Harperfan7
2009-09-11, 09:25 AM
I've been toying with this idea for a bit, and I'm just throwing it out there.
What if you used a variant system where enemies are worth a set amount of xp regardless of your level (like, a CR 1/2 is worth 100xp, period). Each class levels up after a set amount of experience is reached, but these set amounts are different for each class.
I'm thinking something where all classes are the same until about 5th or so, then the weaker classes start leveling up faster (fighter, monk) and the redonkulous classes start leveling up slower (wizard, druid). The other classes each vary somewhere between the extremes. Each class can only go to level 20, after which you have to multiclass or take a prestige class.
So in this system, a party that is effectively level 13 might have a Fighter 16, a rogue 13, a cleric 11, and a wizard 10, where they are each CR 13 themselves. (the numbers in this example are just examples, I don't know what the scale would really be).
Ideally, we would need to find which class is consistent in terms of its own level being equal to its CR (like a rogue 7 being CR 7) and go from there.
So, in a given adventure at, say, 12th level, is a 16th level fighter good enough for 12th level? How about an 8th level druid? Are they close to equal?
The only glaring problem with this is wealth by level. In the paragraph above, we would have to assume that both the 16th level fighter and the 8th level druid would both have 12th level gear. This whole idea is hard enough to balance, now you have to screw with WBL too.
Anyways, thoughts?
What if you used a variant system where enemies are worth a set amount of xp regardless of your level (like, a CR 1/2 is worth 100xp, period). Each class levels up after a set amount of experience is reached, but these set amounts are different for each class.
I'm thinking something where all classes are the same until about 5th or so, then the weaker classes start leveling up faster (fighter, monk) and the redonkulous classes start leveling up slower (wizard, druid). The other classes each vary somewhere between the extremes. Each class can only go to level 20, after which you have to multiclass or take a prestige class.
So in this system, a party that is effectively level 13 might have a Fighter 16, a rogue 13, a cleric 11, and a wizard 10, where they are each CR 13 themselves. (the numbers in this example are just examples, I don't know what the scale would really be).
Ideally, we would need to find which class is consistent in terms of its own level being equal to its CR (like a rogue 7 being CR 7) and go from there.
So, in a given adventure at, say, 12th level, is a 16th level fighter good enough for 12th level? How about an 8th level druid? Are they close to equal?
The only glaring problem with this is wealth by level. In the paragraph above, we would have to assume that both the 16th level fighter and the 8th level druid would both have 12th level gear. This whole idea is hard enough to balance, now you have to screw with WBL too.
Anyways, thoughts?