Overview of 3.5 non-PF classes?

[AttilaTheGeek]

I'm a Pathfinder looking to be able to take place in discussions about 3.5 without hearing gibberish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04), and actually be able to know what I'm talking about. There are a whole bunch of classes like the Binder, Factotum, and Crusader that I've heard of and have a vague idea about, but I'm not actually sure what they do. Is there a list of all the 3.5 classes that are commonly used that Pathfinder removed?

[ArcturusV]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/class

Well, I managed to find that, which seems to be a master class list for 3.5. However it lacks some punch and descriptions of what the class is, and some things are obviously variant builds or Alternate Class Features/Choices that they listed multiple times on the list (Without explicitly saying it).

I don't know what PF really has as I haven't mucked around in it outside a single campaign. So I don't know what got axed.

[Spuddles]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/class

Well, I managed to find that, which seems to be a master class list for 3.5. However it lacks some punch and descriptions of what the class is, and some things are obviously variant builds or Alternate Class Features/Choices that they listed multiple times on the list (Without explicitly saying it).

I don't know what PF really has as I haven't mucked around in it outside a single campaign. So I don't know what got axed.

Basically, if it's not on the SRD, it didn't make it into PF. The psionic classes got translated, but by a non-Paizo publisher. I want to say it was by the same people that did the very highly regarded 3rd party Hyperconscious for 3.5 psionics.

The pathfinder ninja and samurai are pretty different than the 3.5 versions. Ninja is noticeably better in PF, as is their Samurai. I think they're atill all tier 4 or 5 stuff, but definitely move up within their tiers.

[AttilaTheGeek]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/class

Well, I managed to find that, which seems to be a master class list for 3.5. However it lacks some punch and descriptions of what the class is, and some things are obviously variant builds or Alternate Class Features/Choices that they listed multiple times on the list (Without explicitly saying it).

I don't know what PF really has as I haven't mucked around in it outside a single campaign. So I don't know what got axed.

Ooh, thanks! Pathfinder has a rather small list of core classes (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes), which include things like Bard, Barbarian, Wizard, and Rogue, but also has some more interesting base classes (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes) including, but not limited to:

The Gunslinger, who does exactly what you think it does.
The Summoner, who summons things, including a very powerful and customizable famliar called an Eidolon.
The Magus, which is like a ...Duskblade? I think? in that it casts arcane spells while in melee combat.
The Oracle, who is a spontaneous caster. Oracle is to Cleric as Sorcerer is to Wizard.
The Inquisitor, who is like a paladin but more focused on single-target damage and has 6th-level divine casting.
The Cavalier, a teamwork-based class that relies on mounted combat to be effective.
The Witch, who channels arcane and divine spells through a familiar. Witch is to Mystic Theurge as magus is to Eldritch Knight.
And the Alchemist, who makes bombs and potions on the fly.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yeah, the 3E Ninja and especially Samurai are much worse than their similar counterparts (Rogue and Fighter or Ranger).

Brief description of some 3E noncore classes:

Beguiler: Mage w/ a spell list mainly based on illusions and enchantments. Gets some stealth and rogue-like abilities like trapfinding and a lot of skill points. Gets save DC boost on spells if the foe is flatfooted. Like Warmage, can spont-cast his entire list.

Binder: Makes contracts w/ outsiders for set packages of special abilities, mostly Su. Can change each day who he gets stuff from and eventually can have up to 4 going simultaneously. Can potentially fill many roles, just not all at once.

Crusader: The ultimate tank. Can absorb/delay a lot of damage and even fights harder when hurt, and can heal while attacking. A Tome of Battle class, gets his maneuvers randomly to represent divine inspiration/luck.

Dragon Shaman: Dragon-themed group buffer. Gives out auras to the party (to grant fast healing, energy damage to attacks, etc...) and gets a breath weapon usable as often as a real dragon's is.

Duskblade: Gish in a can. Gets full BAB and full casting 0-5th level spells and a LOT of them per day and casts in armor. Can deliver touch spells through melee attacks. Very similar to PF's Magus, but also a lot of small differences.

Factotum: The ultimate skill monkey and jack of all trades. Has all skills as class skills, can add Int to nearly anything, and later on can mimick spellcasting and other class features to a limited degree.

Favored Soul: Spont-casting cleric, sort of like Oracle w/o the curses. Uses wis -and- cha for spellcasting, making it blatantly worse than cleric.

Hexblade: Sort of like an arcane, evil Paladin w/o a moral code. Gets the ability to curse enemies, too. Very weak fighter/mage type class over all.

Knight: Martial class w/ heavy mount-related abilities (but no class special mount!), but also high will save, d12 HD, and ability to protect others and hinder enemy movement. Can draw aggro by challenging foes to fight him. Lawful-based code of conduct like a Paladin's.

Ninja: Gimped Rogue that loses many class features or gets them much later and can't flank for SA. Gets very limited per day invisibility/etherealness in return.

Samurai: A really awful TWF-based class w/ some intimidation-based crap that even half of the NPC classes are strictly superior to. Avoid it.

Scout: Rogue w/o cha skills and crossed w/ Ranger-like wilderness features. Does bonus damage by moving around rather than sneaking/flanking. Most commonly combined w/ Ranger and the "Swift Hunter" feat for best effect.

Spellthief: Has some sneak attack and stealth combined w/ limited casting. Can sack SA dice to "steal" spells, SLAs, energy resists, SR, etc... from enemies (or allies...) to gain for himself or to get extra spell slots per day.

Swashbuckler: An underpowered finesse fighter that gets Int to damage. Has some acrobatic and critical-based stuff later on, but mostly used as a dip for the Int to damage. Is a good multiclass w/ Rogue using the "Daring Outlaw" feat.

Swordsage: The jack of all trades Tome of Battle class. Gets the most maneuvers in return for a rogue-like chasis. Can function like a rogue of monk, among other build options. Often relies on skirmishing tactics. Recovers maneuvers by taking the Adaptive Style feat and spending a full round action.

Warblade: Most straight-forward Tome of Battle class. Has great barbarian type chasis and recovers his maneuvers by attacking. :) Capable of putting out high offense, often kind of squishy despite d12 HD due to low AC / dropping it more for damage buffs. Rewards a high Int by adding it to various things.

Warlock: Can shoot a d6 / 2 levels ranged touch SLA and gets "invocations" to mimic spell effects, personal buffs, and add effects to the ranged touch attack. All of these are useable at-will. Works sort of like a bomber alchemist, or an archer w/ a special effects budget.

Warmage: Trap class that purports to be the ultimate blaster-caster but is actually awful at it, but on the plus side gets some nice battlefield control spells. Can spont-cast its entire (limited) spell list, instead of only knowing some of them.

Wu Jen: "Eastern" flavored Wizard with spells categorized by the elements system (just like the Wiz school option in PF's APG). Has "taboos" she must adhere to, generally has a worse spell list than Wiz but with some nice unique options.

[RFLS]

-snip-

Don't forget the Dread Necromancer. It's the third fixed list spontaneous caster. It primarily gets Necromancy spells, and, at level 8, is THE minionmancer.

[StreamOfTheSky]

There are some I forgot to list, then there are others like Dread Necro, the other 2 classes from Tome of Magic, Incarnum classes, Dragon Compendium v.1 classes, Shugenja, Spirit Shaman, and so forth that I just don't know anything about and can't really summarize.

[ArcturusV]

Well Shugenja would be summarized as "Divine Spontaneous Elemental based Caster"

Shaman would be more like "Shaman is to Monk/Druid/Cleric what Bard is to Fighter/Rouge/Sorcerer".

[Grod_The_Giant]

Shaman would be more like "Shaman is to Monk/Druid/Cleric what Bard is to Fighter/Rouge/Sorcerer".

Ehh... Spirit Shaman is kind of weird. It's got full 9th level casting off the druid list. It casts spontaneously, but it picks its spells known anew every morning. Also, it gets some abilities based around, well... "spirits" and dealing with them. I think it's an updated OA class, but I'm not sure.

[ArcturusV]

Well the OA class was weird. It was like an inbred Multiclass, similar to a Bard.

Full 9 level spell progression. It gets domains like a cleric, though it's spell list is a cross between Druid and Cleric really. Monk unarmed damage and bonus feats. Spontaneous Cure casting rather than Summoning. The Chaotic/Evil/Good/Lawful ban on spell descriptors like a Cleric. Turning/Rebuking undead. Also a "See Ethereal" ability and Divine Grace style saving throw bonus.