Re: originally in my D20 publishers forum post
Skade said:
Barbarian has no problem. Druid is possible, as we know there are least some Greensers in the world, Brand becoming one of them. They would be no more difficult to rationalize than all the Jedi that ran around during rebeliion era games. The same thing applies to Wizards and Clerics. The Red Priest Melisandre could be either (and made with the BoVD, IMO). We have other examples of spellcasters in the Danaerys chapters.
There are a lot of similarities to classes, but power levels need to be dropped way down for the spell casters (though with magic coming back into the world through the next 3 books, this could really change). In D&D terms Melisandre really seems to be either a Wizard/Cleric, or maybe more likely a prestige class Cleric with specific fire and shadow abilities.
New classes presented could be cool. 1) Maester, the most educated men of the realm, mastering such varied subjects as chemistry, medicine, engineering, smithing and theoretical magic. Possibly built along bard lines, with more social skills and practical use feats. Not really adventurers from the examples we see, but younger more "adventurous" ones are possible.
I had thought about putting a version of Maesters into my D&D game, though I never fully worked out the class. My concept was that they would have the most skill points of any class, even Rogues, but little else. Their major ability would be to confer their skill, plus INT modifier (or some part of it) onto other characters. So it went beyond the normal +2 bonus for successfully cooperating with a another character. They could give maybe 1/2 or all of their skill (I hadn't played around with this in game to see what would be balanced, but all sounds a bit high).
2) Knights as a base class rather than a prestige class. You would have to play up the difference in training, like horse oriented abilities and courtly skills and feats.
I disagree, I think the Cavelier PrC (or something similar) works great for tourney oriented knights, but what is a knight in a melee, or in battle, just pretty kick ass fighter (much of the time) with a symbol on his shield. That was often the point of many parts of the books - the knights were often greater butchers and far less "noble" then the commoners they raped and slaughtered, often with such glee. Certain knights might take various PrCs as they specialize in different areas of combat, but to start, I think Fighters make the most sense.
3) Swordman-swashbuckling men with light weapons such as Syrio Forel.
Yeah, again there are prestige classes that are in the right vein and someone with the right feats can already work themselves towards this either as a Fighter or Rogue, probably.
4) a new nonmagical priest class
I think this would probably more like an NPC class, like an Expert, probably, maybe one of the others. They just take a lot of Skill Points in religion and some other areas of learning.
You have prestige classes like 1) wargs - barbarians who have learned to change shape into various animals. 2) Knights of the Watch, accostomed to the harsh lands of the frozen north. 3) Whitecloaks (admitedly there can only be seven? or is it twelve?) who are gaurdians of the king.
These three definitely seem to be PrC material, though how do you account for the 3 types of Brothers of the Knights Watch (Rangers, Stewards and Builders). If the PrC simply gives them certain cold weather survival skills and keeps them advancing in their current class abilities, though slightly diminished, somehow, then it makes some more sense.
Wargs I always saw more as a variation on Druids, skin changing is like a different sort of Wild Shape, almost.
As for the Whitecloaks, there were 7. Again, though, donning the cloak was only symbolic. Not all of the Whitecloaks took their oaths too seriously, certainly not the Kettleblacks, not to mention guys like Ser Meryn Trant who was a horrid knight, no nobility at all (but badass fighter, to be sure). The only ones mentioned that really seemed to live up to the ideal were Barristan the Bold, Balon Swann and probably Ser Arthur Dayne, from the histories. And what of Sandor, he took the Whitecloak, but never even accepted a knighthood - he hated knights. Unfortunately, part of the flavor of the books is that many of these trappings are just that, trappings - illusions. They don't confer any greater ability or honor, just fancier clothes. For this reason, asigning powers/abilities based on them ultimately destroys the feel of the setting.