Please help

[Superglucose]

Ok, so the backstory: I got persuaded to join in an ongoing system-building exercise... this guy wants to "fix" 3.5 and I'm willing to help, to a point, because I get a GM out of the deal. All sounds good, right?

He. Has. No. Clue.

He started a set of forums for his personal system (that's not based off of D&D), and I have become the head moderator for a (very small) char op board, and I'm actively considering censuring all of his posts. He is useless both in that he makes useless suggestions, his ideas of "optimization" are exceedingly questionable, and overall it seems like he's born of a misconception and is a very stubborn person.

I've tried my best in teaching him that Clerics as Healbots is subop, that blaster casters are subop, but while about half the group I play with has begun realizing that "Stinking Cloud" is orders of magnitude better than "Fireball," he remains obstinate. Anyways, he tried to "quantify" the power of the classes in his little PDF, and I'd like to poll you guys as to where I should start in disecting this.

Spoilered for length and obscenity.

Spoiler

Show

         Arcane  Combat  Defense Divine Psionics Stealth Utility TOTAL
Barbarian   0      4       2       0       0        0      2       8
Bard        1      3       3(2)    1       0        3(2)   3       13 (8)
Cleric      0      2       1       5       0        0      0       8
Druid       1      2       1       3       0        1      1       9
Fighter     0      5       0       0       0        0      3       8
Monk        0      2       5(4)    0       0        1      1       9
Paladin     0      4       2       1       0        0      1       8
Psionicist  0      1       1       0       5        0      2       9
Ranger      0      3       1       1       0        4(3)   0       9 (8)
Rogue       0      2       2       0       0        5(3)   3       10
Sorcerer    5(7)   0       1       0       0        0      0       8
Wizard      4(6)   0       1       0       0        0      1       8

Each of the base classes has one area in which they excel, or two in
which they are “pretty good”, an area in which they are middling, and
another in which they are lousy at. Each of the base classes is ranked
so that they are never all-around “better” than any other base class.
While a base class represents not all areas, those that are represented
are carefully weighed against each other to prevent any one from being
inherently more powerful than the other base classes. The main thing
to avoid is altering this balance so that a base class gains more
effectiveness in an area than it loses in others.
Below is a list of all the areas a base class can be rated in. Each
area is described in detail, as well as having a representation of its
greatest expression in a base class

Arcane Magic: Spells that focus on harming or debilitating
others, with a slightly lower emphasis on personal augmentation and
generally useful spells. Sorcerers are the base class with the greatest
amount of arcane magic, although wizards come in a close second.

Combat: The ability to hit opponents really hard, and to survive
when they hit back. This includes armor and weapon proficiencies, hit
dice, base attack bonus, and Fortitude saves. Fighters are the base
class with the greatest amount of this, although barbarians and paladins
come in close seconds.

Defense: Special abilities that make the character harder to hit or
effect, such as high Reflex and Will saves, conditional saving throw
modifiers, and AC bonuses unrelated to armor. Monks are the base
class with the most of this, with bards coming in a distant second.

Divine Magic: Spells that focus on healing and group
augmentation or enemy weakening, with a slightly lower focus on information gathering. This includes access to granted powers and
clerical domains, as well as spell slots. Clerics are the base class with
the most of this, but druids come a close second.

Psionics: The ability to use stores of mental energy to make
customized offensive, defensive, and utility effects. Each of these
effects are weaker than you could generate from arcane or divine
magic, but the capacity to change from one to the other makes up for
the slight lack of power. Psionicists are the base class with the best
access to this ability, but no other base class even touch on it.

Stealth: The ability to sneak around and deal extra damage to
those you dislike. This includes access to stealth-oriented or larcenyoriented
skills and the skill points to get them, as well as combat
modifiers such as Sneak Attack and Favored Enemy. Rogues are the
base class with the most of this, with rangers coming in second.

Utility: The possession of class abilities that are either very
flexible in their application, or useful in uncommon circumstances but
are always available. This includes bonus feats, a wide selection of
skills AND the points to buy them, and situation-specific class
abilities. Bards, fighters, and rogues are the best at this, but neither is
the absolute best a base class can be.

[BobVosh]

Bards are Tier 1? Rogues Tier 2? Then everything else basically tier 3?

Bards have the same utility as fighters? Wizards have the lowest possible without a 0?

Even the addition is wrong.
Bard 1 + 3 + 3(2) + 1 + 0 + 3(2)+ 3 = 13 (8)

That comes out to 14(12)

I'm not sure why he thinks core isn't balanced as he is using what core is based around. Blaster wizard, sneaky rogue, healing cleric, and sword fighter. Or so it sounds.

I think the question really is: why bother help if you disagree with everything he says? Just abandon the project, manage the forums if you wish to help. Just let him do as he will, and if he asks for specific help, give it.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

If you want, I can join the forum for a dungeoncrawl playing a caster. There must be a decent DM, and he must participate as a bard.

[Whammydill]

Sounds like he is a control freak who likes big shiny damage and the rule of cool. I bet he likes to play half-dragons doesn't he.

Really though *fixing 3.5* is a butterfly effect nightmare. One small change here, big consequences or a gaping hole in balance there.

[Whammydill]

If you want, I can join the forum for a dungeoncrawl playing a caster. There must be a decent DM, and he must participate as a bard.

Or just have the fool read the Test of Spite DD, you do well enough with wizardly wizardness there to show that being a wizard isn't about blasting.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Kinda ironic, given that...