JBPuffin
2015-11-20, 11:58 PM
Recently I decided to try and limit my system dabbling; rather than homebrew content for ten or so different systems, I'll simply save what I have and focus on the ones I play, which are - D&D 4e, Magic: the Gathering, and...well, I have a 5e game on hiatus, but that doesn't count :P. So, as the title says, this is "classless" 4e.
What this isn't - a rewrite of 4e, a complete removal of archetypes, some wonky point-buy extraganza, something that uses Essentials content (although if you guys can figure out how to work that, I'm all ears).
The Process
Roll/Select Ability Scores. Choose one to be your Prime Ability Score (PAS) and another to be your Secondary Ability Score (SAS).
Select a Race
Build Your Class - See the below section
Select your skills, feats, and rituals if any, and get your starting gear
That's the standard character creation process, right? Just about, yes, except that third bit...
Building Your Class
1. Choose your Role
Each Role has its own base stats; your Role also determines which "Class" Features you have access to. The Base Stat Blocks are as follows:
• Starting HP: 10+Constitution score
• HP/level: 4
• Healing Surges/day: 6+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
• Starting HP: 15+Constitution score
• HP/level: 6
• Healing Surges/day: 8+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
Leader
Basic Statistics:
• Starting HP: 12+Constitution score
• HP/level: 5
• Healing Surges/day: 7+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
• Starting HP: 12+Constitution score
• HP/level: 5
• Healing Surges/day: 6+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
After choosing your Role, you make a bunch of choices. Life's hard some times.
2. Split a +2 bonus among your non-AC defenses (Fort, Ref, and Will) however you like.
3. Train an extra skill or add an additional +1 to any of Fortitude, Reflex, or Will; the bonus to any one defense cannot exceed +2
4. Pick three of the following:
o An extra skill (may only be taken once from this list)
o Proficiency with three martial weapons (any number of times)
o Proficiency with any one implement (any number of times)
o Proficiency with the next level of armor (until you run out; there is no category above 6[plate])
5. Class Features - These are split by Role, and into Halfs and Singles. Each player picks a total of 3 full Features (so you could get 6 halfs if you're a striker and insane...) from the following lists;
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Cantrips, Ritual Casting, Channel Divinity (invoker), Discipline Focus
• Singles
o Arcane Implement Mastery, Spellbook, (Balance of Nature and Wild Shape) – Go together, Primal Aspect, Divine Convenant
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (paladin), Combat Superiority, Lay on Hands, Font of Life, Psionic Study, Swordbond, Swordmage Warding
• Singles
o Combat Challenge, Fighter Weapon Talent, Divine Challenge, Nature’s Wrath, Guardian Might, Psionic Defense, Swordmage Aegis
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (cleric ), Healer’s Lore, Combat Leader, Archer Warlord (this one’s weird…), Bardic Training, Skill Versatility, Song of Rest, Words of Friendship, Speak with Spirits, Runic Artistry, Arcane Empowerment, Arcane Rejuvenation, Ritual Casting
• Singles
o Healing Word, Inspiring Word, Majestic Word, Commanding Presence, Ardent Mantle, Ardent Surge, Companion Spirit, Healing Spirit, Rune of Mending, Rune Master, Healing Infusion
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (avenger), Prime Shot, First Strike, Rogue Weapon Talent, Shadow Walk, Armor of Faith, Barbarian Agility, Rampage, Unarmed Combatant, Unarmored Defense, Inevitable Shot
• Singles
o Fighting Style, Hunter’s Quarry, Oath of Enmity, Beast Mastery (counts as 1˝ choices), Sneak Attack, Rogue Tactics, Eldritch Pact, Warlock’s Curse, Avenger’s Censure, Feral Might, Rage Strike, Monastic Tradition, Seeker’s Bond
• Doubles – Spell Souce. It’s the Sorc’s only feature, so of course it’s more than one feature for cost’s sake. To split it up:
o Half-Features – Scales of the Dragon, Dragon Soul, Unfettered Power, Chaos Burst, Storm’s Embrace, Wild Soul
o Singles – Draconic Power, Chaos Power, Draconic Resilience, Storm Power, Storm Soul, Cosmic Persistence, Cosmic Power
6. Power Selection. First off, do you want to do psionics? If you aren't a striker and wish to do so, you get the Psionic Augmentation feature for your Role and follow instructions for that class. Otherwise, follow your class features' mandates (looking at Wild Shape and Companion Spirit mainly) and pick your powers from among those available to your role. Powers that check for class features for extra effect still check for that, but anything involving an ability score modifier uses your SAS; meanwhile, attack and damage rolls for powers, as well as riders that use the same score as the attack/damage roll, use your PAS.
There are some things to note here:
*Channel Divinity: This one’s a bit tricky. Each character should get two powers – one is decided by the class in parentheses. The other, however, is where things get odd. For all intents and purposes, at least for now, they can just pick their second one. I’m sure it’ll be fine, honest.
*Multiclassing: Honestly, I’m banning this for the default state. You want to allow it, be my guest. As of right now, though, I need to test the waters without complicating things like that.
*Retraining: Much as a player can retrain a character’s power choices, a player can retrain a class feature choice(s) whenever they level up. DM’s rules apply.
*AC Boosting Abilities: I’m just going to note this right now – if you have a striker pick more than one, that’s their choice. They only get so many features, after all…
*Class/Power Source Things: Ignore all mention of these things. PPs and EDs are open to everyone who otherwise qualifies; same with feats and such. Class features trigger off any appropriate power the character has (this has been reflected in the costs of, say, the Sorc's Power class features).
*Essentials: I really don't know what to do with them as of yet. Any ideas?
And that'll be it for now. Reserving posts for FAQs, some sample builds, and just in case people come up with good points and I need to spill over for changes. Thanks to anyone who doesn't TL;DR this :smallbiggrin:.
What this isn't - a rewrite of 4e, a complete removal of archetypes, some wonky point-buy extraganza, something that uses Essentials content (although if you guys can figure out how to work that, I'm all ears).
The Process
Roll/Select Ability Scores. Choose one to be your Prime Ability Score (PAS) and another to be your Secondary Ability Score (SAS).
Select a Race
Build Your Class - See the below section
Select your skills, feats, and rituals if any, and get your starting gear
That's the standard character creation process, right? Just about, yes, except that third bit...
Building Your Class
1. Choose your Role
Each Role has its own base stats; your Role also determines which "Class" Features you have access to. The Base Stat Blocks are as follows:
• Starting HP: 10+Constitution score
• HP/level: 4
• Healing Surges/day: 6+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
• Starting HP: 15+Constitution score
• HP/level: 6
• Healing Surges/day: 8+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
Leader
Basic Statistics:
• Starting HP: 12+Constitution score
• HP/level: 5
• Healing Surges/day: 7+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
• Starting HP: 12+Constitution score
• HP/level: 5
• Healing Surges/day: 6+Con mod
• Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
• Base Starting Skills: 4
After choosing your Role, you make a bunch of choices. Life's hard some times.
2. Split a +2 bonus among your non-AC defenses (Fort, Ref, and Will) however you like.
3. Train an extra skill or add an additional +1 to any of Fortitude, Reflex, or Will; the bonus to any one defense cannot exceed +2
4. Pick three of the following:
o An extra skill (may only be taken once from this list)
o Proficiency with three martial weapons (any number of times)
o Proficiency with any one implement (any number of times)
o Proficiency with the next level of armor (until you run out; there is no category above 6[plate])
5. Class Features - These are split by Role, and into Halfs and Singles. Each player picks a total of 3 full Features (so you could get 6 halfs if you're a striker and insane...) from the following lists;
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Cantrips, Ritual Casting, Channel Divinity (invoker), Discipline Focus
• Singles
o Arcane Implement Mastery, Spellbook, (Balance of Nature and Wild Shape) – Go together, Primal Aspect, Divine Convenant
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (paladin), Combat Superiority, Lay on Hands, Font of Life, Psionic Study, Swordbond, Swordmage Warding
• Singles
o Combat Challenge, Fighter Weapon Talent, Divine Challenge, Nature’s Wrath, Guardian Might, Psionic Defense, Swordmage Aegis
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (cleric ), Healer’s Lore, Combat Leader, Archer Warlord (this one’s weird…), Bardic Training, Skill Versatility, Song of Rest, Words of Friendship, Speak with Spirits, Runic Artistry, Arcane Empowerment, Arcane Rejuvenation, Ritual Casting
• Singles
o Healing Word, Inspiring Word, Majestic Word, Commanding Presence, Ardent Mantle, Ardent Surge, Companion Spirit, Healing Spirit, Rune of Mending, Rune Master, Healing Infusion
• Half-Features (you may take any two from this list; they count as one feature)
o Channel Divinity (avenger), Prime Shot, First Strike, Rogue Weapon Talent, Shadow Walk, Armor of Faith, Barbarian Agility, Rampage, Unarmed Combatant, Unarmored Defense, Inevitable Shot
• Singles
o Fighting Style, Hunter’s Quarry, Oath of Enmity, Beast Mastery (counts as 1˝ choices), Sneak Attack, Rogue Tactics, Eldritch Pact, Warlock’s Curse, Avenger’s Censure, Feral Might, Rage Strike, Monastic Tradition, Seeker’s Bond
• Doubles – Spell Souce. It’s the Sorc’s only feature, so of course it’s more than one feature for cost’s sake. To split it up:
o Half-Features – Scales of the Dragon, Dragon Soul, Unfettered Power, Chaos Burst, Storm’s Embrace, Wild Soul
o Singles – Draconic Power, Chaos Power, Draconic Resilience, Storm Power, Storm Soul, Cosmic Persistence, Cosmic Power
6. Power Selection. First off, do you want to do psionics? If you aren't a striker and wish to do so, you get the Psionic Augmentation feature for your Role and follow instructions for that class. Otherwise, follow your class features' mandates (looking at Wild Shape and Companion Spirit mainly) and pick your powers from among those available to your role. Powers that check for class features for extra effect still check for that, but anything involving an ability score modifier uses your SAS; meanwhile, attack and damage rolls for powers, as well as riders that use the same score as the attack/damage roll, use your PAS.
There are some things to note here:
*Channel Divinity: This one’s a bit tricky. Each character should get two powers – one is decided by the class in parentheses. The other, however, is where things get odd. For all intents and purposes, at least for now, they can just pick their second one. I’m sure it’ll be fine, honest.
*Multiclassing: Honestly, I’m banning this for the default state. You want to allow it, be my guest. As of right now, though, I need to test the waters without complicating things like that.
*Retraining: Much as a player can retrain a character’s power choices, a player can retrain a class feature choice(s) whenever they level up. DM’s rules apply.
*AC Boosting Abilities: I’m just going to note this right now – if you have a striker pick more than one, that’s their choice. They only get so many features, after all…
*Class/Power Source Things: Ignore all mention of these things. PPs and EDs are open to everyone who otherwise qualifies; same with feats and such. Class features trigger off any appropriate power the character has (this has been reflected in the costs of, say, the Sorc's Power class features).
*Essentials: I really don't know what to do with them as of yet. Any ideas?
And that'll be it for now. Reserving posts for FAQs, some sample builds, and just in case people come up with good points and I need to spill over for changes. Thanks to anyone who doesn't TL;DR this :smallbiggrin:.