What I would want if using 5e as the basis:
1. Every class receives their subclass at first level: Who trains the character should be important and it would make creating variants easier.
2. Clerics: remove armor and weapon proficiency and add an additional decision point at first level such as Cloistered (No armor Simple Weapons), Itinerant (Light Armor, Simple Weapons) , Templar (Medium Armor, Martial Weapons)
3. Swordman: A light armor fighter class for Duelists, Kensei, Musketeers, Swashbucklers. The archetype is its own unique one that falls between the standard fighter and the rogue. Leave the rogue class for Assassin's, Burglars, Cutpurses, Spies and other others that rely on stealth.
4. A separate class for non spellcasting rangers.
5. A shamans: Look at some of the classes from Nigel Findley's Witches (Mayfair Games) for 2e and Steve Kenson's Shaman's Handbook (Green Ronin) as well as read a book on Anthropology of religion.
6. A witch class: Look at Nigel Findley's Witches, Steve Kenson's Witch's Handbook (Green Ronin), and comments by Tom Moldvay (the designer of B/X) from Dragon Magazine regardding witches and what a witch class should be.
7. Split the Monk into two classes: The Martial Artist and the Monk. The former is the characters you typically see in 70's and 80's Shaw Brother's films, Jackie Chan films, and Once Upon A Time in China. They are not the type of characters that develop Tongue of the Sun and Moon or many of the higher level monk abilities. Then, have the monk be the mystical martial artist- types of monks can be divine monks, nature monks, psionic monks.
The divine monks and the nature monks are part spell caster and part martial artist similar. The 3e OA shaman would be example of the latter. Divine Monks would be religious priests that can Turn Undead and spells dealing with things like Blessing, Curing, Detect Good/Evil Exorcism, Restoration. Nature monks would be the guy that goes out into nature for a hermitage and studies nature to become one with the universe. The nature can communicate with and turn spirits and develops spells about communicating with and controlling animals, plants, elements, and weather. It might also have a spirit companion. Both would also have the standard monk abilities. An arcane variant could also be interesting
And for martial arts, research real world martial arts and the ki/chi abilities associated with them!
8. A Skill Point variant.
9. Edit: All spell casting classes have one level prior to gaining first level spells where they only have cantrips to cast. For first level characters that begin with a full caster class, they can gain some of their first level spells to cast as a bonus. These "bonus" first level spells would not be available for characters multi-classing into the first level of a full caster class. They would have to wait until 2nd level.
1. Every class receives their subclass at first level: Who trains the character should be important and it would make creating variants easier.
2. Clerics: remove armor and weapon proficiency and add an additional decision point at first level such as Cloistered (No armor Simple Weapons), Itinerant (Light Armor, Simple Weapons) , Templar (Medium Armor, Martial Weapons)
3. Swordman: A light armor fighter class for Duelists, Kensei, Musketeers, Swashbucklers. The archetype is its own unique one that falls between the standard fighter and the rogue. Leave the rogue class for Assassin's, Burglars, Cutpurses, Spies and other others that rely on stealth.
4. A separate class for non spellcasting rangers.
5. A shamans: Look at some of the classes from Nigel Findley's Witches (Mayfair Games) for 2e and Steve Kenson's Shaman's Handbook (Green Ronin) as well as read a book on Anthropology of religion.
6. A witch class: Look at Nigel Findley's Witches, Steve Kenson's Witch's Handbook (Green Ronin), and comments by Tom Moldvay (the designer of B/X) from Dragon Magazine regardding witches and what a witch class should be.
7. Split the Monk into two classes: The Martial Artist and the Monk. The former is the characters you typically see in 70's and 80's Shaw Brother's films, Jackie Chan films, and Once Upon A Time in China. They are not the type of characters that develop Tongue of the Sun and Moon or many of the higher level monk abilities. Then, have the monk be the mystical martial artist- types of monks can be divine monks, nature monks, psionic monks.
The divine monks and the nature monks are part spell caster and part martial artist similar. The 3e OA shaman would be example of the latter. Divine Monks would be religious priests that can Turn Undead and spells dealing with things like Blessing, Curing, Detect Good/Evil Exorcism, Restoration. Nature monks would be the guy that goes out into nature for a hermitage and studies nature to become one with the universe. The nature can communicate with and turn spirits and develops spells about communicating with and controlling animals, plants, elements, and weather. It might also have a spirit companion. Both would also have the standard monk abilities. An arcane variant could also be interesting
And for martial arts, research real world martial arts and the ki/chi abilities associated with them!
8. A Skill Point variant.
9. Edit: All spell casting classes have one level prior to gaining first level spells where they only have cantrips to cast. For first level characters that begin with a full caster class, they can gain some of their first level spells to cast as a bonus. These "bonus" first level spells would not be available for characters multi-classing into the first level of a full caster class. They would have to wait until 2nd level.
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