[3.x] An illustration of what makes a Tier 1 class

[Chronos]

I was thinking about the class tiers the other day, and a succinct illustration occurred to me about what it is that makes the Tier 1 classes (Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Archivist, Artificer) so much more powerful than the other classes.

Suppose we've got an established group, and one day, the group decides to add a new supplement to their allowed book list. We'll assume that this new book is a well-designed and well-balanced book; it's got nice options in it for everyone.

Well, the player who's got a fighter looks through the book, and sees some really cool feats. "Great", he says, "I'll be able to add one of these cool feats to my character as soon as I gain two more levels.". Meanwhile, the wizard player also looks through the book, and sees some cool new spells. "Great", he says, "I'll be able to add all of these cool spells to my spellbook next week when we go visit the library.".

The fighter has to pick and choose what material he wants to have, and even then, he has to wait for it. The wizard, though, doesn't have to pick and choose: He can have all of it (or nearly all, if he's specialized), and he can get it all nearly immediately. The cleric and the druid have it even better: They don't even have to wait to get to the library; they can just pray for the new spells the very next morning.

And, in fact, if you look at which classes get to say "All of the above, right now", it corresponds exactly to the classes that are generally considered Tier 1. This is what Tier 1 really means, and what makes the difference between them and everyone else.

[Calanon]

I'm looking for my illustrations :smallannoyed:

[Medic!]

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae259/zawrtard/Untitled-1.jpg

Delivered!

As you can see by this very poorly done MS paint face, the teeth/mouth area represents your tier 5-ish, isolated, small, and without many uses.

The left eye represents tier 4, better, closer to the higher tiers, but still fairly narrow in focus.

The right eye is larger and encompases more of the face. It tends to be good at what it does and is bigger than anything else on the face aside from...

Tier 2, the nose, which, as illustrated, encompases the abilities of the tier 3 and 4 eyes, and is the most prominent feature on the face. This guy rocks.

Then we have tier 1, the whole damn mad ugly face. It owns every other tier, whether the tiers recognize it or not!

EDIT: Disclaimer* I'm not serious about this, I just like to dabble with MS Paint and I've had enough sugar tonight to follow through.

[Godskook]

You've found the dividing line between tier 1 and tier 2, but not the over-arching differences that separate the tier brackets. The full-caster bracket(tiers 1&2), the competent bracket(tiers 3&4), and the trash bracket(tiers 5&6). For instance, if we were to take ToB, and make an initiator that learned maneuvers like wizards learned spells, it'd still be in the competent bracket, but we're most likely in the making for a new tier within that bracket.

[Chronos]

You've found the dividing line between tier 1 and tier 2, but not the over-arching differences that separate the tier brackets. The full-caster bracket(tiers 1&2), the competent bracket(tiers 3&4), and the trash bracket(tiers 5&6).I wasn't trying to point out the other dividing lines, just the one between tiers 1 and 2. Yes, there's the issue that spells tend to be more powerful than non-spell options, but that doesn't explain the difference between wizards and sorcerers. The "all of the above" option does.

[Cruiser1]

Tier 6: I am colorless. :smallfurious:
Tier 5: I am boring gray. :smallyuk:
Tier 4: I am a dull color. :smallconfused:
Tier 3: I am an average color. :smallsmile:
Tier 2: I am a bright color! :smallbiggrin:
Tier 1: I am a rainbow!! :smallcool:

[Hyde]

This makes the concept a little easier to digest, I admit. I was having trouble with it earlier.

Do wizards not have to pay to scribe spells anymore? Was that a thing?

Even if they did, Druids and Clerics still have their "wait a day" option.

huh

[Radar]

Do wizards not have to pay to scribe spells anymore? Was that a thing?
Cost of writing spells is linear, WBL isn't. And the cost isn't very high even for low-level characters.

[Hyde]

Cost of writing spells is linear, WBL isn't. And the cost isn't very high even for low-level characters.

Thanks, I couldn't remember what the deal with that was, for some reason. Maybe make spells cost more or be difficult to obtain (quest for the elusive polymorph!) could help there.

But then you STILL have those pray a day casters.

[ahenobarbi]

Cost of writing spells is linear

No it's not (cost of scribing scroll (or making another item that casts spells for you) doesn't depend lineraly on spell level). Making scroll costs

12,5gp * spell level * caster level <= 12,5gp * spell level * (spell level -1)

and

spell level * (spell level -1)

both are quadratic functions Cost is pretty small though.

[Godskook]

Actually, your math is a little wonky, the actually formula for min-CL scolls purely in spell level is:

12.5*SpL*(2*SpL - 1)

Still, you're right that it's quadratic.

However, you're looking at the wrong formula. The formula that matters is that for less than 3k per spell, you can learn as many spells as you'd ever want, and that one is a linear formula(upper limit, actually, but w/e).

[Radar]

No it's not (cost of scribing scroll (or making another item that casts spells for you) doesn't depend lineraly on spell level). Making scroll costs

12,5gp * spell level * caster level <= 12,5gp * spell level * (spell level -1)

and

spell level * (spell level -1)

both are quadratic functions Cost is pretty small though.
I was refering to the cost of writning spells in your spellbook, which is linear (or next to nothing, if you buy a Blessed Spellbook). If you buy your spells from scrolls, then the total cost goes up, but AFAIK borrowing another wizard's spellbook is way cheaper (I'd have to look up the exact prices).