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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael Morris" data-source="post: 6012661" data-attributes="member: 87">On alignment - I think I should clarify that while socialism and capitalism are sympathetic to Valra and Sodra respectively, they are each too narrow to be applied to these alignments.  Instead, let's look the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=1" target="_blank">#1</a>  priority of each ethos:Valra - My CommunityAbora - My WorldShunra - My FamilySodra - MyselfBalcra - My KnowledgeNote also that each ethos has a pair of enemies - and it is what those two have in common that is most antithetical to the ethos.  AgainValra - Values Law - Sodra & Shunra share Chaos. This is the only D&D axis present in this system.Abora - Values Nature - Sodra & Balcra share Artifice.Shunra - Values Freedom - Balcra & Valra share Rigid Order.Sodra - Values independence - Abora & Valra share Interdependence.Balcra - Values Knowledge - Shunra & Abora share Instinct.Interesting point the above should bring up - can you be lawful chaotic?  Well, yeah.  There's a certain cognitive dissonance to it, but a character can certainly be this way.  Any vigilante fits this pattern by working outside the law (a chaotic act) to uphold the law (a lawful goal).  And cults throughout fantasy literature can be very ordered even while they seek to overthrow the established order.The largest change of this system is, again, it's capacity to be inclusive.  If your character needs three ethos labels to describe him, so be it.  Purity is just a spell away.  The system "remembers" what you have done and - atonement aside - doesn't forget.And what you do marks you more strongly that before.  If you are a fighter you are a very disciplined warrior, but are capable of the fierce individual maneuvers that make others on the field fear you - hence Shunra/Valra.Magic ClassesSo let's look at the martial classes shall we? To review they are..Gold & Red - FighterGold & Blue - MonkBlue & Violet - RogueViolet & Green - RangerGreen & Red - BarbarianAnd again, sorting by color...Gold - Fighter, MonkBlue - Monk, RogueViolet - Rogue, RangerRed - Fighter, BarbarianGreen - Barbarian, RangerWhile the magic class pairings are strong, these are even stronger - even classic, down to why the classes overlap.  Monks and Rogues overlap in blue - they share in common being the two skill monkey classes, as well as speed based.  Fighters & Monks share their intense, almost ascetically approach to combat which fits with their overlap.  Rogue / Ranger - self sufficiency and stealth.  Ranger / Barbarian - nature.  Barbarian and Fighter hit the hardest and represent red.While magical classes pull from a common pool of spells which is segregated over the five alignments, martial classes will pull from a common pool of techniques.  I mentioned one way above how these techniques might work. Each time a character hits the foe they score a point.  Those points are cashed back in to perform spectacular maneuvers.Magical classes are therefore a little front loaded - their spells can be used at any time, while martial classes take a bit to come on line but when they do they can end the combat quickly.  The systems need to be comparable.Another idea is to give each class a strike mechanic.  Rogue - extra damage if foe is caught unawareMonk - extra damage on counterattacks against opponent's missesFighter - extra damage on flankingRanger - extra damage at range on foes who haven't moved (sniping)Barbarian - extra damage on foes which have damaged the barbarian (rage)Part of this is through dividing sneak attack in half between the rogue and the fighter.  Then again, perhaps sneak attack is left alone and fighters pick up the inexorable crit mechanic outlined above.As I mentioned earlier, magic users will be nerfed by not getting both the class and the spell level added to their spells.  This is major and puts the bar where martial classes can be buffed to reach.  Ideally 2000 mooks vs. a 20th level fighter have no more chance than they have against a wizard who is prepared for them.  Think is, they could catch the fighter off guard and still get their butt handed to them on a plate.</blockquote>

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