D&D General Replace a class with a similar idea for a class

Slit518

Adventurer

• Sep 5, 2021

• #1

I am going to go through all of the PHB core classes and see if I can give replacements:

1. Bard - Warlord -- support through companion buffs, though would lack spells.
2. Barbarian - Berserker -- c'mon, that is all it really is, right?
3. Cleric - Priest -- just a name swap.
4. Druid - Shaman -- to fill the niche of nature magic, even with some shapeshifting depending on whose mythology you go by.
5. Fighter - Warrior -- just a name swap, seems more appropriate.
6. Monk - Martial Artist -- just a name swap.
7. Paladin - Knight -- like its counterpart but without the magic, has a set code of rules to live by, fights for a cause.
8. Ranger - Scout -- has the flavor of watching for targets, watching over areas, can track, just lacks spells and favored enemies, can still have an animal companion.
9. Rogue - Magician -- not to be confused with Magi who were wise and sometimes associated with the Priestly caste. This one practices magic, not real magic, but instead a sleight of hand deceitful hand is faster than the eye type of magic.
10. Sorcerer - Elementalist -- blast 'em! Wreck 'em! Sabotage 'em! You know you play one of these just to blast away your enemies, don't lie. And Elementalist can do that with more efficiency! Charge up their powers using Meta Magic!
11. Warlock - Witch -- replace the soul selling Warlock with a cauldron bubbling Witch! How do they get their powers? How does their magic operate? A good Warlock replacement!
12. Wizard - Alchemist -- they can use recipes and their concoctions in place of spells in order to achieve similar effects.

What would you replace the Classes with if you had to?

 

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Remathilis

Legend

• Sep 6, 2021

• #2

Barbarian - Totem Warrior
Bard - Akashic
Cleric - Mageblade
Druid - Greenbond
Fighter - Warmain
Monk - Oathsworn
Paladin - Champion
Ranger - Ritual Warrior
Rogue - Unfettered
Sorcerer - Runethane
Warlock - Witch
Wizard - Magister

 

Scars Unseen

Hero

• Sep 6, 2021

• #3

• Barbarian - Runic Warrior - paints arcane runes over exposed skin to enhance or even modify their body
• Bard - Spellsinger - taps into the arcane through song; lyrics optional
• Cleric - Avatar - channels the power of a deity directly through their body (with or without the consent of the god), at the cost of gradual realignment of personality to match the god and eventual loss of self
• Druid - Feykind - communicates with nature and elemental spirits to convince them to gather and act (fire burns hotter, wood grows and toughens, etc). named for their tendency to draw the (usually benign) attention of fey creatures and attract one as a companion
• Fighter - Warmind - analyzes the battlefield to exploit weaknesses in the enemy; effect is maximized when dealing with large groups or when given opportunity to study the enemy and prepare the battlefield
• Monk - Etheric Fist - unarmed warrior that has adapted the ability to briefly phase through the ethereal plane, taking advantage of the lack of obstacles and air resistance to increase the force of attacks, bypass armor, and eventually briefly vanish from sight and go through objects
• Paladin - Paragon - pursues constant improvement both of the self and their equipment; derives power from either an ideal or obsession; when acting in furtherance of that ideal or obsession, can inspire and empower a number of people around them that increases in number and intensity with level

I'll do some more later, but I have to get ready for an appointment for now.

 

N

NotAYakk

Legend

• Sep 6, 2021

• #4

• Bard: Sage. Knows weaknesses and strengths of everything.
• Barbarian: Hybrid. You are part monster, part mortal.
• Cleric: Imbued. Has been branded with divine runes.
• Druid: Skin dancer. No longer humanoid, just wears the skin.
• Fighter: Hero. Some destiny, known or unknown, raises you above mortal ken.
• Monk: Paragon. Has forged their soul in training.
• Paladin: Blade. Through a ritual, a blade is stabbed through your heart, and you are nothing but the tool of your master.
• Ranger: Warden. You have formed pacts with primal spirits.
• Rogue: Shade. You can move your soul out of your body, which makes eyes slide off you.
• Sorcerer: Elemental. Your body is a conduit for elemental power.
• Warlock: Familiar. You control a humanoid meat-puppet.
• Artificer: Gadgeteer. You build gadgets that fall apart constantly.
• Wizard: Archeologist. You do magic using magical artifacts from the past.

Ok, maybe a bit dark.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2021

Levistus's_Leviathan

5e Freelancer

• Sep 6, 2021

• #5

• Artificer - Tinker (nonmagical version that gets inventions and gadgets instead of spells and infusions)
• Barbarian - The Emotionalist (trains their emotions to focus on and surge one at a time, like Anger for battle Rage, being Calm for combat Focus, sadness for auras of Despair, Fear for Terror, etc)
• Bard - The Truenamer (they use true names of creatures to dominate them and the true names of objects and forces to control them. If you've read any of the Eragon books, basically the Ancient Language)
• Cleric - The Oracle (your connection to divinity allows for you to make predictions/omens, see what enemies will do in combat, access dunamancy, etc)
• Druid - The Witchdoctor/Alchemist (you use specially-prepared herbs and quasi-magical ingredients to create potions and tinctures to heal others, have familiars/homonculi that can spy for you, etc)
• Fighter - The Gladiator (gets proficiency with unarmed strikes and improvised weapons, gets battle tactics as a base class feature instead of Fighting Style, and gets a d12 hit dice)
• Monk - The Psion (master of controlling their mind to affect the physical world, telekinesis/telepathy, etc)
• Paladin - The Binder (you can make others swear oaths that they're incapable of breaking, can cast enchantment magic instead of getting martial-combat features, and can always tell if others are lying or being untruthful, etc)
• Ranger - The Bounty-Hunter (gets a "Hunter's Mark"-ability feature as a base class feature, but are more urban-based, and are unstoppable killers when tracking down their sworn-target, kind of like how an Oathbow works. They take "I've got a bullet with your name on it" very, very literally.)
• Rogue - The Skirmisher (gets all ranged weapons, camouflage abilities, movement-enhancing-features, and trick-based maneuvers)
• Sorcerer - The Demigod (you're a fragment of divinity that gets more powerful as you experience more of the world, get reality-warping magic, and eventually become a god-like entity)
• Warlock - The Dreamer (sleep/dream-manipulating mage that can trap others in the dream-realm and curse people to near-eternal sleep)
• Wizard - The Theurgist (unlike Wizards, who study the fabric of reality to gain magical powers, you study the divinities in hopes of discovering the secrets of apotheosis)

 

DammitVictor

Trust the Fungus

Supporter

• Sep 6, 2021

• #6

World of Witchcraft (OSR): Timothy Brannan has a whole series of OSR products representing different flavors of historical traditions of witchcraft. Replace the Cleric and Magic-User (and Bard/Druid) with some of those. Throw in Jeremy Reaban's OSR Warlock if you want more magical firepower.

Elemental Magic (PF1): You know the Shugenja from Oriental Adventures is OGC? At least, the version of it in Magic of Rokugan is. Not going to go through the class list line-by-line-- the only magic-using classes available are (heavily-themed) Elemental-bloodline Sorcerers, Shugenja, and Kineticists.

All Psionics (3.5/PF1): Cut all spellcasters. Replace Fighter with Aegis (plus armor training) and Soulknife (plus weapon training), replace Rogue and Ranger with Cutthroat Soulknife (plus Slayer's studied target and track), include DSP's Enlightened Monk for 3.5, Psion, Tactician and Vitalist. You could include Cryptic, if you wanted, and there's probably room for a Barbarian|Shifter hybrid class with pieces of Aberrant and Feral Heart.

 

Tales and Chronicles

Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix

• Sep 6, 2021

• #7

oooooh fun!

Barbarian -> Wanderer, the ultimate survivor. Resilient, strong, master of the wild (take that niche from the ranger).

Bard -> Beguiler, the master of the magic of emotions, charms and illusions.

Cleric -> Oracle, master of divination magic and communication with the beyond.

Druid -> Shapeshifter, focus on transmutation magic.

Fighter -> Warrior, battle leader and weapon master (Warlord-style, without the lazy build)

Monk -> Elementalist, extend the mastery of one's self to the elemental worlds.

Paladin -> Skald, enter the fray with you companion and buff them with you aura of epic tales and mighty war chants.

Ranger -> Inquisitor, slayer of one kind of favored enemy. Smite the ones trying damage what you hold sacred.

Rogue -> Hunter, of beasts, treasures or men. Uses traps and toxins to hobble its target.

Sorcerer -> Scion, your mind is touched by the powers of mighty creatures from eons past, your willpower allows you to shape reality without moving a finger.

Warlock -> Conjurer, master of the magic of summoning and dealing with creatures from behind the veils of reality.

Wizard -> Mage, master of magic as science. Scribe scrolls and craft magic items (artificer niche).

 

Slit518

Adventurer

• Sep 6, 2021

• #8

Y'all are some smart, talented people. Keep it up!

 

Swarmkeeper

Hero

• Sep 6, 2021

• #9

Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue --> Fighting Man
Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard --> Magic-User
Cleric, Druid, Paladin --> Cleric