Rixx
2009-09-17, 06:15 PM
I have a somewhat whimsical sci-fi setting I use in a lot of my story / game ideas, and I wanted to have a shot at adapting it to the d20 system - I didn't want to use d20 Future, though, as my setting is extremely soft sci-fi. I also want to make it a little more streamlined and rules-light - probably based more on Pathfinder than 3.5e D&D. But I also had a somewhat interesting idea for the classes.
Every class in the game would be a flavor-light but mechanically specific 5-level Prestige Class. Players start at level 2, fully expected to pick two different classes, and high level characters can be expected to have many classes - some that synergize with each other, and some as brief dips for function or flavor.
For example, instead of a "Fighter" class, there'd be things like "Swordsman", "Brawler", an armor-wearing class (no offensive abilities - just armor-based ones), "Dual Weilder", "Weapon Specialist", "Arftul Dodger", "Gunslinger", "Rifleman", "Heavy Weapons Guy" - and those are just combat-based classes. There'd also be classes like "Tracker", "Scientist", "Engineer", "Socialite", "Diplomat", "Infiltrator", and the like that would grant primarily non-combat abilities. Each of these classes would be highly specialized, to the point that following one through for 5 levels leaves you as very good at that one thing, but poor at everything else unless you've multiclassed. (Keep in mind the above is not a complete list.)
This would allow players to make their own classes, esentially - if one wanted to play a D&D style TWF Ranger, they'd probably take a combination of "Swordsman", "Dual Weilder", and "Tracker". A D&D-style Rogue, by comparison, might also take "Swordsman", but in addition take levels in "Artful Dodger" and "Infiltrator" - and maybe a dip into "Socialite" or "Diplomat" if they're the party face.
Feats would be handled differently, too - each class has a list of bonus feats you can take for going into that class, but you can't take those feats unless you're taking a level in a class that provides them (there would be overlap - not every feat would be specific to only one class). Your non-class bonus feats for leveling are chosen from a list based on your race - non-human races get their own special racial feats in addition to a smattering of standard feats they have listed. Humans don't get their own special racial feats, but to compensate they can choose any other feat they qualify for. This way, if you wanted to fight with two weapons, you have to dip into "Dual Weilder", which is the only class that grants two-weapon fighting feats. (Unless you're a human, that is, in which case you can take the TWF feats as your "racial" bonus feats.)
Another idea about race - each of them have a laundry list of favored classes (maybe about 7 strong), while humans get only a few (maybe 4 or 5), though humans get to choose what the classes are.
Is this an idea worth pursuing? What sort of pitfalls might a system such as this have? Would the impact of character levels have to be dimished, or would characters be allowed to level more often, as a highly customized character is required to spread themselves thinner?
(Huh, maybe having to spread yourself thinner DOES lessen the impact of levels. Accidential balance, hurrah!)
Every class in the game would be a flavor-light but mechanically specific 5-level Prestige Class. Players start at level 2, fully expected to pick two different classes, and high level characters can be expected to have many classes - some that synergize with each other, and some as brief dips for function or flavor.
For example, instead of a "Fighter" class, there'd be things like "Swordsman", "Brawler", an armor-wearing class (no offensive abilities - just armor-based ones), "Dual Weilder", "Weapon Specialist", "Arftul Dodger", "Gunslinger", "Rifleman", "Heavy Weapons Guy" - and those are just combat-based classes. There'd also be classes like "Tracker", "Scientist", "Engineer", "Socialite", "Diplomat", "Infiltrator", and the like that would grant primarily non-combat abilities. Each of these classes would be highly specialized, to the point that following one through for 5 levels leaves you as very good at that one thing, but poor at everything else unless you've multiclassed. (Keep in mind the above is not a complete list.)
This would allow players to make their own classes, esentially - if one wanted to play a D&D style TWF Ranger, they'd probably take a combination of "Swordsman", "Dual Weilder", and "Tracker". A D&D-style Rogue, by comparison, might also take "Swordsman", but in addition take levels in "Artful Dodger" and "Infiltrator" - and maybe a dip into "Socialite" or "Diplomat" if they're the party face.
Feats would be handled differently, too - each class has a list of bonus feats you can take for going into that class, but you can't take those feats unless you're taking a level in a class that provides them (there would be overlap - not every feat would be specific to only one class). Your non-class bonus feats for leveling are chosen from a list based on your race - non-human races get their own special racial feats in addition to a smattering of standard feats they have listed. Humans don't get their own special racial feats, but to compensate they can choose any other feat they qualify for. This way, if you wanted to fight with two weapons, you have to dip into "Dual Weilder", which is the only class that grants two-weapon fighting feats. (Unless you're a human, that is, in which case you can take the TWF feats as your "racial" bonus feats.)
Another idea about race - each of them have a laundry list of favored classes (maybe about 7 strong), while humans get only a few (maybe 4 or 5), though humans get to choose what the classes are.
Is this an idea worth pursuing? What sort of pitfalls might a system such as this have? Would the impact of character levels have to be dimished, or would characters be allowed to level more often, as a highly customized character is required to spread themselves thinner?
(Huh, maybe having to spread yourself thinner DOES lessen the impact of levels. Accidential balance, hurrah!)