Anyone who's read my posts (all 5 of you!) knows that I'm very much NOT a fan of the idea that class, as a concept, is a recognizable element within the setting.
But.
I like to be flexible, and I like to think about game ideas that are normally unpalatable to me, and see if/how I can make them work.
With that being said, how would one go about making a setting in which [Class] was a recognizable element within the setting, indeed, so much so that [Class] and level were something that every sapient being had?
1) Everyone gets a class. On their 16th birthday (or some other age that's a marker of maturity for the race in question), everyone participates in a ceremony that grants them their 1st level in a class, and all the abilities they would normally be granted by such. If you somehow miss the ceremony, you'll eventually wake up with a class, but it might not be the one you want.
During the ceremony, you get to pick a class from a multiplicity of options that fit you, but not everyone qualifies for every class. (This is a fiction requirement, not a game requirement.) Some classes are less common; for example, Wizard is usually only an option for kids who have studied a lot of base magic theory beforehand.
2. No commoner classes. Everyone in the world is a recognizable, PC-facing class. No {Farmer] class or [Merchant] class.
3. Everyone knows your class and level. People with classes and can tell the [Class] and level of everyone else at a glance. Maybe it's a visual cue, or some kind of aura, or just gut intuition, but it's not information you can simply hide.
There are caveats. Some spells can hide level and [Class], but that's suspicious. Stronger magic can disguise it. Multiclassing confuses this intuition, a Wizard 3/Rogue 2 generally shows up as a [Wizard] 3. This makes people often suspicious of people who multiclass, as it seems like they're hiding something. Someone much higher level than you {8-10 levels higher) just registers as "High level".
4. People know how classes work. If they see you're a 5th level [Sorcerer], they know that 3rd level fireball you cast is one of only 2, unless you sacrifice your lower level slots. People know a 5th level ranger is much more dangerous than a 4th level one. They know a 1st level [Rogue] is going to be extra skilled in 2 different area of expertise.
5. HP are meat, and everyone heals up after a long rest. Battles are brutual and bloody, because everyone knows if you don't kill someone now, they'll be ready to fight you again tomorrow.
6. Levels are slow to acquire. Everyone knows only real danger and/or rigorous training (such as a wizard academy, a monastery, etc.) will make you level, so most people aren't that interested. A normal human will probably level about once a decade, reaching retirement age at about 5th level. The movers and shakers of a large town or small city will tend to be high single levels; and hitting the teen levels generally makes you a real force to be reckoned with.
7. Other game mechanics are hidden. People know that subclasses and feats exist, but those are generally only able to be discerned by watching the target. The gut intuition that allows identification of [Class] and level doesn't give that level of granularity. Likewise, no one actually knows about hit points, just a general sense that a {Fighter] is tougher than a [Wizard].
Basically, people can't tell numbers, apart from levels and spell slots; there is only a general sense of magnitude. People know some people are stronger or smarter than others, but there's no sense of "She has a Strength of 17."
8. Lots of classes, lots of prestige classes. Different areas of the setting have different frequencies of [Class] availability, and might have unique or uncommon classes only found in that area. Likewise, there a lot of special classes that can only be acquired by the experienced. You can't become a [Dragon-Knight of Arkhosia] until you've sworn an oath, and you have to be a 5th level [Fighter] or [Paladin].
9. Retraining and class transformations are a thing. A [Cleric] might renounce their god and become a [Warlock] or [Cultist]. A [Paladin] can forswear their Oath and become a [Ranger]. Likewise, some prestigious classes might actually rebuild the character, a [Fighter] 5/[Cleric] 5 becomes a [Chosen Prophet] 10 after completing a holy quest for their goddess.
What other features could be added to make this concept stronger?
