[3e] Destiny Classes

[Yakk]

A post over at RPG.net got me thinking about a different way to approach the caster/non-caster dichotomy.

The core of the idea is this: each level in a non-caster class is automatically gestated with a Destiny class of some kind. Buffier non-caster classes (whatever that is decided to be) get a Destiny class bump every 2nd class level.

These Destiny classes represent why a being who is "good at swinging a sword" is playing on the same stage as someone who can tear a hole through the fabric of the planes with a word.

They can be used as a way to boost in-combat power (especially towards the top end of the game), plus a way to justify significant out-of-combat utility for non-caster classes.

That is about all I have got at this point. Well, and some thoughts for destiny class names/concepts:

Ruler of Prophesy -- You have come to lead your nation in its darkest hour.
Luckbender -- Let the dice fall where you may.
Void of Fate -- You exist outside the pattern of fate.
Demigod -- One of your parents was a god.
Divine Destiny -- You are destined to become a god.
Reborn Hero -- You have lived many times before.
Champion of Nature -- Gaea has created you to solve a problem.

Note that these are all descriptions of what the character is. A luckbender bends luck because of her nature, not because of a study of probability magics.

I have a few design concerns. First, if I am going with the "1/2 level in some classes, full level in others", there needs to be useful 10 and 20 level progressions.

Second, if we allow characters to "multi-destiny", maintaining a reasonable power level when you are 10/10 compared to 20 in a single destiny is ideal.

Third, the usual problem with splashing has to be avoided (but it might be less of a problem, because of the 4th design issue).

Forth, at low levels the low-tier classes are less underpowered -- so the Destinies have to ramp up from a low base. It is at mid to high levels that they start pulling away.

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Should we have a universal mechanic, like destiny points, that are spent on using the features of the destiny classes? That would help with the multi-destiny problem. They could also provide for a daily resource that would help with the disagreement in ideal adventure pacing of casters and non-casters.

...

Thoughts? Seen anything like this before? Ideas for Destiny Classes, or mechanics thereof? It is somewhat similar to some racial class systems I've seen.

[JoshuaZ]

This seems like an interesting idea. It has a small(large? medium size?) problem in that it breaks the symmetry in 3.5 between player characters and NPCs. In 3.5, the same mechanics nominally work for all characters, which lends to the simulationist aspect of the game. There's been some minor breaking of that that actually is close to what you are thinking of. In particular, Eberron added "action points" which seem very similar to your destiny points, and are generally only given to PCs. One could reasonably use a variation of what you've suggested where one gets more action points if one takes a level in a non-caster class. I don't know enough about the mechanics of the action point system to comment how this would work, what other mechanics tweaks might be needed, or whether this would alter the playing field in a balanced way. It does have the odd aspect of suggesting that wizards and clerics are somehow never chosen by fate but rather fate always chooses warriors. That's a sort of strange attitude.

[Yakk]

It isn't that the fighters and rogues are always chosen by fate: there are many fighters and rogues out there, but only the ones chosen by fate are the peers of the reality-altering-at-a-word wizards, and chosen-by-the-gods-to-have-ridiculous-power clerics.

So you could create NPCs with the same destiny classes and non-caster classes, and they would generate actually CR-appropriate opponents despite not having full caster classes, in theory.

For the Luckbender, using destiny points to cause rerolls sounds like one mechanic. The Ruler of Prophesy could have charm/command/etc like abilities that grow from a mere bonus to reactions, to full-on domination by level 20.

Demigods could almost be a "self-polymorph" style progression, where your physical form goes from basically mortal to one that is nigh on divine at the highest levels.

Divine Destiny, in contrast, could start granting domain powers (like what a cleric gets), and ramp up from there.

Void of Fate would become more and more immune to detection, scrying and control magics. At highest levels, it might be able to selectively pick what aspects of a spell or effect apply to him, with the others having no effects.

Reborn Hero might be able to pull knowledge and skills out of her own past lives. Not sure how to make that scale all the way to level 20.

Champion of Nature is sort of a Demigod/Divine Destiny type centered around Druidic-type magic.