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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Viktyr Gehrig" data-source="post: 2798359" data-attributes="member: 9249">I think Stalker has the right of it; one problem is that the D&D class system does not cleanly map to the most common fantasy archetypes. While they mimic a number of professions well, most fantasy fiction doesn't seem to use them.When's the last time you read a novel about a guy who fights really well... but can't do anything else? People who fight well are either almost always either politically-proficient nobles or they're capable of taking care of themselves in the woods. Or they're assassins, for no discernible reason, but I digress.There are plenty of Wizards in fantasy novels... but how many of them run out of spells and are useless for the day? Most fantasy Wizards are also encylopedic stores of knowledge and wisdom-- unless they're capable of strapping on a sword and wading into melee alongside the warriors.To replicate most characters from fantasy fiction, you need multiple D&D classes.I've long considered giving double skill points for the first three levels (starting play at 3rd level) instead of quadruple at first, but I've never really looked at hit points before. I've always given max at 1st and average at 2+. There's little enough difference between max and average that 1st level character could surivive gaining average at 1st level, especially if the minimum die type were d6.Of course, this doesn't really address restricted multi-classing, except that skill-heavy classes will want to progress to level 3 instead of taking a single-level dip.I'm using a variant in which characters pick a Base class and an NPC class; the NPC classes are all modified somewhat to fit this. I remove a lot of "half-class" classes, like Ranger, Psychic Warrior, and so on, since they function as Gestalts. (I'm working on combining the Ranger and Scout classes, to combine with Warrior for the spell-less Ranger, or to combine with Adept for a more mystical, less combative Ranger.)Then, you get a 10% XP penalty for every different Gestalt combination you select, with the exception of your first Gestalt and your first Prestige Gestalt. I need to rework my Favored Gestalt rules, since they were based on Base Gestalt, but the gist of it was that characters got a 10% XP boost when advancing in their Favored Gestalt, which for half-Humans was their first Gestalt and for full Humans was every level.This works out for basic archetype selection, since you have the Noble Fighter, the Street Fighter, and the Mystic Fighter-- or the Noble Wizard, Expert Wizard, and Warrior Wizard. It allows characters to have a clear, fairly versatile archetype, but also prevents them from cherry-picking all the good abilities in a number of other classes. It also prevents the most horrifying examples of Gestalt powergaming.</blockquote>

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