Why favored classes?

[Ambrus]

It seems to me that in 3e favored classes were largely intended to encourage players to portray iconic racial paragons; the elven master of wizardry, the stalwart dwarven fighter, the brutal half-orc barbarian. Player's were free to go against convention and play any combination of race and class but if they held to their racial ideals, at least in part, then they'd excel.

I can understand the desire to dispense with the 20% experience penalty incurred from uneven multiclassing in the updated Pathfinder system; it didn't affect most people and those it did hated it. But what's the point of keeping the "favored class" mechanic if each character is now free to pick any class they desire rather than their traditional racial one as being favored? Why grant an extra hit point or skill point for following some outdated and now entirely arbitrary game mechanic?

Is it merely pointless power creep or an attempt to encourage a player to retain a single class throughout his entire career? If the latter, why is keeping a single base class considered preferable to multiclassing or advancing in a prestige class?

 

[mach1.9pants]

As to why it is preferable, I don't know, but the designers have continually stated the preference to get PCs to play to 20 in a base class. I think it is a bit of an over reaction to the fact that in standard 3E for many classes not going to a prestige class was a massive nerf (I am looking at you Sorcerer!)

I think they went to far. I certainly agree with making the core classes as good as core+prestige, but the HP/skill point thing is just over the top.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

A lot of prestige classes were literally just "Class +MORE!" and it was especially especially obvious for spellcasters. I don't think cleric 20 or wizard 20 ever existed unless you used just the Core books. And this was incredibly lame.

Favored class makes you actually pause and think before immidiately going for the "upgrade" PrC.

 

[neceros]

A lot of prestige classes were literally just "Class +MORE!" and it was especially especially obvious for spellcasters. I don't think cleric 20 or wizard 20 ever existed unless you used just the Core books. And this was incredibly lame.

Favored class makes you actually pause and think before immidiately going for the "upgrade" PrC.

Bingo.

 

[CleverNickName]

A lot of prestige classes were literally just "Class +MORE!" and it was especially especially obvious for spellcasters. I don't think cleric 20 or wizard 20 ever existed unless you used just the Core books. And this was incredibly lame.

(glares hatefully at the Radiant Servant of Pelor)

 

[Tilenas]

It seems to me that in 3e favored classes were largely intended to encourage players to portray iconic racial paragons; the elven master of wizardry, the stalwart dwarven fighter, the brutal half-orc barbarian. Player's were free to go against convention and play any combination of race and class but if they held to their racial ideals, at least in part, then they'd excel.

I can understand the desire to dispense with the 20% experience penalty incurred from uneven multiclassing in the updated Pathfinder system; it didn't affect most people and those it did hated it. But what's the point of keeping the "favored class" mechanic if each character is now free to pick any class they desire rather than their traditional racial one as being favored? Why grant an extra hit point or skill point for following some outdated and now entirely arbitrary game mechanic?

Oddly enough, the 3.5 rules only yielded any benefit for those who broke racial archetypes: Level 12 dwarven fighter? just as good as any. Level 5 dwarven fighter + Level 5 cleric + Level 2 cleric PrC? Now were talking!
With a favoured class benefit only kicking in when multiclassing, players were encouraged to diversify. Pathfinder's solution does so much more to implement the favoured class notion in the way it was (probably) intended.

A lot of prestige classes were literally just "Class +MORE!" and it was especially especially obvious for spellcasters. I don't think cleric 20 or wizard 20 ever existed unless you used just the Core books. And this was incredibly lame.

Not even "core only" could hope to achieve that. *Glares at the Archmage*

 

[pawsplay]

I can't speak for the PF designers, but I also had the idea a while back of changing up favored class. My idea was to have the favored class offer +1 skill point, and the human ability would become "Favored Class: All," which would amount to the skill bonus humans already get. That is probably how the idea started. However, the PF team evidently decided you should pick your own favored class, and further, that humans needed all the help they could get.

 

[Remathilis]

(glares hatefully at the Radiant Servant of Pelor)

RSoP was a great example because it was so obviously broken, but I'd hate to exclude its cousins: Weapon Master (S&F), Mage of the Arcane Order (CA), Frenzied Beserker (CW), Archmage (DMG) and Guild Thief (PGtF).

 

[Ambrus]

Pathfinder's solution does so much more to implement the favored class notion in the way it was (probably) intended.

Perhaps we have different notions of what was originally intended, but if the favored class mechanic was meant to encourage racial archetypes then why not keep it the way it was set forth in Beta? That at least encouraged players to choose their race's preferred class and to stick with it rather than multi-classing.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Oddly enough, the 3.5 rules only yielded any benefit for those who broke racial archetypes: Level 12 dwarven fighter? just as good as any. Level 5 dwarven fighter + Level 5 cleric + Level 2 cleric PrC? Now were talking!
With a favoured class benefit only kicking in when multiclassing, players were encouraged to diversify.

See, I always saw favored class more as the PC class people of that race most commonly had experience in. Whether that means single classing or, more likely, lots of members of the race having a few levels in the favored class on top of whatever their main class was. so it worked fine for me.