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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MoogleEmpMog" data-source="post: 1957481" data-attributes="member: 22882">I voted for menu-based, but the more I read what you wrote, the more I think my vote isn't correctly placed.There is a clear divide in the d20 community, but I don't think it lies between those who want archetypal classes and those who want a classless system.True, d20 classless roleplaying does exist, for example in BESM d20 and Mutants and Masterminds, but it's rare and not many people support it for fantasy d20 (or even general modern d20).  Both BESM and M&M cater to what is essentially a comic-book genre (Japanese anime and American supers, respectively), and characters in comics of both types often adopt extremely unique (and difficult to model with a class progression) abilities.The real divide, in my view, is between those who view a class as an archetype (or a job, a life calling or even a personality) and those who view a class as a suite of reasonably balanced abilities.I fall into the latter camp.I don't like classless roleplaying, because I'm a classy guy. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  But seriously, the potential to munchkin the heck out of a GURPS character is just beyond the pale (or was; maybe the new version solves this point-buy conumdrum?).  It can be done almost by accident, and that, in my view, is a problem.  It also makes a GM's job harder because every NPC needs to be essentially completely built.A class system that presents its classes as suites of balanced abilities is much more convenient.  Yes, if I want to play a character with magical potential who learns to mesh it with swordplay, I have to multiclass or be pitiful (sorcerer with a sword) - or use an Arcana Unearthed class, in this case - but I'll get the result I want.  Let's say Swashbuckler 3/Wizard 6/Spellsword 1/Eldritch Knight 10.  Four classes, but the character never experiences the transition from one to the other; to him, he's a... let's borrow an FFT term and call our boy a Mystic Fencer.  Ask him at level 3 (Sws1/Wiz2) and he'll tell you he's training to become a Mystic Fencer; ask him at level 6 (Sws3/Wiz3) and he'll tell you he is one; ask him at level 10 (Sws3/Wiz6/Sps1) and he'll say the same.  He'll never know that in a metagame sense he has four classes.</blockquote>

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