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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Proficiencies don't make the class. Do they?
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<blockquote data-quote="El Mahdi" data-source="post: 6604792" data-attributes="member: 59506"><p>I think Kamikaze has a big part of it when he said "You need a <em>narrative distinction</em>." Along with that, I think you also need a <em>Purpose</em>.</p><p></p><p>To me, classes are a lot like career fields. The example I always give new players is military MOS's or AFSC's (Job Specialties and Career Paths). These can be things like <em>Infantry</em>, <em>Artillery</em>, <em>Civil Engineer</em>, <em>Aircraft Maintenance</em>, etc.</p><p></p><p>Take my military experience as an example. My career field was Avionics Maintenance in the Air Force. I received specialized training for my career field, and even specialized in a sub-category called Instruments and Flight Control Systems (as opposed to Communication/Navigation Systems, or Electronic Counter Measures Systems, etc.) - much like an archetype within a class.</p><p></p><p>However, even though <strong>ALL</strong> Air Force go through the same Basic Training, that doesn't also make me an SP (Security Police), or a PJ (special ops trained Pararescue Jumpman), or a TACP (Tactical Air Control Party specialist - used to be called Combat Controller or Forward Air Controller).</p><p></p><p>I also received weapons training: M16 and M9; but that doesn't make me a Soldier (Warrior).</p><p></p><p>A class has to have a narrative distinction, and it also has to have a <em>Distinctive Purpose</em>. That Class - or Fantasy Medieval Career Field - did not develop in a vacuum. It developed because it had a <em>Purpose</em>. There's a <em>Need</em> for it. A <em>Purpose</em> or <em>Need</em> over and above mere exploitation of a mechanical rule aspect.</p><p></p><p>Without that purpose, it's just a collection of mechanics waiting for an opportunity to be needed, waiting for an opportunity to look cool; as opposed to a class that <strong><em>IS</em></strong> cool because it has a purpose, and therefore a reason to do cool things.</p><p></p><p></p><p>A class must have a <em>raison d'etre</em>.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="El Mahdi, post: 6604792, member: 59506"] I think Kamikaze has a big part of it when he said "You need a [I]narrative distinction[/I]." Along with that, I think you also need a [I]Purpose[/I]. To me, classes are a lot like career fields. The example I always give new players is military MOS's or AFSC's (Job Specialties and Career Paths). These can be things like [I]Infantry[/I], [I]Artillery[/I], [I]Civil Engineer[/I], [I]Aircraft Maintenance[/I], etc. Take my military experience as an example. My career field was Avionics Maintenance in the Air Force. I received specialized training for my career field, and even specialized in a sub-category called Instruments and Flight Control Systems (as opposed to Communication/Navigation Systems, or Electronic Counter Measures Systems, etc.) - much like an archetype within a class. However, even though [B]ALL[/B] Air Force go through the same Basic Training, that doesn't also make me an SP (Security Police), or a PJ (special ops trained Pararescue Jumpman), or a TACP (Tactical Air Control Party specialist - used to be called Combat Controller or Forward Air Controller). I also received weapons training: M16 and M9; but that doesn't make me a Soldier (Warrior). A class has to have a narrative distinction, and it also has to have a [I]Distinctive Purpose[/I]. That Class - or Fantasy Medieval Career Field - did not develop in a vacuum. It developed because it had a [I]Purpose[/I]. There's a [I]Need[/I] for it. A [I]Purpose[/I] or [I]Need[/I] over and above mere exploitation of a mechanical rule aspect. Without that purpose, it's just a collection of mechanics waiting for an opportunity to be needed, waiting for an opportunity to look cool; as opposed to a class that [B][I]IS[/I][/B] cool because it has a purpose, and therefore a reason to do cool things. A class must have a [I]raison d'etre[/I]. [/QUOTE]
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Proficiencies don't make the class. Do they?
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