BowStreetRunner
2018-05-19, 09:04 AM
I've been mulling over allowing Alternative Class Features (ACF) to be acquired based on the class features to be replaced, without regard to actual class. So for instance, Complete Champion offers Rangers the Spiritual Connection ACF in place of Wild Empathy. Totemist is another class that gains Wild Empathy, and with this rule in place would therefore also be able to replace it with Spiritual Connection.
This would not allow a character to take a Racial Substitution Level (RSL) that they otherwise could not take, as those replace an entire class level, even though sometimes the difference is only a single class feature. However, a character taking a RSL might receive a class feature from it that they then would be able to trade using another ACF for something else.
I realize this could result in ACF chains, such as the Unearthed Arcana (UA) Barbarian who trades Rage, greater rage, indomitable will, tireless rage, and mighty rage in order to receive Favored enemy (as ranger); archery combat style, improved archery combat style, and archery combat style mastery (as ranger). Then that same barbarian uses the UA Ranger option to give up Combat style, improved combat style, and combat style mastery in order to receive Wild shape (as druid; Small or Medium animals only), and fast movement (as barbarian). Thus resulting in a Barbarian who gives up the Rage chain of class features plus Indomitable Will in order to effectively receive Favored Enemy (as ranger), Wild Shape (as druid; Small or Medium animals only), and a second fast movement (as barbarian).
My question to the community is just how big of a can of worms would I potentially be opening by doing this? I've come across the [3.5] Alternative Class Features (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444354-3-5-Alternative-Class-Features-(ported-from-Wizards-community-boards)) thread that Curmudgeon ported from Wizards community boards and seen some of the ACF chains in there. Nothing I've seen so far seems unbelievably broken but I know that there are others in the community much better at breaking things than I am. What should I watch out for if I allow this?
This would not allow a character to take a Racial Substitution Level (RSL) that they otherwise could not take, as those replace an entire class level, even though sometimes the difference is only a single class feature. However, a character taking a RSL might receive a class feature from it that they then would be able to trade using another ACF for something else.
I realize this could result in ACF chains, such as the Unearthed Arcana (UA) Barbarian who trades Rage, greater rage, indomitable will, tireless rage, and mighty rage in order to receive Favored enemy (as ranger); archery combat style, improved archery combat style, and archery combat style mastery (as ranger). Then that same barbarian uses the UA Ranger option to give up Combat style, improved combat style, and combat style mastery in order to receive Wild shape (as druid; Small or Medium animals only), and fast movement (as barbarian). Thus resulting in a Barbarian who gives up the Rage chain of class features plus Indomitable Will in order to effectively receive Favored Enemy (as ranger), Wild Shape (as druid; Small or Medium animals only), and a second fast movement (as barbarian).
My question to the community is just how big of a can of worms would I potentially be opening by doing this? I've come across the [3.5] Alternative Class Features (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444354-3-5-Alternative-Class-Features-(ported-from-Wizards-community-boards)) thread that Curmudgeon ported from Wizards community boards and seen some of the ACF chains in there. Nothing I've seen so far seems unbelievably broken but I know that there are others in the community much better at breaking things than I am. What should I watch out for if I allow this?