Talanic
2006-10-29, 02:51 AM
It's late at night and I'm tired, but I had an idea while working today that I thought I'd just throw out there with an example or two. I remember reading on these boards that past a certain point, race really tends to stop mattering (except for LA boosts, that is).
So I was thinking about the "Favored Class" racial feature, which I've not used much in my comparatively small time that I've spent gaming. It seems rather arbitrary to give out penalties to specific races for wanting to break the mold a little bit. The resulting idea may be genius, madness, or just stupid, but it boils down to an attempt to turn favored class from a non-penalty to a bonus.
Experience penalties for multiclassing may or may not be removed in tandem with this. I don't have time or energy to think about how that may affect the rest of the idea.
HOMEBREW RULES:
At levels divisible by 4, a character (including any and all NPCs) receives a single gestalt level; one of the two must be their favored class. Humans and any other races who normally determine their favored class during play rather than having it predetermined must declare their favored class at character creation. Characters must meet the prerequisites for all class abilities gained from these gestalt levels (for example, if an Aasimar loses his paladinhood, he still gains a paladin level at reaching level 8, but is still considered a fallen paladin). Characters may, at DM's discretion, take variants of the class in question (e.g. Paladin again; a lawful evil Aasimar could take a level in Paladin of Tyranny).
The logic is that studying something that you have natural aptitude for lets you take on other studies as a hobby; or, if you're studying other things, your natural aptitude becomes your hobby.
Let's take on two examples. Gronk is a half-orc fighter, level 3. He levels up to level 4 and chooses to take a level in fighter again. He becomes a fighter level 4 with the benefits of having 1 level in barbarian as well; 3d10 + 1d12 + 4 * con modifier for hit points, BAB of 4, 3 bonus feats, rage 1/day, fast movement in medium, light or no armor, and saves of 5/1/1 (he gains +2 to fort save at level 4 because of his barbarian level, rather than +1 that he would gain due to his fighter level; he does not gain both bonuses).
Meanwhile, Denderry is a halfling fighter, level 3. He levels up to level 4 and likewise takes a level in fighter. He becomes a fighter level 4 with the benefits of having 1 level in rogue. 4d10 + 4 * con modifier hit points, BAB of 4, 3 bonus feats, sneak attack 1d6, trapfinding, a boatload of skill points at that level, and saves of 4/3/1.
What do you all think? I think it has potential...but then again, it IS very late at night! Or...early in the morning.
So I was thinking about the "Favored Class" racial feature, which I've not used much in my comparatively small time that I've spent gaming. It seems rather arbitrary to give out penalties to specific races for wanting to break the mold a little bit. The resulting idea may be genius, madness, or just stupid, but it boils down to an attempt to turn favored class from a non-penalty to a bonus.
Experience penalties for multiclassing may or may not be removed in tandem with this. I don't have time or energy to think about how that may affect the rest of the idea.
HOMEBREW RULES:
At levels divisible by 4, a character (including any and all NPCs) receives a single gestalt level; one of the two must be their favored class. Humans and any other races who normally determine their favored class during play rather than having it predetermined must declare their favored class at character creation. Characters must meet the prerequisites for all class abilities gained from these gestalt levels (for example, if an Aasimar loses his paladinhood, he still gains a paladin level at reaching level 8, but is still considered a fallen paladin). Characters may, at DM's discretion, take variants of the class in question (e.g. Paladin again; a lawful evil Aasimar could take a level in Paladin of Tyranny).
The logic is that studying something that you have natural aptitude for lets you take on other studies as a hobby; or, if you're studying other things, your natural aptitude becomes your hobby.
Let's take on two examples. Gronk is a half-orc fighter, level 3. He levels up to level 4 and chooses to take a level in fighter again. He becomes a fighter level 4 with the benefits of having 1 level in barbarian as well; 3d10 + 1d12 + 4 * con modifier for hit points, BAB of 4, 3 bonus feats, rage 1/day, fast movement in medium, light or no armor, and saves of 5/1/1 (he gains +2 to fort save at level 4 because of his barbarian level, rather than +1 that he would gain due to his fighter level; he does not gain both bonuses).
Meanwhile, Denderry is a halfling fighter, level 3. He levels up to level 4 and likewise takes a level in fighter. He becomes a fighter level 4 with the benefits of having 1 level in rogue. 4d10 + 4 * con modifier hit points, BAB of 4, 3 bonus feats, sneak attack 1d6, trapfinding, a boatload of skill points at that level, and saves of 4/3/1.
What do you all think? I think it has potential...but then again, it IS very late at night! Or...early in the morning.