Base Class Challenge XXVI Voting Thread

[Temotei]

Welcome to the voting thread for Base Class Challenge XXVI, Flipping the Table (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?390385-Base-Class-Contest-XXVI-Flipping-the-Table)! Voting will consist of each voter giving a first, second, and third place vote for three separate base classes. Anyone can vote, and in fact, entrants must vote for their entry to qualify for victory.

A first place vote is worth three points, a second place vote is worth two points, and a third place vote is worth one point. You may not vote for your own class.

You are encouraged to include reason with your votes, though this is not absolutely required.

The class that ends up with the most points wins the challenge contest. Voting starts now and will continue until 23:59 (Central Standard Time USA/Canada; GMT-6) on March 5th.



Base Class
Author
1st
2nd
3rd
Total Points


Warp Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18594678&postcount=4) (Warlock Engineer and Lores I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18774211&postcount=25), Lores II, Feats, and Races (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18774214&postcount=26))
Jormengand
3
1
3
14


Munchkin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18597427&postcount=5)
somebody27else
2
0
3
9


Spellshaper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18600746&postcount=6) (Spells (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18600750&postcount=7), Other (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18600753&postcount=8))
Beelzebub1111
1
5
0
13


Cheater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18650421&postcount=10)
sengmeng
0
2
2
6


(Preamble (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672595&postcount=11)) Simic Biomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672604&postcount=12) (Grafts (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672611&postcount=13), Evolutions and Grafts II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672629&postcount=14), Spells I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672654&postcount=15), Spells II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672664&postcount=16), Bestiary I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672685&postcount=17), Bestiary II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672701&postcount=18), Bestiary III (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672719&postcount=19), Bestiary IV (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672730&postcount=20), Bestiary V (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672736&postcount=21), Feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18672742&postcount=22), Exotic Spells I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18712573&postcount=23), Exotic Spells II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18723150&postcount=24))
Zaydos
3
2
2
15


Rulemaker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18798876&postcount=27) (Rules I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18798882&postcount=28), Rules II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18798888&postcount=29))
ezkajii
3
1
1
12


Card Sovereign (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18838634&postcount=30)
CrimzonDragon
0
1
1
3




Unfortunately, the cardshark (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18592898&postcount=3) and fluxer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18608407&postcount=9) are ineligible for voting.

[ezkajii]

1st: Spellshaper. I really like the seamless integration of the MTG mechanics into d&d, the flavor is well-retained, and it maintains the focus on summons really well.
2nd: Simic Biomancer: I love the flavor of this class, though it's not really the type of class I'd probably play. Personal preference: it's overly complex. Not objectively a problem, but it brings it down to the number 2 spot for me.
3rd: Warp Mage: Where I like the idea of the warp mage, and am intrigued by the concept of the dice pool, the actual abilities the various pathways/lores gain seem just a smidge off to me.

Honorable mention, for what it's worth, to the munchkin: While clearly kind of a 'joke' class, I could see a party of all-munchkins in a light-hearted game being extremely fun to play.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied.

[Zaydos]

1st: Rulemaker. While the theme feels weak in this one, it takes first by a wide margin. It is my favorite reality warping class I've seen, and I could see allowing it in a game (with some talk about where it fit into the setting/power source/fluff stuff first, but that's a given for homebrew).

2nd: Card Sovereign: It needs work, but is the start to a potentially really great class. At low levels (1-3) it's a worse and more boring warlock, at level 4 it gets ability damage, but it's level 5-10 that it really shines as a warlock with an interesting ability. Soul Revivification gets dangerous towards balance, but is an ability the concept needs, and on further thought 11-15 looks healthy too. Mainly Soul Block gets to be too much ability damage and Soul Revive can be 1/day free Wish.

3rd: The Munchkin: This one squeaks into 3rd solely on the basis that an all Munchkin party would be a hoot for beer and pretzels regardless of possible balance issues. I do still wonder if Random Advancement would make a Lv 2 munchkin instantly shoot to a ECL 3 Munchkin 2/Swordsage 1 (for example) or if it is some sort of gestalt of Munchkin and the other class (I prefer the latter as you can actually get to Win by 20).

Honorable Mention: 2nd and 3rd were a close toss up between them and the Spellshaper. Spellshaper slides into 4th because of problems with their casting out of combat (Unsummon and Healing Salve which allow for an ally with Summons to infinitely summon a creature starting at low levels and which allows for infinite out of combat healing at 1st), and problems with their low mana spells not being relevant for a few rounds at high levels and giving you nothing to do round 1/2 of combat. It is however a very interesting class, and with work could potentially be the best class made for the contest (expect a full PEACH if you actually post it after the contest), but in its current form it still has a ways to go.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied.

[1pwny]

1st: Simic Biomancer, by Zaydos. Love the execution. And holy wow, that was a lot of execution. Keep up the good work! :smallbiggrin:
2nd: Warp Mage by Jormengand. Don't actually know what this is reference to, but I kind of don't need to. Great work, love the versatility! :smallwink:
3rd: Rule Maker by ezkaji. Very original (in my experience which honestly isn't that wide) and very classy. Solid all around. :smallcool:

Honorable Mention: The Cheater. The farthest right column of the table is suspiciously empty. While the concept is very cool, I like seeing visually how my options diversify and how my character gains new abilities every level. So good job, but try to add more by-level stuff for my vote. :smallsmile:

[AuraTwilight]

1) Rules Maker, because wow it's such a great execution of reality warping. It seems playable while still making me think "Woah, this is basically a nascent god".

2) Spellshaper. There have been many MtG conversion attempts, and this feels like the best.

3) Munchkin, because chaos.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied.

[Beelzebub1111]

1st) Warp Mage
2nd) Cheater
3rd) Simic Biomancer

[Temotei]

Votes tallied. Jormengand, sengmeng, and CrimzonDragon still have to vote to qualify.

[Divayth Fyr]

1st: Simic Biomancer
2nd: Spellshaper
3rd: Warp Mage

[ben-zayb]

1. Rule Maker
I strongly appreciate the versatility and the way it's so seamlessly integrated to the fluff (reality warpers tend to do that). I've always wanted to brew and play a "lawmaker" type of class, but had no idea just exactly how to approach it. This is perfectly what I'm looking for!

2. Spellshaper
Fluffwise, this is a great class that fits the niche for players who want to roll a MtG inspired/based character without resorting to the numerous planeswalker-flavored brews, and could work for varying levels of story from some lowly healer, to the empire's fiercest and mightiest gladiators, to the plane's only hope.

Mechanically, each card type is represented in a way that makes them viable in a D&D playstyle, but didn't quite capture the feel of how they are actually utilized used in MtG. It also didn't quite represent different "card type distributions" depending on color/theme/playstyle, maybe due for balance reasons from a D&D playstyle/perspective.

3. Cheater
I love affectionate-parody classes, and I think it's mechanically viable and fun to play in a nonserious type of game with a low of 4th wall breaking.

Honorable Mention: Simic Biomancer
Due to its specificity, the flavor is captured more, as is the mechanical options for the Simic. The only downside I see is that it became too clunky due to stuff that kill other brews too (even mine), which is integrating a larger-encompassing ruleset/subsystem ("Mana"), on top of another (Spellcasting), coupled with two more wide-varying options (Grafts and Evolutions). IMO its complexity:reward/power/versatility ratio is quite above most subsystems, at least a little above spellcasting (as it is, it feels like XenoalchEvolutioniSpellcaster-lite). Unfortunately, that's just what the Simic flavor is, although the class itself might have been streamlined better.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied. Same peeps still need to vote to qualify.

[Jormengand]

Screw it. Munchkin because it's hilarious, cheater because I love the idea of screwing with the "Ge-Em", and Card Sovreign because I've always liked the whole idea of things turning into cards and back. (Seriously, go play Hearthstone and look at the "Return to hand" effects. They just look so cool).

Yes, I like an underdog. So sue me.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied.

[CrimzonDragon]

1.Munchkin. I love the hilarous class and it fits the munchkin lore perfectly.

2.Simic Biomancer. It's the best MTG Rendition.

3.Warp mage. I thinks it's awesome.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied. Only sengmeng is left for qualification.

[JoshuaZ]

1. Warp Mage. Does an excellent job getting the fluff and crunch to match up well with the source material. (I'd prefer it not have the racial restrictions since that feels like a more in-setting specific issue that also restricts one's ability to adapt the class. But it is very well done.
2. Spellshaper - This has absolutely amazing mechanics. It would be interesting to see a set multicolored spells added in.
3. Simic Biomancer - Really well done. Complicated mechanics, but really well done.

[cavalieredraghi]

I am not a good critic, and I am just placing votes on what I would like to play as in a game. BUt I would chose.

1 The Warp Mage
2 Spellshaper
3 Munchkin

[Temotei]

I am not a good critic, and I am just placing votes on what I would like to play as in a game.

That's perfectly fine.

Votes tallied.

[Jester of Doom]

1st: Simic Biomancer. An interesting take on an MtG class, looking at it makes me want to make Prodigal Pyromancer using the same pseudo-subsystem.

2nd: Rulemaker. Very, very cool; just looking at it made me spill forth with campaign ideas. The only problem is the whole "multiversal ranged effect" thing they get on their highest level abilities; basically all of them would be campaign-destroying disaster if ever used in play. Before using this in a game, I would lower the range on Truths and reserve multiversal disruption/destruction as epic level abilities.

3rd: Cheater. A fairly simple & entertaining joke class. Seems underpowered and does not gain enough abilities as it levels. I would have voted for Munchkin as 3rd, but after considering the many issues posed by its random advancement, I decided in favor of the Cheater as it seems closer to a state where it would usable in-game.

[Temotei]

Votes tallied. Still have just under nine hours to vote.

Voting concluded! Check the chat thread for results if you're too lazy to read the table above. :smalltongue: