101 PC Classes

[steeldragons]

Over in the New Horizons forum someone posed that the new edition of D&D should have 100 possible PC classes.

Now, I am not advocating that in the SLIGHTEST and think it is a terrible idea! But it gots me ta thinkin'...could I come up with 100 PC classes if I had to. I mean, sure, over the decades we must have THOUSANDS by now, between Dragon magazines, people's homebrews, editions, splatbooks, kits, etc. But could I think of 100...and just cuz I like lists better with that "extra", we'll make it 101.

Note: this thread has NOTHING to do with that thread other than being inspired by it. So save any arguments abotu it for over there, thanks. This is just a list of classes.

We'll start simple:

1. Fighter/Warrior
2. Magic-user/Mage/Wizard
3. Cleric
4. Rogue/Thief

5. Paladin
6. Ranger
7. Barbarian
8. Cavalier/Knight
9. Acrobat
10. Assassin
11. Monk
12. Bard
13. Illusionist
14. Necromancer
15. Enchanter
16. Evoker/Invoker
17. Theurge/Thaumaturgist
18. Transmuter
19. Abjurist
20. Diviner
21. Conjurer/Summoner
22. Psionicist/Psion/Psychic

23. Warlock
24. Witch
25. Sorcerer
26. Warlord
27. Druid (duh!)
28. Warden
29. Shaman
30. Runepriest

31. Swashbuckler
32. Pirate
33. Street Thug
34. Conman
35. Mariner
36. Archer
37. Hunter
38. Swordmage/Bladesinger/Spellsword
39. Hexblade
40. Beguiler
41. Soulknife
42. Duskblade
43. Champion
44. Guardian
45. Mercenary
46. Man-at-Arms/Soldier
47. Slinger
48. Axeman/Viking
49. Spearman
50. Swordsman/Duelist

51. Medium/Channeler/Fortuneteller
52. Dragon Knight/Rider
53. Psychic Knight
54. Black Knight/Blackguard/Anti-Paladin
55. Avenger
56. Crusader
57. Brawler/Wrestler/Pugilist
58. Knife-fighter/-thrower
59. Soul bow (divine archers)
60. Arcane Archer

uhhhhhmmmm...
61. Gnomish Trickster
62. Elementalist
63. Pyromancer/ Fire mage
64. Chrono-mancer/Time-mage
65. Cryomancer/Ice Mage
66. Aeromancer/Wind wizard/Air mage
67. Aquamancer/Water witch/mage
68. Terramancer/Earth mage
69. Wild Mage

70. Samurai
71. Ninja
72. Wu-Jen
73. Sukenja
74. Kensai

75. Bandit/Brigand/Highwayman
76. Demonologist
77. Diabolist
78. Cat Burglar (and a penguin and a joker OO!)
79. Jester!

ummmm...
80....grrrr....80....Savant/Seer
81....Dragon Disciple!
82. Dwarf Defender
83. ehmmm....OO! Warpriest (why this is something different than a cleric, I do not know)
84. D'oh! I almost forgot the "new" class we know about, Priest!
85. Gladiator
86. Beastmaster
87. Mystic/Hermit/Ascetic
88. wasn't there a "Dragon Shaman" somewhere along the way? (or should this go under/lumped in with Shaman?)
89...Chaos Mage/Far Realms...uh...wizard guy...

Ok...I'm tappin' out....there's probably easy ones I'm forgetting...OH!
90. Slayer (Giant-, Dragon-, Goblin-,...Pixie....player's choice

91. Alchemist
92. Artificer/Tinker-er magic guy
93. Grenadier

Alright. I'm really tapped....for now. Grrrr...so....close...gimme a minute.

 

[Celebrim]

Ok, so, from my game you'd add:

Feyborn
Explorer
Paragon
Fanatic
Akashic (as from Unearthed Arcana)

You also forgot that the concept of 'Expert' could be made into a PC class with a little work. For that matter, my 'Brute' and 'Sage' NPC classes could be made into PC classes with a bit of work.

Unearthed Arcana should provide the remainder you need.

I think you have at least one duplicate. For example, what's the conceptual difference between a hunter and a slayer? Is hunter 'slayer (animals)'?

On the other hand, if you are just listing published classes, I know that 1st edition had a Sentinal class, and second edition listed all the professions as classes so your class could be 'Blacksmith' or 'Cook' etc. And there is a 3rd party d20 supplement that does much the same thing turning every profession (rather uselessly if you ask me) into a class.

I really really hope that no one thinks 100 classes is a good idea. I consider it to be a system failure if you have more than 20 total (and that would include 'advanced classes' or 'prestige classes' if you want to include such things, which you shouldn't).

 

[steeldragons]

Ok, so, from my game you'd add:

Feyborn
Explorer
Paragon
Fanatic
Akashic (as from Unearthed Arcana)

You also forgot that the concept of 'Expert' could be made into a PC class with a little work. For that matter, my 'Brute' and 'Sage' NPC classes could be made into PC classes with a bit of work.

Good point.
91. Sage/Scholar
92. Merchant/Trader
93. Blacksmith
94. Diplomat/Ambassador/Courtier
95. Explorer (sounds a bit broad though I like it)
96. I'll take your Akashic though I have no idea what it is, but since its from UA, I'll grab it....which reminds me of another that I don't know exactly what they do/mean...
97. Incantatrix (?)
98. Gypsy
99. Shadowcaster/Shadowmage
100. Spellthief

101...and a Berrrrrserker in a pear treeeeee.

WOOHOO! Wait...can I use Berserker as a separate class from the Barbarian...or does that really not work anymore?

On the other hand, I think you have at least one duplicate.

Aw crap. Really? Well, I mean, honestly, there are probably several that duplicate/overlap/could be subsumed by other classes. Most of them in fact.

For example, what's the conceptual difference between a hunter and a slayer? Is hunter 'slayer (animals)'?

Actually, I think the line is tougher to draw between a Tracker and a Hunter than a Hunter and Slayer. I suppose, the Hunter is more interested in hunting when we has to. More stealth/tracking/bow-kinda guy...maybe lays snares or digs "tiger traps"? Maybe a trapper/furrier or makes a usiness trading in deer meat or what have you.

The Slayer is just out to Slay...more strength, fight oriented, big sharp weapons for taking the things' heads off to take back home for his wall.

That's kinda how I'm thinking it. The Hunter would kinda be "ranger-lite" or some variant of the ranger. The Slayer would be well not exactly "fighter-lite"...but "fighter-specific."

 

[Celebrim]

Actually, I think the line is tougher to draw between a Tracker and a Hunter than a Hunter and Slayer.

In my game, a Tracker would be an example of an Expert (highly skilled with Wilderness Lore, Search, ect.). Tracker doesn't incorporate necessarily the idea of being especially good at killing something - only of finding something. Whereas, a Slayer would be a Hunter because both classes key idea is rooted not in a skill based mechanic, but in a favored enemy based mechanic. Likewise, an archer is a variant fighter because its rooted in the idea not of a favored enemy or in a skill, but in the mastery of a weapon. If you wanted to play a bow wielding dragon slayer that could track dragons across the sky on a cloudy day, you might multiclass between fighter, hunter, and expert (well, presuming that I made Expert more worthwhile than its current targeted power point as an NPC class).

95. Explorer (sounds a bit broad though I like it)

My Explorer started out as the Mariner class for 1st edition from Dragon Magazine. It came to play a fairly large role in how I conceptualized NPC's in my world, and the NPC classes provided by 3.x didn't fit - nor did any of the PC classes. So I created Mariner as an NPC class so that NPC pirates or sailors would have a class that fit them well, then broadened it to the concept of Explorer when I realized that the 3rd skill system made it possible to make the class more customizable so that it could represent guides, teamsters, caravan leaders, and really anyone whose concept focused on the notion of travel. As the class became more and more compotent, I realized I could make a PC class out of it. As a PC class, it also pretty much encompasses not just something like 'pirate' or 'sailor' but the entire notion of 'swashbuckler' and even just the generic idea of 'adventurer'. (Indiana Jones is an Explorer, for example.) This is a really broad concept, but a fighter can do things Explorer can't easily - like expert archer, knight, or man-at-arms - and conversely fighter doesn't really fit the bill of a swashbuckling charming adventurer easily either. It fits a niche.

The same could not be said in my opinion for most of things on your list.

 

[Kaodi]

Comics and the old time pulp media are probably an obvious place to look for archetypes that could transformed into classes.

I do not know exactly what you would call it, maybe a " Shadowseer " , but a class based on The Shadow would be awesome. It comes to mind because I was thinking not too long ago that a paladin/shadowdancer based on The Shadow might make a really cool character, but a dedicated class would probably do it better.

 

[Nellisir]

In the run-up to 4e, there was a thread playing with the idea of power sources, and the idea of cross-referencing sources to create classes. This creates a very large number of classes.

My final tally of sources was 16, and there's room for at least 6 or 7 more - earth, water, fire, air, ki, psionic, and fey.

My source list was: arcane, artifacts, chaos, cunning, divine, feudal, influence, law, light, lore, martial, mundane, nature, primal, shadow, urban

Martial/Arcane = Spellsword
Martial/Artifacts = Weapon Master
Martial/Chaos = Berserker
Martial/Cunning = Assassin
Martial/Divine = Crusader
Martial/Feudal = Knight
Martial/Influence = Warlord
Martial/Law = Myrmidon
Martial/Light = Paladin
Martial/Lore = Duelist
Martial/Martial = Fighter
Martial/Mundane = Brawler
Martial/Nature = Ranger
Martial/Primal = Barbarian
Martial/Shadow = Blackguard
Martial/Urban = Swashbuckler

And so forth. It gets a little fuzzy in the really esoteric stuff - what's class based on artifacts & light vs one based on artifacts & shadow? - but there's easily over a hundred on my chart.

 

[Jhaelen]

IIRC, D&D 3e featured well over 90 offiical classes in the end; more if you count setting-specific classes as well. 4e doesn't have as many, although if you're counting builds instead you probably arrive at a similar number.

 

[the Jester]

I believe you missed paladin.

Also, OOZEMASTER!

 

[mkill]

I'd add

102. Everyman Hero / Commoner
103. Courtier
104. Tomb Raider (fantasy version of the two-fisted archaeologist)
105. Blue Mage (learns monster abilities)
106. Vampire (it's a class in 4E...)
107. Shapechanger

You also have only 2-3 psionic classes in there, where official D&D probably has a dozen. For example, you could split the Psion into a Telepath, a Telekineticist, and a Shaper.

And yeah, there are a few doubles. The Duskblade could be added to Swordmage/Bladesinger/Spellsword. Crusader/Paladin/Champion are very close, as are Diabolist and Demonologist. Soldier is probably hard to differentiate from the classic fighter.

I'm not too worried if the total list of feasible classes ends up closer to 80 than 100. It's about creating focused and unique classes, not reaching some arbitrary number in the decimal system.

 

[steeldragons]

I believe you missed paladin.

Also, OOZEMASTER!

Nuh uh. #5!

Oozemaster I have never seen or heard of, but sure, throw...er...pour him in there.