Classes: You're designing the next PHB, and...

[Starglim]

I'd replace the Sorceror with Warlock, Monk with Psychic Warrior, and make psionics core (Psion). Barbarian is still needed because the rage ability is unique. With the basic four, that's 8 classes. I was hard pressed to pick 11 absolutely core archetypes.

 

[A'koss]

I vote for the core 4 (or 5 if you include a psionic class).

Cleric
Rogue
Mage
Fighter

Everything I ever see is just a variation on those (or combination).

Ditto.

I can see each class having certain class-specific feat chains that help model various different archetypes (but you would not be locked into a chain). Prestige Classes as feat chains?

A'koss.

 

[Mouseferatu]

It occurs to me that I didn't explain my own choices and reasoning.

I kept most of the core 11, but I got rid of barbarian, monk, and sorcerer. I like barbarians, but I really think it could be modeled by fighters with alternate feats and skill choices--far more so than any of the other "not-quite-base-four" archetypes. I like monks, but I'm in the camp that says "Present them in an OA supplement, with advice for working them into a non-Asian campaign." And frankly, I just don't think sorcerers are sufficiently different from wizards to be the "innate caster" archetype.*

I've replaced them with warlock (who is a good innate caster), the favored soul (because clerics should also have an innate option), and scout (because, damn it, we need a wilderness type with no magic, and because scouts are cool).

* I would actually like to keep sorcerer, but make it a variant wizard. Just like rangers can be focused on two-weapon or ranged fighting--although that's a much less significant choice than what I'm proposing--I want the "wizard" (can learn any spell, but most prepare) and the "sorcerer" (need not prepare, but has a limited spell list) to be two "paths" of the same class.

 

[Driddle]

I voted once, for ninja. It's the only class you need.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Wizard
Hexblade
Warlock
Scout
Rogue
Psion
Psychic Warrior
Artificer

I eliminated the fighter variants; I feel the cleric and druid are different enough to warrant separate classes. The hexblade and the psychic warrior represent the hybrid "supernatural warrior". The warlock does the sorcerer better and more flavourfully, and I kept the wizard because it's a necessary archetype. The scout is more interesting implementation of the ranger, and the rogue is fine as is. The psion is in there because I like psionics and because it could be deflavoured and presented as a spellpoint caster if necessary; the artificer embeds the idea of an adventurer who works with items more fully in the core rules, and it's a folkloric archetype I like.

 

[The Great Bear King]

These are the classes I would like to see in the game.

Cleric
Dark Hunter (1st ed. style spell casting special forces with evilly aligned traits) and variants (including Darkside Assassins)
Druid and variants
Ranger (1st ed. style spell casting special forces with good aligned traits) and variants (including Jedi Watchmen)
Rogue and variants
Wizard (now alchemist)
Sorcerer (now theurgist)
Warlock
Scout (Non spell casting special forces)
Paladin and variants (including Jedi and Sith)
Psion

 

[TroyXavier]

okay the core 4 were kept
then I went with
Monk, Druid

and then added
Psion-(Better Blaster than Sorcerer)
Psychic Warrior-(Went well with Psion)
Warlock-(better flavor than Sorcerer)
Scout-(Does the Ranger's job better)
Artificer-(Too cool not to use)

Barbarian-works better as a template
Bard, Ranger, Paladin-Prestige Classes

Sorry-Sorcerer

 

[Gothmog]

I voted for: Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Rogue, Scout, Paladin, Artificier, Wizard, Warlock, Bard, and one yet-to-be-named class.

I never liked the Sorcerer (was just a weapons platform), and I want a wilderness tracker type without spells- so the ranger goes. Monk gets the axe for being too eastern, and barbarian can be done by a fighter with feat selection (if they include things like rage and such as feats). The psionic classes don't beling in the core rules- they complicate things too much, and never felt right in a fantasy game to me- either have psionics or magic, but not both.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I kept most of the core 11, but I got rid of barbarian, monk, and sorcerer.

Ditto. I replaced sorcerer with warmage -- it does what sorcerers want to do better, without being a totally different type of magic (sorry, warlocks, the 4E PHB doesn't need a unique-to-one-class magical system) -- added swashbuckler and that's it.

Monks can go with the other oriental flavored characters in a splatbook. Sorcerers can be the lame third option core class in the arcane splatbook. And barbs can be an option in the melee splatbook; I almost kept them, but really, there's just too much overlap with fighters. And I certainly wouldn't disagree with barbaric feat chains that would trade heavy armor for rage 1/day and build up from there.

I can certainly see the point of the base four class camp, however.

 

[Felon]

Well, if ya thought folks were actually going to limit themselves to 11 classes, no more and no less, looks like you were kidding yourself.

And all you folks not voting for Marshal? C'mon, guys, there oughta a place for a tactical mastermind who adds brains to a bunch of brawn-heavy martial classes.