Do you modify classes?

[RuminDange]

Absolutely! Been doing this for years, even in older editions, since I like to make things fit more to what the player want to play and the campaign world needs. That makes the most sense.

After all, there are no rules, only guidelines.

RD

 

[Ibram]

I've modified the classes quite a bit.

all classes get 4 more skill points per level

Rangers lose spell casting, but gain access to bonus feats and abilities

All wizards must be specalists, their HD changes to d6

rogues HD changes to d8

Paladins become a PrC

 

[Gentlegamer]

It seems ever now and I again I hear how limiting classes are. Like a Wizard that wants to open locks has to take a whole level of rogue and someone this level destroys the character in question.

A wizard who wants to open locks should learn the Knock spell.

 

[Crothian]

A wizard who wants to open locks should learn the Knock spell.

That's tough to do at first level.

 

[Aus_Snow]

That's tough to do at first level.

Then perhaps he or she should've been an Expert, Rogue or whatever at 1st level (i.e., trained in those areas.)

/DA


edit --- or used some of those skill points from their (no doubt) high Int, and buy the skills cross-class. That represents putting effort into something unusual, at the possible expense of the standard Wizardly training, to a small extent.

/DA

 

[bento]

I HAFTA do it because I GM a True20 fantasy game.

While there are some feats specific to a role (Adept/Expert/Warrior), for the most part my players are open to creating the character they want with little limitation. They can stay close to the class feats of the 3.5 rules or do something very different based on what they read in a book or saw in a movie.

 

[Gentlegamer]

That's tough to do at first level.

Of course, characters should be able to do anything they want at first level.

A first level wizard that wants to open locks can charm a thief . . .

 

[RFisher]

I do, but because of some experiments that went badly in the past, I tend to be wary of it. I tend to err towards the variant being at a disadvantage compared to the standard.

 

[Greg K]

Definitely. I have been an advocate for class variants ever since I read p.94 of the 3.0 PHB and, in general, prefer them (and an occasional new base class) to PrCs.

In addition to the following non-core classes :the Psychic (Green Ronin), the Shaman (Green Ronin), the Witch (Green Ronin), the Knight (Hong's adaptation of the OA Samurai), the Swashbuckler, OA Shaman, and the Myrmidon (AEG), my campaign use the following changes and variants.


1. Barbarian:
variants: Hunter (UA), Urban (my own).
By combining the Hunter variant with Favored Environment (UA) and Weapon Groups (UA), I have created a number of cultural variants.

2. Bard:
Skill list: Concentration, Diplomacy, Craft, Knowledge, Listen, Perform, Profession, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device + additional skills by variant

Spells: can cast charm + illusion spells from bard list. Additional spells based on type of variant.

variants:
Bardic Sage(UA), Divine (UA), Savage (UA), Skald, Troubador

3. Cleric
hit die=d6
Good Save= Will
BAB=Poor
Armor Proficiency=Light
Spell lists are more specialized and deity specific
Divine Grace as Paladin
Spontaneous divine casting (UA)
variants: Champion of Good (UA), Cloistered Cleric (UA)

4. Druid:
hit die=d6
Good Save=Will
BAB= Poor
Must use Shapechange variant from PHB2
variant: Ollave (my True Druid)

5. Fighter:
variants: Thug (UA), several other house variants

6. Monk: when used must take Fighting Style (UA)

7. Paladin: Replaced by Champion of Good (UA cleric variant) and Spellless

8. Ranger: replaced by Hunter (UA barbarian variant), Wilderness Rogue (UA variant) and spellless.

9.Rogue:
Variants: Martial (UA), Wilderness Rogue (UA which replaces my original)

10. Sorcerer:
Diplomacy, Intimidate and UMD are class skills
Eschew Materials at 1st level
Bonus metamagic feat at 5th level and every additional levels
variant: Battle Sorcerer(UA)

11. Wizard:
speak language is a class skills

12. Wizard Specialist
Must use the Specialist Wizard variant abilities (UA)

13 OA Shaman
variant abilities

 

[airwalkrr]

I alter the classes quite a bit. But yet I have also altered the entire game to make characters a bit more flexible WITHOUT encouraging players to multiclass. My tweaks encourage players to stick with only one or two classes while still allowing them to build up skills in other areas. For example, in my skill system, classes get fewer skill points, but skill points work much differently and one skill point is more valuable overall. Anyone can spend one skill point on a skill and effectively have max ranks in that skill as if it were a cross-class skill (i.e. ranks = level + 3 / 2). However, you can master skills that you have as class skills by spending an extra skill point, effectively letting you have max ranks in that skill as if it were a class skill in the normal system (i.e. ranks = level + 3). This preserves the niche of class skills while still letting characters branch out without penalty.