Class Progression: Names and titles

[PhoenixPhyre]

This is for a "D&D 5e-like" hypothetical system, using the "core rules" (ie none of the classes, races, spells, items, or monsters).

I had a thought for "progressive specialization":

Four core "base" classes, each with a Big Thing that progresses steadily.
* Warrior: Weapon and armor specialist (fighting styles, which would be more of a big thing than the 5e ones and share the high-level name only)
* Adventurer: All-rounder (luck die that can be added to various rolls under certain circumstances)
* Mage: Basic arcane-ish caster (free "rituals"[1])
* Priest: Basic "divine"-ish caster (energy channel [2])

Each of those classes would then at level 6 specialize; at level 12 that specialization would "transform" into an evolved version. Level 18 would serve as a capstone feature for the "transformed" combination. Each of these would also give features at 9 (specialization) and 15 (transformation). So along with a "base feature" other than their Big Thing (BT at 2, improved at 5, 11, and 17, "base feature" at 3), each of the three "chunks" would give features at at least two levels.

What I'm trying to get right is a high-level theme for each of the specialization -> transformation pairs. Especially an ordering (ie what's the specialization and what's the transformation). Names that are very much not fixed yet are in bold

So far I've got

Warrior Specializations
1. Knight into Holy Knight (maybe Champion): This is the basic "heavy armor, defensive, gaining limited priestly casting at higher levels" pattern.
2. Archer into Spellbow: Ranged specialist, gaining mage-source magic arrows at higher levels.
3. Berserker into Rune Warrior: "barbarian" replacement, going from supernaturally angry smashy-dude to empowered smashy-dude.
4. Fencer (tbd, maybe swashbuckler?) into dread pirate (also tbd): nimble duelist/skirmisher

Adventurer Specializations
1. Thief into Assassin: sneaky "criminal" dude, gaining poison and "hit the weak point for massive damages" abilities. Maybe light priest casting?
2. Savant into Sage (artificer?): Less combat focused, alchemist, bombs, inventions, etc. Light mage casting.
3. Bard into Skald: songs (buffing, debuffing), maybe light mage casting?
4. Shifter into Beast master: wildshape, at most minor priest casting.

Mage Specializations
1. Sorcerer into Archmage: elemental powers. Your "basic artillery" arcane caster
2. Seer into Diviner (or vice versa?): more of a control-focused caster.
3. Spellblade into Magus (or vice versa?): mixing melee and magic (more on the magic side of the equation)

Priest Specializations
1. Martial Artist into Mystic: "monk"--gaining melee combat abilities, sorta unarmored/light armor divine gish
2. Chosen into Archpriest: "cleric" -- basic "holy caster" devoted to a god/religion. light armor, only some weapons. Mostly a caster.
3. Shaman into Nature's Champion -- druid, minus wildshape. Uses placeable auras in addition to spells.

Any better suggestions for names or "transformation flows"?

[1] these would actually take care of most of the "utility" spells out there, removing them from spell casting entirely. Anyone can learn them, but the mage knows some already and does them slightly better.
[2] more like PF's Channel Energy, except not quite. Details TBD.

[Calen]

1. Knight into Holy Knight (maybe Champion): Champion is more nuetral so you could push Oathbreaker concepts.


4. Fencer (tbd, maybe swashbuckler?) into dread pirate (also tbd): nimble duelist/skirmisher I would suggest Fencer & Duelist



2. Savant into Sage (artificer?): Less combat focused, alchemist, bombs, inventions, etc. Light mage casting. Artificer


4. Shifter into Beast master: wildshape, at most minor priest casting. Beastmaster, at least in my mind, implies controlling beasts and not being a beast. Maybe Skinchanger and Shifter? Lycan?



2. Seer into Diviner (or vice versa?): more of a control-focused caster. I like the names. Curious about how the concept aligns with a controller?


3. Spellblade into Magus (or vice versa?): mixing melee and magic (more on the magic side of the equation) Maybe Magus and Wizard.



1. Martial Artist into Mystic: "monk"--gaining melee combat abilities, sorta unarmored/light armor divine gish Sage or Monk might fit really well in here.


2. Chosen into Archpriest: "cleric" -- basic "holy caster" devoted to a god/religion. light armor, only some weapons. Mostly a caster. Preacher? Zealot?


3. Shaman into Nature's Champion -- druid, minus wildshape. Uses placeable auras in addition to spells. Also applies to some of the above. Are you purposely avoiding the "typical" names to avoid confusion? Druid does work here, maybe medicine man but that seems a reach.

[PhoenixPhyre]

1. Champion is more nuetral so you could push Oathbreaker concepts.
2. I would suggest Fencer & Duelist

3. Artificer
4. Beastmaster, at least in my mind, implies controlling beasts and not being a beast. Maybe Skinchanger and Shifter? Lycan?

5. I like the names. Curious about how the concept aligns with a controller?
6. Maybe Magus and Wizard.

7. Sage or Monk might fit really well in here.
8. Preacher? Zealot?
9. Also applies to some of the above. Are you purposely avoiding the "typical" names to avoid confusion? Druid does work here, maybe medicine man but that seems a reach.

Answering 9 first--yes, I'm avoiding the "typical" names because they have tons of baggage associated with them.

Others:
1. Yeah, probably right.
2. To me, Duelist doesn't sound "snazzy" and "powerful" compared to Fencer. The pattern I'm looking for is "mundanish" -> "cool". More thinking needed.
3. :check: that frees up sage for 7.
4. Yeah, probably right.
5. I'm reinvisioning magic as being sphere-based (based on what you're manipulating). And I see time/space as being the keys to most "wizardly" control. The more nature-type casters handle the "binding with thorns and vines" stuff, which is more of the Life sphere.
6. I want to avoid "wizard" due to baggage. Maybe "bladedancer?"
7. Sage would go nicely here.
8. Those (to me) fail the "is it cooler than the previous one" test...more thinking needed.

Thanks!

[Calen]

Something else I just thought of for 7. Dervish