D&D 4E Class-less 4E?

[Mercurius]

Anyone played with a class-less form of 4E? No, not 4E that isn't classy but 4E without using the formal classes.

For instance, one could use power source based characters that can pick and choose powers from any class as long as it is of the same power source. So you could have an "Arcane" character, or a Martial or Divine or Primal character, etc, that could mix and match what powers they have from a given source, perhaps choosing a single feature from one of those classes.

Or you could vary that and have a "primary" power source and one or two "secondary" power sources, the equivalent of a multi-class character. A ranger type might be Martial as primary and Primal as secondary, a warden the other way around. A character could take any and all of their primary sources powers but a limited number from the secondary (maybe only encounter powers).

Or you could do away with any classification and just build a free-form character from scratch, a kind of "polymath" class.

I'm just improvising as I write this but I'm wondering if anyone has tried anything like this.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I started a thread late last year with classlessness being one of the options for a version of 4Ed not shackled with legacy issues... There was some interest.

I think if done right, it could be a better game.

 

[Mentat55]

I think, if you don't worry about balance, that it would work just fine. I might even go as far as let the PC use any ability score for the powers, instead of the one listed (I would probably still keep riders based on specific ability scores).

 

[Shroomy]

Gamma World is basically 4e D&D without classes (classes and races were basically smooshed together and then randomized).

 

[Dice4Hire]

I would see this as very unbalanced. Spreading out great powers among classes helps balance a lot. If they can all be chosen with no feat cost or whatnot, I cannot see how it can be reliably balanced.

As for getting rid of ability scores for powers (or using the primary ability) this would make the problem a lot worse. Everyone would have a 20 in whatever, and would not have to worry about balancing or tradeoffs at all.

I don't think 4E would work well this way.

 

[Matt James]

I wrote an article about this for Critical Hits a year ago. If would take some modification, but it can be done. Not sure how well it would work on a larger scale.

Classless 4e : Critical Hits

 

[Prestidigitalis]

Skill Powers provide a good starting point for a classless design.