Generic Classes from UA

[Turanil]

Has anyone run a campaign using the generic classes from Unearthed Arcana?

They seem appropriate for a gritty, 'rare magic' campaign IMO.

I don't see what's appropriate for a gritty and especially "rare magic" with these classes. I would rather suggest using all the D&D 3.5 classes that don't have magic or supernatural (barbarian, fighter, rogue, ranger without spells, some variant UA classes, etc., plus the generic expert) for a "rare magic" campaign.

 

[Akrasia]

I don't see what's appropriate for a gritty and especially "rare magic" with these classes. I would rather suggest using all the D&D 3.5 classes that don't have magic or supernatural (barbarian, fighter, rogue, ranger without spells, some variant UA classes, etc., plus the generic expert) for a "rare magic" campaign.

My impression is that all the generic classes are slightly less powerful and 'less superhero-ish" in their abilities than standard D&D classes -- hence they are more appropriate for a 'gritty' campaign. I could be wrong.

I explained why I thought they might lend themselves to a 'rare magic' campaign earlier in this thread -- though I should qualify my use of the adjective 'rare' to mean 'rare-relative-to-standard-D&D'.

Your proposal Turanil sounds fine, but it appears to eliminate the spellcasters altogether. I would want spellcasters to be available, but just more limited than they are in standard D&D (i.e. no semi-spellcasters, only a few devoted to the craft, etc.).

 

[J_A_Garlock]

Sounds like "gritty" is a campaign style. Maybe the classes should stay the same but a greater emphasis on the elite nature of the magic casting character would be emphasized. "One of the few" and all that. I'm not sure the rules would have to change at all, just the way the populace regards the magic using characters in general would have to be different. magic would scare people a lot more I'm sure if there were only a handful of casters around.

 

[Particle_Man]

Another option: Use only the warrior class and turn the other two classes into feats. How to do this? First, add four (yes four!) feats at first level to the warrior, but take his hit die down a step, and take away his free medium armor proficiency. And reduce his BAB to the spellcaster level.

Additional feats include:

a) Better Skills: Add 2 class skills. Add 2 points/lvel from now on, x4 if taken at first level. Can be taken a total of three times.

b) Better HD - take HD up a step, can be taken multiple times, can only be taken at 1st level, max HD d12,

c) Better Saves (get one more "good" save), can be taken twice, can only be taken at 1st level.

d) Spell casting ability. Choose Divine or Arcane on taking this feat. Has ability to cast spells as spell caster, but only 1st level spells at first (only the leftmost column of spells known and spells per day is counted). Can be taken up to 9 times, each time granting access to higher level spells. Must meet all other requirements to cast said spells. Must stay divine or arcane unless one takes mystic theurge feat below.

e) Mystic Theurge. Prereq. Must be divine or arcane spellcaster. benefit: now count as both divine and arcane spellcaster, so can have familiar (with the right feat), can turn undead (with the right feat) and can wear armor and cast spells with no ASF%. This feat does not grant additional spells.

f) Improved BAB. BAB goes to Expert level. This feat may be taken twice, inc which case BAB goes to Warrior level. This feat may only be taken at first level.

Tadah! Now you have the truly generic class! One size really does fit all!

 

[Afrodyte]

DM Scott,

If you're interested, I already have generic classes written up in the style of D20 Modern's talent trees. I've been working on it for upwards of a month. If you're interested, I have some on file, though I started a thread in House Rules about a couple of weeks back. If you're interested in what I have, email me at afro_dyte2000@yahoo.com.

 

[Gort]

DMscott:

Heh, no wonder the expert seemed a bit underpowered to you if you gave their key ability (having a lot of skill points) to the other two classes! If your players want to be skilled, they ought to take a few levels of expert rather than maximising their combat effectiveness.

 

[DMScott]

My impression is that all the generic classes are slightly less powerful and 'less superhero-ish" in their abilities than standard D&D classes -- hence they are more appropriate for a 'gritty' campaign. I could be wrong.

Yeah, I don't really get that impression. The ability to define their class skills and good saves, and pick any feat as a bonus feat (including a bunch of class features) makes them pretty capable.

Heh, no wonder the expert seemed a bit underpowered to you if you gave their key ability (having a lot of skill points) to the other two classes! If your players want to be skilled, they ought to take a few levels of expert rather than maximising their combat effectiveness.

Two points:

1) I ran them as-is before making changes. The Expert was the clear loser of the bunch, even under those circumstances. Players who wanted a lot of skill points felt they'd be better off playing an Int-based spellcaster, the sentiment was taking Expert levels was basically gimping themselves for a character concept.

2) Experts as written have fewer skill points than a Rogue, and the same as a Ranger or Bard. I wouldn't consider "having a lot of skill points" to be the key ability of any of those classes, so to me it's not a good hook on which to hang the Expert's playability, either. YMMV.

 

[Particle_Man]

Experts got the shaft, baby! (Wow, it feels good to say that again!) If you run them through BUY THE NUMBERS, they come out so far behind the Warrior its not even funny.

The problem is the picking of class skills that can be done by ANYONE. If you have a party of 5 adventurers, you can have the warrior that picks locks and removes traps, the other warrior that has great spot and listen, the spellcaster with good "face" skills, etc. What is left for the expert to do? They would need more skill points than they have to be able to claim to be a good trap, sneak, scout, face, profession AND acrobat character.

 

[GlassJaw]

Two words:

Grim Tales

The best generic class system bar none IMO. It has everything you'll need to run any kind of low-magic campaign.