PhoenixPhyre
2023-01-22, 11:03 PM
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.
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.