Bloat already?

[Irda Ranger]

It seems like people are clamoring for such and such race and new power sources with 4 more classes. How many classes do we actually need?

Need? What is this "need" you speak of? You don't even need the first Player's Handbook; you can go outside and play frisbee.

This is a game; a hobby. If PHBII doesn't have any classes or races you want, then don't buy it. If it does, then do. That's what I do. The only 3.5 books I own are the three Core books and Bo9S. Nothing else; and my game has not felt their lack AFAIC.

asafp.

Eric's grandma is not fooled by your use of acronyms.

 

[Cadfan]

I've never been bothered by bloat per se.

I'm often bothered by the sort of bloat that encourages characters like Fighter 2 Wizard 4 Eldritch Knight 2 Spellblade 2 blah blah blah blah. I'm bothered by bloat that encourages combinations of abilities that, by combining things that weren't designed with each other in mind, leads to unexpected power inflation.

But that can be avoided by designing the game such that you can only combine so many things from so many places at one time.

And if that's the case, then what you call "bloat" I call "diversity of options."

 

[Will]

None of us really enjoy the "We're an adventuring party who met in a tavern. Our party is made up of a mimic barbarian, a vampire paladin of Pelor, a pixie monk, and a half-fiend lizardman/werewolf aristocrat." kinda games, though we'd probably all jump at the chance to play in games based around any one of those character concepts.

Speak for yourself!!

 

[Irda Ranger]

None of us really enjoy the "We're an adventuring party who met in a tavern. Our party is made up of a mimic barbarian, a vampire paladin of Pelor, a pixie monk, and a half-fiend lizardman/werewolf aristocrat." kinda games, though we'd probably all jump at the chance to play in games based around any one of those character concepts.

Not a fan of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, eh?

I don't have characters like that often in my campaign because 3E templates are such a headache ... but maybe they'll be much easier with 4E.

 

[Falling Icicle]

If you don't like the content that comes out later, nothing is forcing you to use it. You, as the DM, are free to say what books, classes, powers, etc are available in your campaign.

 

[Shroomy]

Yeah, I don't mind lots of additional content as long as it is reasonably balanced against the other options (I don't require perfect balance).

 

[Staffan]

It seems like people are clamoring for such and such race and new power sources with 4 more classes. How many classes do we actually need?

Need schmeed.

I want something like 25-30 classes or so. Martial, Divine, Arcane, Psionic, Primal, Shadow, Draconic, and maybe Ki), each with 4ish classes (Defender, Controller, Striker, Leader). Some combinations might make little sense (I have a hard time thinking of a martial controller), but on the other hand some combinations might allow more than one concept (both Rogues and Rangers are martial strikers).

 

[The Little Raven]

How many classes do we actually need?

As many as it takes to run the games we want.

 

[mach1.9pants]

More bloat, we want more bloat! Give me more options WotC, 3PP and the community. MORE MORE MORE!
A great thing about 3E was the bloat, the main problem was the quality of said bloat. As long as it is good and balanced I want more. Anything I don't like, I won't use.
If you want a game with little or no classes look elsewhere 'cos it is not modern DnD. Or house-rule, obviously

 

[Falling Icicle]

Considering that each class needs to have its own, entirely unique list of 80+ powers, that should cut down on excess classes considerably. It's alot more work to make a new class in 4e than in 3e, and I think that will result in fewer but higher qualty classes in later supplements.