A Scoundrel is a rogue with complex mechanics.how is a scoundrel different from a rogue?
For example instead of an always on Sneak Attack, they would have resources that power their activatable Backstab.
A Scoundrel is a rogue with complex mechanics.how is a scoundrel different from a rogue?
Complex rogue! I haven't done any work yet, but I'm very confident I can make the flavor different enough for MY taste to be its own class.how is a scoundrel different from a rogue?
1000 page core. Do it!The correct answer is to cram in as many classes as possible into the PHB and then never make new classes. People detest splat books and will run "core only" games if you introduce new classes later.
And pretty much the first books that came out added in more classes, plus it being a big part of the supplementary stuff at the time. Not necessarily stuff that stayed (Smith didn't last long, the first Dragon Magazine with Witch had, what, 3 different versions of the class?, Acrobat's come and gone but I don't see much push for it to stay regularly), but its showing that the 4 class paradigm wasn't stuck to at the time.Aeons ago there were 4 classes
I am not sure why these all have to be separate classes instead of being subclasses under existing ones. Might come down to a case by case basis.
yes, that was always something to sell books in those days. None of them are really new templates however, they might as well have the others as subclasses of those 4, and if you look at the reprint of 1e, they have.And pretty much the first books that came out added in more classes, plus it being a big part of the supplementary stuff at the time.
Pull out your PHB and design me a "druid" domain for cleric. Make sure it has the iconic spells and abilities of the classic druid class. Show me you can make a druid in four subclass features that is fun and balanced and I'll buy your argument.If you put the game mechanics aside and just look at them thematically, the similarities between the arcane classes far outweigh any of their differences:
A wizard is a mage who studies different schools of magic, and carries a book of spells and a familiar.
A sorcerer is a mage whostudies different schools ofhas a bloodline mixed with magic, and carries abook of spellsmagical bloodlineand a familiar.
A warlock is a mage whostudies different schools ofsold their soul to be able to use magic, and carries a book of spells, a talisman, a sword,andor a familiar.
An artificer is a mage who studies differentschools of magictechnologies, and carries around abook of spellsset of tools and afamiliarautomaton.
So are the game mechanics alone enough to justify having four different classes and about 40 subclasses? I don't think so. I'd prefer to have one unified set of mechanics for all "Mages," and then put all of these different themes as subclasses under it. For my nickel, I'd want arcane spellcasters in my campaign to have a small selection of spells that reset on a short rest, so I'd use the spellcasting framework of the warlock as my "Mage Class," and then put all five dozen arcane spellcasting subclasses under it.
So are the game mechanics alone enough to justify having four different classes and about 40 subclasses?
Why would I use the Cleric as a base class? If I had my way, Cleric would be a subclass of Priest just like Druid would.Pull out your PHB and design me a "druid" domain for cleric. Make sure it has the iconic spells and abilities of the classic druid class. Show me you can make a druid in four subclass features that is fun and balanced and I'll buy your argument.
However if the base class has also no mechanics and flavor and the subclass contains all the crunch and fluff, isn't that just creating a new class with extra steps?Why would I use the Cleric as a base class? If I had my way, Cleric would be a subclass of Priest just like Druid would.
Cleric subclasses would have domains, Druid subclasses would have circles, but they would get their core mechanics (spells, spell slots, etc.) from Priest.
As for "buying my argument," you're free to disagree with me. I don't mind.