Irda Ranger said:
I look forward to it. This is something I have been considering, but it's a big project. Keep us posted here at EN World; I'm sure some would love to help contribute.
Will do. The problem is identifying the correct fantasy archetypes and devising an mechanic that let's them have an impact without having them change combat. Perhaps I'll just add Pool on top of 4E. That would be a gas. I'm only half joking here.
I would like to keep the core mechanics idea of 4E as much as possible for what I'm calling "The Other Game" classes. I'm seeing an idea something like the following:
Noble Example:. A character who is a noble can make a special intimidation "attack" based on the use of rank as a per encounter ability and a special diplomacy attack based on social grace once per day.
Bard Example: A bard character can make a special win the crowd attack per encounter, as long as they can sing and play an instrument, and a special start rumor or change district opinion attack once per day.
Labourer Example: A labourer character can be underestimated once/encounter (as long as they are not over dressed. Once per day they can identify with another labourer and improve their reaction to the character.
The Merchant/Fence Example: The character can make a favourable negotiation check once per encounter. The character can find a buyer/seller once per day (modified by location).
This is all off the top of my head. These are supposed to capture the fantasy archetype of a story role, not a particular social tactics role. The labourer is an example of how, I think, a labourer hero might be seen to interact in a story. Perhaps at higher level this labourer character gets some kind of power called "Form Popular Movement". How much actual mechanics these other classes get should depend on how much the existing rules meet my (our?) demand to play these sorts of archetypes.
However, I'd like to be able to have PCs play character that are nobles and not worry that, because they are fighters, that they will be barred from being at the same level of noble that another class would be. Perhaps these supplementary classes will have their own class skill lists that add on to the existing list.
1. Transfer the assumed Item +'s to character leveling. This is a rules-neutral change for story purposes. I want to encourage keeping the ancestral weapon from levels 1-30.
I like this idea. You might want to talk it over with your players, though. You might want to work on a way for your players to build on their ancestral weapons. This is especially useful if you expand rituals beyond a few classes, as it combines the two aspects of the game and allows for some intriguing story ideas.
2. If the rules don't already allow for it, expand Rituals to non-caster classes and allow for "mundane" rituals to make castles, a play, masterwork items, etc. It seems just seems like nice, neat and flexible mechanic. I also want to open up Ritual magic to non-caster classes, so a foolish NPC Princling could open a door to the Shadowfell by accident, even though he's not a X level Cleric. I like the story possibilities it opens up.
I'm definitely with you here. I think I'll let pretty much any PC learn a ritual, though there will be some requirements (feats or whatever the multiclassing requirements is, perhaps). I'm betting that it will already be the case in the core books that any NPC you like can have access to rituals.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
