How do you like your new?

[Andor]

There are a limited number of ways to introduce new crunch into the game. And each way seems to draw it's share of flak.

Base classes, while the only way to really introduce whole new systems, tick off people who generally seem to object to new rules either because it's a burden to learn new systems, or because they don't like peanut butter in their fantasy.

Prestige Classes, do not allow for a starting character to fully embrace the new crunch, and make it hard to justify commonality in the game world, outside of high level worlds like the Forgotton Realms.

Feats, probably the most popular and intuitive way to introduce new crunch, draw flak because they are hard to balance, and trying to choose between them is already a trial worthy of King Arthur's Knights.

New skills, least popular approach, draw on the already tight pool of skill points, and in spite on some advantages in flexability and natural level scaling, seem to hold little attraction to designers.

New spells, very popular, tend to add power to already powerful classes, and have potential to synergize in unforseen ways.

So how do you like to see new crunch enter the game? What do you think is adequate justification for a new base class? Prestige class?

 

[Andor]

Oops

I forgot a couple.

Alternate levels for existing classes are interesting, but hard to record, and some people seem to dislike them for aesthtic reasons.

Alternate class features/Variant classes also seem to be sometimes disliked for aesthetic/recording reasons.

Doesn't look like I can add them to the poll. So post if you have input.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Base classes, prestige classes, variant classes, feats, and interesting new uses for skills. Anything that moves the character creation process closer to the 'you can do ANYTHING and it will be reasonably mechanically balanced' HERO paradigm.

Not listed:

Monsters and races (which are often one and the same), settings, entirely new magic systems.

Don't Mind:

New skills, as long as they do something interesting.

Don't Want:

New spells; as if waiting for players to look up the current crop wasn't bad enough...

 

[Andor]

Base classes, prestige classes, variant classes, feats, and interesting new uses for skills. Anything that moves the character creation process closer to the 'you can do ANYTHING and it will be reasonably mechanically balanced' HERO paradigm.

Not listed:

Monsters and races (which are often one and the same), settings, entirely new magic systems.

Well, I can't think of a new race that is the only way to access new crunch, although some make things easier.

New magic systems tend to be inextricably tied to new classes or at least prestige classes. It occurs to me that new Base classes can be broken into three types.

Those tied to new magic systems: Binders, Crusaders, Totemists

Those with new mechanics, but not new magic: Spell thieves, Knights, Marshals

Those with nothing new but different construction from existing classes: Thugs, Urban Rangers, Archivists

Hmmm. I wonder if I should redo the poll?

 

[EricNoah]

I like base classes, feats, and spells.

I don't use prestige classes (though I don't bar players from using them -- I just never think of them, they're too hard to plan for as a player and hard to prepare as a DM). Sometimes I'll use a PrC's class features as inspiration for making my own new feats.

 

[Hussar]

I do like the idea of substitution levels. To me, that's one of the best ideas that's come out in a while.

Feats are so limited in all classes that it's highly unlikely that even a small fraction of feats has actually seen play in any given group. But, everyone has levels. Dropping in a couple of substitution levels seems like a really excellent way to design characters.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Well, I can't think of a new race that is the only way to access new crunch, although some make things easier.

Just off the top of my head:

Goliaths (and, IIRC, Half-Giants, Red Caps - which would be very hard to justify as PCs, to be fair - and the 3.5 Half-Ogre) introduced the Powerful Build rule, which would otherwise be inaccessible.

Warforged introduced the ability to play a construct (or at least a construct-lite) at low levels, likewise shifters/lycanthropes and changelings/dopplegangers.

Elans introduced the ability to convert pp into hp and were, IIRC, the first race to have a racial ability that was a swift action.

 

[diaglo]

i like my new to actually be new. not just someone else's regurgitated old that they tried to relabel as new.

 

[Gold Roger]

I wastly prefer feats, Spells and alternate class features (including substitution levels).

Sometimes an idea or set of idea needs to go behind a single feature and PrC's fill that need quite well.

I've grown to dislike the introduction of new base classes.

I find new skills almost allways unneeded.

I tend to overlook alternate skill uses, but I'm ok with them.

Sometimes a new race comes along that I really like (Warforged, Shifter, Changeling, Darfellan, Elan).

 

[JoeyD473]

New base classes are always good in m opinion.

My players and I feel that prestiage classes are interesting but they are more for NPC, however I would not bn them from being used if I ever get a player who wants one.

New feats would be cool just because my characters always feel that once they reach like lvl 10 they only take a feat because theybasically feel they have to.

New skills would be awsome because I know I sit there and say "This skill doesn't really cover the action" or "WHat skill would cover this action" Now normally in that case I just make it an ability check, but players feel better when they get to put ranks into things.

And new spells are always good cause seeing the same spells over and over just becomes tedious and boring

New monsters and races are also awsome