D&D 5E Can mundane classes have a resource which powers abilities?

[Cadence]

What I meant was that in CLASSIC fantasy the "heroes" (a la would be PC's) were NOT casters. In Greek fantasy you had Circe and the like. Conan and the like had casters mainly as rare antagonists. Etc., etc.

Were Gwydion in Welsh mythology and Vainamoinen in the Kalevala protagonists?
Dying Earth was 1950 and counted as a fantasy novels by Locus.
Earthsea was 1964
Elric was 1961 (1e D&DG has him listed as multi-classed with Wizard)
Probably too late to be classic, but Dread Empire was 1979 and Black Company was 1984

 

[Arduin's]

Were Gwydion in Welsh mythology and Vainamoinen in the Kalevala protagonists?

Compared to the total number, spell casters were EXTREMELY rare. I did NOT say nonexistent. Reread EXACTLY what I wrote. I said, "mainly".

Dying Earth was 1950 and counted as a fantasy novels by Locus.
Earthsea was 1964
Elric was 1961 (1e D&DG has him listed as multi-classed with Wizard)
Probably too late to be classic, but Dread Empire was 1979 and Black Company was 1984

Not classic fantasy. Go earlier in the genre.

 

[The Human Target]

If people want to play superhero games there are plenty out there. Why does D&D need to become one?

The fighter was the consistent performer and the class of choice for players who just wanted to kick some ass and not have to track stuff.

The magic using classes were all about managing limited resources. Then the magic using classes got tired of being limited so they called the Waaaahhhhmbulance until they got at-will reliable magic to perform consistently AND pull out the show stoppers when needed.

Now the fighter, with his one advantage stripped away either cries louder than the spell users until he gets his BOOM abilities or lives with being a sidekick.

Thus the new toy escalation wars are born. Keep cranking everything up to 11 until you may as well just play in the Marvel universe because all the characters would fit right in.

Am I the only one who thinks a saner option is dialing things back a bit towards traditional fantasy instead of pushing towards MOAR MOAR MOAR?

This attitude why we can't have nice things.

 

[Ahnehnois]

This is why we can't have nice things.

Being free of resources to track is a nice thing.

 

[The Human Target]

Being free of resources to track is a nice thing.

I like having some.

 

[Obryn]

Being free of resources to track is a nice thing.

The resources are a means to an end.

It's a matter of figuring out if the end result is worth the overhead.

 

[Wulfgar76]

Being free of resources to track is a nice thing.

I've yet to have the fighter in my group become confused on whether or not he's rested since he last used Action Surge.

It's really not that hard.
Keeping track of how many arrows you've shot is harder.

 

[Obryn]

Keeping track of how many arrows you've shot is harder.

Keeping track of arrows is awful pixel-bitching past 1st level or so. The cost is inconsequential, the weight is low even if you're actually using encumbrance, and you need to worry about what broke or didn't every time. It's all work for little gain even in the earlier editions, unless your campaign is even more resource-poor than Dark Sun.

 

[Minigiant]

Well classic fantasy has more types of mundane chaaracters
that Trained Warrior and Sneaky Thief so D&D is it own thing.

But D&D lacks a single setting mentality. What class is believable is tied to the setting played it.
So really it is based on setting.

 

[Wulfgar76]

Keeping track of arrows is awful pixel-bitching past 1st level or so. The cost is inconsequential, the weight is low even if you're actually using encumbrance, and you need to worry about what broke or didn't every time. It's all work for little gain even in the earlier editions, unless your campaign is even more resource-poor than Dark Sun.

I dont keep track of arrows. It was just an example of mundane-resource tracking.

Also, past editions of D&D were brimming with magic items with charges.