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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 6762639" data-attributes="member: 2067">That's part of my case, though - when classes represent things in your world rather than simply mechanics, you don't compromise, you innovate! When classes just represent mechanics, it pushes the game more toward "classless" design, where you don't have to take abilities that aren't thematically appropriate because you swap 'em out. Sure, but it depends on the decision points and more importantly for me, it depends on the game fiction. If there's nothing about your character that fits the fluff description of the Monk class, with its mysticism and acesticism and ki and philosophy, IMC, I don't want you taking the monk class. I want you taking the class that matches your fiction, and we'll give it the ability to punch and not wear armor. "Punch and not wear armor" isn't a narrative or a destiny or a role in the world, it's just a thing you do. I want your class to evoke the role you fill in this fantasy story, not simply describe a thing you can do. That's why I come down on the side of "classes should generally mean something." Lets modify what something can do rather than modify what it means.That's fair, but I see this more as a symptom of naming and convenience than of prohibition. The Acolyte isn't built like a PC, but it's pretty evidently a 1st-level cleric; the Druid doesn't have all the druid abilities listed on its statblock, but it's even *called* a Druid. Various warriors have Action Surge. And so on.One of the things I think 5e could really use is a good "PC Class -> NPC" conversion materials. Maybe a particular subclass that is easy to run (DMG suggests champions, light clerics, thieves, and evokers), or NPC "classes" that get PC-class-ability-mimicing actions, or something. NPC's follow different rules from PC's, though, so it's not surprising they're built differently. Even though I might struggle to say what the combat stats of the high pope of Pelor is or whatever, it's certainly not impossible to derive what those are by statting out the high pope of Pelor and slapping a CR on 'im.</blockquote>

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