4e classes that need homebrewing.

[Rourke]

So I've seen that almost all classes can be re-flavored to be what you want them to be, like the rogue and the ninja, the paladin/warlord and the samurai.
For some reason, I really want to homebrew a class, but I can't find anything that WotC hasn't already done. Any suggestions?

[gkathellar]

Try Incarnum.

[Rourke]

Try Incarnum.

I don't know what that is.

[hamishspence]

See here for details:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20050907a

[Rourke]

I don't know what that is.

Just looked it up and that's 3.5. I'm looking for 4e classes to brew, not 3.5 classes.

EDIT: Ninja'd!

[hamishspence]

True- but you need to know what it is, before you can work on 4E-ifying it.

[Rourke]

True- but you need to know what it is, before you can work on 4E-ifying it.

Oh! Thank you, I just didn't quite know what you two meant, sorry.

[Zeta Kai]

If you want to find a niche to be creative in, try making classes that combine power sources & party roles that haven't been done yet. For example, has there ever been a Martial Controller? Or a Shadow Defender?

Or perhaps you can make an entirely new power source (like Incarnum) that has not been used in 4E before; you could then make classes that fulfill various party roles while using that power source.

Lastly, you could make a jack-of-all-trades class, one that could fill any party role as needed. Like a 4E version of the Factotum.

[Rourke]

True- but you need to know what it is, before you can work on 4E-ifying it.

Oh! Thank you, I just didn't quite know what you two meant, sorry.

[Rourke]

If you want to find a niche to be creative in, try making classes that combine power sources & party roles that haven't been done yet. For example, has there ever been a Martial Controller? Or a Shadow Defender?

Or perhaps you can make an entirely new power source (like Incarnum) that has not been used in 4E before; you could then make classes that fulfill various party roles while using that power source.

Lastly, you could make a jack-of-all-trades class, one that could fill any party role as needed. Like a 4E version of the Factotum.

That is extreamly helpful, thanks. :smallbiggrin:

[ThePurple]

For example, has there ever been a Martial Controller? Or a Shadow Defender?

Strangely enough, the first 2 homebrew classes I designed for my game were actually those very source/role combinations.

The Scout (designed and named before essentials came out) is a short-mid range, weapon using, high mobility controller mechanically akin to a beastform druid combined with a seeker. The class "schtick" was actually to have it use custom made combat traps (like the combat trapsmith of 3.5) instead of dailies, using the artificer "create daily powers out of random stuff I find" rationale to explain how you made a fire trap while sleeping.

The Shadow Knight is a melee-short range, weapon/ki focus, lower hp/healing surge than normal defender that does its job by summoning an army of minions (think shaman, but not restricting to having only one out at a time) that perform the retributive and support functions requisite for the defender role.

As I see it, when designing a new class for any game, the most important aspect is mechanical difference. Thematic and cosmetic differences can easily be implemented by taking the closest similar class and simply changing the aesthetics of it (e.g. turning a paladin into a death knight/anti-paladin by changing all instances of radiant to necrotic). When looking for new classes to design, I generally look for an interesting new playstyle or mechanic that I want to introduce to my players and building the class around that.

Here are some of the ideas I've been playing around with for newer homebrews (source concept listed in parenthesis):

Spellthief (3.5 Spellthief): Arcane, weapon-using, combat advantage based, striker/controller; the class would be designed similar to the rogue with the power/functional flare of the swordmage (so that you're doing magic from the beginning); the mechanical difference would be replacing the sneak attack/striker bonus damage with a mechanic that allows the spellthief to recharge encounter power when fulfilling certain, limited conditions (using the logic that encounter powers hit roughly as hard as an at-will bolstered by a striker bonus damage mechanism)

Rune Knight/Arcane Knight/Eldritch Knight (3.5, Eldritch Knight): Arcane, weapon-using, heavily armored, defender; thematically similar to a power source changed paladin (heavy armor, shield) with a different marking mechanism to differentiate itself. If nothing else, a swordmage in heavy armor. I haven't done much thinking on the mechanical uniqueness of the class, other than designing a less mobile arcane defender.

Pathomancer/Disease Mage (WoWish/3.5): Arcane/shadow, implement using, light armored, defender; the class would be a relatively unique creation that plays with the paladin/swordmage special marking concept: instead of marking targets, this class would instead infect the target with various debilitating diseases that cause different retributive effects depending on the disease itself (possibly a bit too complex, might just restrict it to specific dailies and paths getting unique retributive effects); one of the big concepts I wanted to play with concerning this was the lack of light armored (i.e. less than hide/scale/plate) and/or implement using defenders

Elementalist (WoW - Shaman): Primal/Elemental, weapon using, light armored, melee, leader/striker; I have a personal dislike of the 4e shaman playstyle/mechanic for a leader and enjoy the shaman mechanics in WoW; the class would use weapon enchants that alter basic attacks in place of at-will attack powers akin to the at-will stances of the martial essentials rebuilds (flametongue for more damage, frostbrand for slow, earthliving for temp hp granted, rockbiter for marking/bonus defenses, windfury for a twin-strike mechanism or vulnerability); encounter and daily powers would either be attacks that have additional functionality depending on the presence of active enchants (such that at-will power selection supplants the synergistic effects between such powers and class feature selection) or zone based conjurations

[vasharanpaladin]

We have Shadow covered, if this helps. (http://shadow4e.wikidot.com/) :smallwink:

[Rourke]

I would prefer to not look at other homebrew right now, because then I feel like I'm stealing ideas. Thanks anyway!