic approach to game. For this I have come up with the concepts for a handful of new classes - pretty much just variations of existing classes. Here they are:
The Minstrel (variant bard).
The minstrel is a class meant to fill the iconic role of a wandering performer, who uses his wits and his music to solve problems, but without using spells. Instead I was thinking about more uses for bardic music. The ability itself should also be changed, it shouldn't be considered magical and should be usable an unlimited amount of times per day. Instead it should require a perform check to use.
The new bardic music abilities I was considering should mostly be non-combat (using perform in place for diplomacy for example).
Other abilities for the minstrel could include improvements of bardic knowledge, luck bonus feats, or the like. Basically I want the abilities to reflect the image of a bard as a wandering storyteller.

The Priest (variant cleric)
Like the minstrel the priest is a different approach at a classic archetype. The priest - unlike the cleric - should not be a spellcaster (perhaps the spellcasting cleric should be a prestige class). Their skills should include social skills, inspiration (like the bard's), perhaps curses/blessings (as class features, not spells) and improved non-magical healing.

The Specialist (variant expert)
The specialist is an expert who is more balanced as use as a PC class. Additions could be more skill points, skill mastery, skill focus, perhaps skill tricks, and perhaps some unique class features based on skills.
This is pretty much meant as a non-combat class, and the class could be used to create merchants, master woodsmen, negotiators, artisans or the like. A specialist should be able to help the party in some way other than hitting it's enemies with a sword. 10+int skill points for example would give the class an edge over the rogue as a skill monkey.

The Noble (variant aristocrat)
The aristocrat NPC-class could also be more interesting for PC's if it was more powerful. It's class features could include social skills, improved contacts and perhaps some fencing skills (combat expertise and subfeats as bonus feats for example).

This was just the loose ideas I had about the classes, and I would like to hear some opinions and suggestions before I begin creating the classes.

Fortuna
2009-04-08, 02:31 AM
Interesting idea, if I'm reading this right these will be a little underpowered compared to core? As an added note, the Minstrel should be able to do this: www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0445.html

BlueWizard
2009-04-08, 02:50 AM
:smallcool::smallcool::smallcool:

Tusalu
2009-04-08, 06:35 AM
Interesting idea, if I'm reading this right these will be a little underpowered compared to core? As an added note, the Minstrel should be able to do this: www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0445.html

Really I was hoping to make them as balanced as possible, although many of the powers will be non-combat.

Oh and "Heroically Inspriring Speech" is a level 6 class feature usable once per month... :smallbiggrin: Probably gives attack bonus, temporary bonus hit points and bonus on saves vs fear.
Actually it could be a nice ability.

Baron Corm
2009-04-10, 02:59 PM
I made a variant bard a while ago which focused more on his songs than on spells. It's in my signature. If you want your bard to be a storyteller, you can just use Perform (storytelling). Those bardic knowledge/luck feats sound interesting though.

Hawriel
2009-04-11, 01:29 AM
Sword & Sorcery's Advanced Players Guide has a variant bard that usess songs instead of magic.

ericgrau
2009-04-11, 10:11 AM
The specialist. I thought up a bard/rogue build that was similar to this guy. Some things he might want include are all knowledge skills as class skills, something similar to bardic knowledge or lore (see loremaster), track (& survival) and trapfinding (as a rogue). Proficiency with whips (trip), nets (entangle, pull rope to stop from fleeing) and bolas (trip) could give a high strength specialist a nice backup role in combat that isn't BAB dependant. And a nice exotic flare for that matter, with his unique weaponry. I like the idea of skill mastery like a rogue, maybe even given it early or letting it be taken multiple times. Maybe you could come up with similar options as well, like jack of all trades. I'd avoid skill bonuses, though, as it's hard to balance and with a lot of skills it's just overkill. With that manny different skills, I'd call him "expert" or "guide" or something similar, rather than "specialist".

The noble: I'd give fighter bonus feats rather than forcing the PC down a certain path. For fencing inspiration, consider some boosts to one-handed fighting from the duelist PrC. I'd make him a mid BAB fighter/social hybrid.

Tusalu
2009-04-11, 02:15 PM
The Specialist was meant as an extended expert (from DMG), and the name was just to tell the two apart. I will try to keep the class features as non-specific as possible, so you can specialize in whatever kind of skills you want (social, knowledge, exploration, magical or whatever).
I don't know whether it should be able to pick it's class skills (like the npc expert) or have all skills as class skills.
It could also get bonus feats choosable from skill-based feats (like skill focus, open minded, jack of all trades, stealthy and other +2/+2 feats, and skill trick feats).
As for weapon proficiency I was thinking all simple weapons + a number of chosen proficiencies in martial and exotic light and ranged weapons.

As for the noble, perhaps there could be some weapon styles to choose from (like ranger), those could include Fencing, Archery, Jousting and the like.