Do the denzins of your world know what chacter class they are?

[Kahuna Burger]

Or what class other people are? Basicly the question is, does every cleric say "I am a cleric"? When someone does massive damage from a flanking position, does everyone suddenly say "oh you're a rogue"? Can a expert with tons of perform and social skills call himself a bard, or will people say "You can't cast any spells, you're not a real Bard!" If someone introduces himself as a paladin, will evryone just say "Oh, yes, you are lawful good and we will now kiss your ass" or can any fanatic with a good bab call himself a paladin as he enforces his view of religion by sword? Do the townsfolk actually know which soldier is a Warrior and which is a Fighter (and which is a paladin)?

How much are the mechanics of the classes metagamed into social strata in your games?

Kahuna Burger

 

[francisca]

Or what class other people are? Basicly the question is, does every cleric say "I am a cleric"? When someone does massive damage from a flanking position, does everyone suddenly say "oh you're a rogue"? Can a expert with tons of perform and social skills call himself a bard, or will people say "You can't cast any spells, you're not a real Bard!" If someone introduces himself as a paladin, will evryone just say "Oh, yes, you are lawful good and we will now kiss your ass" or can any fanatic with a good bab call himself a paladin as he enforces his view of religion by sword? Do the townsfolk actually know which soldier is a Warrior and which is a Fighter (and which is a paladin)?

How much are the mechanics of the classes metagamed into social strata in your games?

Kahuna Burger

In my homebrew:

Druids are druids, monks are monks, they are pretty straight up and called that by the general population..

Clerics are usually referred to as "[warrior priests/servents/member of the Order of/Espouser of the Truth]" of **insert god**. Or whatever high-and-mighty sounding title occurs to me at the time. I often note what I called them in my campaign log for future reference.

Sorcerors and Wizards are called: Adepts, Sorcerors, Wizards, Mages, Magicians, Magic Users, Arcanists, Dracomancers, Necromancers, Masters of Dark Arts, Spellweavers, Spellbinders, Magicwrights, and Spellwrights. Note that the general population uses these terms interchangable for both classes. My players hate that.

Rangers have been called: Rangers, Scouts, Wildermen, Woodsmen, Walkers, and Striders.

Paladins have not appeared.

Barbarians are called by name, and also are called Savages.

Rouges: Rogues, Thieves, Cutpurses, Fences. Most of these get functional names. A fence is a fence, and they usually have levels in rogue. Same with a pickpocket.

Bards are called bards, skalds, and troubadours.

Fighters: Slayers, Fighting Men, Men-at-Arms, Sell-swords, Mercs. Often, this will be a functional term as well.

So, no. Classes are not called by class name in my campaign, unless it is a functional name that fits. I'm not against calling them by name, but I think it is more flavorful to call a Fence a Fence rather than saying something like: "the rogue offers you 50 GP for the tapestry."

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I'd say people would be able to tell the difference between the four major archetypes- kill stuff with sword, kill stuff with magic, pray stuff to death and kills you but you don't know it. They may not be able to tell the subtleties between a cleric and a Paladin, but they could tell the difference between a fighter and, say, a wizard.

Similar classes (wizard+sorceror, cleric+paladin, ranger+druid, bard+anyone with perform, ranger+barbarian) would likely be indistinguishable from eachother as far as the common man who tells, but someone who knows them well would likely realize that a paladin is a "martial priest" as opposed to the more peacful cleric.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

damnit! the multiple choice checkoff is always going away while I edit!

and I forgot barbarians....

 

[diaglo]

what are classes?

 

[Pielorinho]

I'm similar to Francisca: sometimes people are pegged by their classes, but usually not. Druids, wizards, and sorcerers are the most often pegged; fighters, rogues, and rangers are the least often pegged.

That massive eunuch bodyguard that opens a can of whupass on the party may be a fighter; he may be a barbarian; he may be a ranger. Why should the players know? It's more interesting if they don't.

Daniel

 

[Piratecat]

damnit! the multiple choice checkoff is always going away while I edit!

and I forgot barbarians....

If you want to start a new poll, we can delete this one. It's a very cool question.

EDIT - I checked, but can't convert the poll over to multiple choice.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

If you want to start a new poll, we can delete this one. It's a very cool question.

EDIT - I checked, but can't convert the poll over to multiple choice.

done, close at will.

kahuna burger