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

[Mouseferatu]

Okay, WotC comes to you (for whatever reason) and says, "We're doing a new version of the PHB. We can still have only 11 classes, and we'd still like to cover a wide range of bases and classical fantasy archetypes. But we're not set on necessarily keeping the 11 we have now. You get to decide which 11 classes we keep, choosing from this list of 30."

The list, for the record, is drawn from the PHB, the "Complete" series, the Psionics Handbook, and Eberron. And yes, this was inspired, in part, by the favorite non-core class thread.

Please remember, while I couldn't mechanically limit the poll, you're officially limited to 11 responses.

Edit: Doh! I wrote "12" on the poll, rather than 11. Please go with the 11 limit, as that's the number that's in the PHB now. If a moderator sees this, could you edit the poll question? Thanks.

 

[Masquerade]

The poll said "12", so I voted for 12, not 11.

I kept things the same, but knocked out the fighter, adding marshal and psion.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I'd keep the same ones that they have.

Not that I don't love most of the other classes, but the Core 11 classes really do fit the major archetypes. Yes, Swashbuckler isn't one...but Fighter/Rogue works for me, and I really don't like the class anyway.

 

[Nellisir]

Took out barbarian & monk in favor of scout & favored soul. I think "core" classes should be sufficiently generic to be used in almost any kind of game and shouldn't require alot of new or duplicate rules (psionics, warlocks).

Favored soul fills in the "divine sorcerer" niche, and scout works nicely with ranger.

If I could create one class, I'd make a single "innate caster" class to replace the sorcerer and favored soul, and add the barbarian back in.

Then I'd put brawlers, monks, wu-jen, sohei, and ninjas in a "mystic things/unarmed combat" sourcebook.

Cheers,
Nell.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Favored soul fills in the "divine sorcerer" niche, and scout works nicely with ranger.

Dragonlance's Mystic is much, much better for this role in relation to the Sorcerer, and isn't campaign specific at all.

 

[Particle_Man]

Drop Cleric for Favoured Soul, drop Druid for Spirit Shaman, drop both Sorceror and Wizard for Warlock, drop Ranger for Scout, add Psion. Although I like Hexblade, Swashbuckler, and Soulknife as ideas, they would need tweaking before I would put them in the phb.

 

[Desdichado]

D'oh! And I only voted for 10 -- I'm way out to lunch. Anyway, I'm not sure how I was supposed to interpret the question; I answered based on what I was potentially interested in playing, not what I think necessarily made for a balanced collection of base classes in a new PHB.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Voted for twelve:
I dropped the cleric, paladin and sorcerer in favor of the warlock, psion, scout, and artificer.

If I have to go with just 11, then you can remove my vote for artificer.

 

[GlassJaw]

Where are the choices for Strong, Tough, Fast, Smart, Dedicated, and Charismatic Hero?

 

[Darkness]

If a moderator sees this, could you edit the poll question? Thanks.

Ok, done.