Cilvyn
2022-03-06, 05:23 AM
Hey Folks,
I require some feedback about the classes for my system.,
THe setting is 18th-19th century Europe where magic is real and the monsters from the classics are a serious threat. Think Van Helsing movie combined with brother Grimm fairytales in their more macabre version. Together with the age of reason, science and industry.
So the characters are mostly monster hunters, advocates of a churche that is there to protect the masses against the dangers of horrors, alchemists and witches. Magic is real, but scarse and feared like the plague. It is dangerous to use magic. Think the old witch trials and what the people feared back then. So no fireballs, but alchemy, runes, dark magic and necromancy.
The thing about my system is that I do not use levels. Players gain XP with which they can advance their characters by buying skills, talents, improve their attributes. They always stay level 1 for purposes of the game. Also characters can buy almost every talent and skill. So you as a player are very free to build your characters as you like. This has a few benefits. First of all the options are infinte. Want a witch who can also handle a pistol like no other? Go ahead. Want a fighter type who spezialises into purely defensive skills, be my guest. The downside is that one could ask the question "Since everyone can do anything, why have classes at all?" and that person would be right.. I thought mayhbe to use the aptitude system from Dark hersesy, but thats just a bit of an excuse to say "You can do everything, but some things are easier for certain characters". a bit weird. but let's talk about this later in this post.
I have been working around with 6 base classes:
Soldier
You average warrior, fighter, barbarian class.
Hunter
A ranger fighter class specialized in ranged combat
Rogue
your average dex based thief/trickster scoundrel type
Witch
Warlock/wizard/sorverer type. A caster
Scholar
Wizard, bard type. a semi caster, lore oriented knowledge character specialized in skills
Missionary
Cleric, paladin, bard type healer, zealous persecutor type of faith
Alright so each class has 3 sub classes
Soldier
- Dreadnought - tanky heavy weapon heavy armor specialist
- Marauder - a little more barbarian than fighter
- Knight Hospitaller - An armored medic knight type of class
Witch
- Occultist - Warlock type, necromancer something
- Elementalist - a more lightning bolt type of caster, control weather that kind of stuff
- Auramancer - specialized in protective magic, shields, buffs, enchantments
Hunter
- Gunslinger- your desperado wild west two pistol scumbag
- Musketeer - A long ranged specialist, master of rifles
...... well you get the idea... All classes can specialize in a lot of stuff.
Now the dilemma:
OKay so I mentioned the problem about having classes, but not really, maybe a little... Alright, so I thought about a few things to work with:
Having no base classes but only those specialized classes.
Pro: A lot to chose from, very nice to have specializations.
Downside: You can make infinite classes this way and you will never be complete, it also limits creativity
Having No classes at all
Pro: You can literally do anything and everything, you can build your character however you like and nothing is the same every time.
Con: less experienced players might have a hard time grasping this concept. People like to difine their character and their party role. It simplifies stuff when you can say "I am this and I can do that for the party" With no classes you also lose some inspiration players can scroll through and base ideas on.
Having specialized classes with high requirements so players can work towards it
Pro: You sta away from the idea of having to chose a class right away and having to fit in that class concept, you can work towards something epic
Con: You basically have their path of building set out for them, it limits creativity and you are still doomed to create more and more epic classes people can chose from
Having no classes, but only talents that hint towards party roles
Pro: Let players assemble their own characters as they please without limiting them in their choises (Ofcourse talents have requirements, so not everyone can just learn everything from the start
Con: I might get lost in a looong list of talents and stil have to work up a loooot of talents to represent most class concepts..
Alright I hope you understand what I wrote, it is all a bit chaotic, but I think my message and question comes across well enough for you to help me out.
Thank you!
I require some feedback about the classes for my system.,
THe setting is 18th-19th century Europe where magic is real and the monsters from the classics are a serious threat. Think Van Helsing movie combined with brother Grimm fairytales in their more macabre version. Together with the age of reason, science and industry.
So the characters are mostly monster hunters, advocates of a churche that is there to protect the masses against the dangers of horrors, alchemists and witches. Magic is real, but scarse and feared like the plague. It is dangerous to use magic. Think the old witch trials and what the people feared back then. So no fireballs, but alchemy, runes, dark magic and necromancy.
The thing about my system is that I do not use levels. Players gain XP with which they can advance their characters by buying skills, talents, improve their attributes. They always stay level 1 for purposes of the game. Also characters can buy almost every talent and skill. So you as a player are very free to build your characters as you like. This has a few benefits. First of all the options are infinte. Want a witch who can also handle a pistol like no other? Go ahead. Want a fighter type who spezialises into purely defensive skills, be my guest. The downside is that one could ask the question "Since everyone can do anything, why have classes at all?" and that person would be right.. I thought mayhbe to use the aptitude system from Dark hersesy, but thats just a bit of an excuse to say "You can do everything, but some things are easier for certain characters". a bit weird. but let's talk about this later in this post.
I have been working around with 6 base classes:
Soldier
You average warrior, fighter, barbarian class.
Hunter
A ranger fighter class specialized in ranged combat
Rogue
your average dex based thief/trickster scoundrel type
Witch
Warlock/wizard/sorverer type. A caster
Scholar
Wizard, bard type. a semi caster, lore oriented knowledge character specialized in skills
Missionary
Cleric, paladin, bard type healer, zealous persecutor type of faith
Alright so each class has 3 sub classes
Soldier
- Dreadnought - tanky heavy weapon heavy armor specialist
- Marauder - a little more barbarian than fighter
- Knight Hospitaller - An armored medic knight type of class
Witch
- Occultist - Warlock type, necromancer something
- Elementalist - a more lightning bolt type of caster, control weather that kind of stuff
- Auramancer - specialized in protective magic, shields, buffs, enchantments
Hunter
- Gunslinger- your desperado wild west two pistol scumbag
- Musketeer - A long ranged specialist, master of rifles
...... well you get the idea... All classes can specialize in a lot of stuff.
Now the dilemma:
OKay so I mentioned the problem about having classes, but not really, maybe a little... Alright, so I thought about a few things to work with:
Having no base classes but only those specialized classes.
Pro: A lot to chose from, very nice to have specializations.
Downside: You can make infinite classes this way and you will never be complete, it also limits creativity
Having No classes at all
Pro: You can literally do anything and everything, you can build your character however you like and nothing is the same every time.
Con: less experienced players might have a hard time grasping this concept. People like to difine their character and their party role. It simplifies stuff when you can say "I am this and I can do that for the party" With no classes you also lose some inspiration players can scroll through and base ideas on.
Having specialized classes with high requirements so players can work towards it
Pro: You sta away from the idea of having to chose a class right away and having to fit in that class concept, you can work towards something epic
Con: You basically have their path of building set out for them, it limits creativity and you are still doomed to create more and more epic classes people can chose from
Having no classes, but only talents that hint towards party roles
Pro: Let players assemble their own characters as they please without limiting them in their choises (Ofcourse talents have requirements, so not everyone can just learn everything from the start
Con: I might get lost in a looong list of talents and stil have to work up a loooot of talents to represent most class concepts..
Alright I hope you understand what I wrote, it is all a bit chaotic, but I think my message and question comes across well enough for you to help me out.
Thank you!