Michael Morris
First Post
Yeah.
It's a thought. But then I think about the enourmous playtesting required and I get ice cold feet.
It's a thought. But then I think about the enourmous playtesting required and I get ice cold feet.
How Many Base Classes?
- Thread starter the Jester
- Start date
Personally I allow the Core Base Classes. I am looking at the ones in the Complete book and trying to be openminded, but having problems. Maybe it's my own predjudice to the old ways. I do like the Scout. I don't think the Samurai, Wu Jen, Shugenja or Ninja have a place in my world right now. This is not Rokugan.
I like the idea of the Favored Soul and the Spirit Shaman. Am going to need to look at them again.
I like the idea of the Favored Soul and the Spirit Shaman. Am going to need to look at them again.
Li Shenron
Legend
The problem hasn't come up yet for me. I have both played and DMed in 3.0 and 3.5, but unlike the 3.0 campaigns (which had a fairly extended use of supplements), in the 3.5 games we haven't really used much from the supplements (although we do use the 3.0 ones!). And the new base classes are only in the Complete series books, of which only a couple we've seen around.
I haven't decided yet what to do when players start asking for a PC of those classes. In these years I've told so many times the players that I am willing to allow VARIANTS to the PHB classes if they want, that I don't see why we would need the new Complete classes.
I'd probably use them for NPCs tho, to "surprise" the players, but I'm skeptic about their use for PCs.
And by the way, I too don't like to mix genres (I think the average D&D is cross-genre enough), so for the oriental classes it's very likely an absolute NO. In fact, I always managed so far to convince players not to even take the Monk IMC. If players want to play Samurai, Ninjas and Monks, I am well willing to run a full-oriental campaign.
I haven't decided yet what to do when players start asking for a PC of those classes. In these years I've told so many times the players that I am willing to allow VARIANTS to the PHB classes if they want, that I don't see why we would need the new Complete classes.
I'd probably use them for NPCs tho, to "surprise" the players, but I'm skeptic about their use for PCs.
And by the way, I too don't like to mix genres (I think the average D&D is cross-genre enough), so for the oriental classes it's very likely an absolute NO. In fact, I always managed so far to convince players not to even take the Monk IMC. If players want to play Samurai, Ninjas and Monks, I am well willing to run a full-oriental campaign.
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
I use the PH 11 and the DMG 5 base classes only. In fact, I might even drop the warrior and adept, leaving just 14 base classes (aristocrat, barbarian, bard, cleric, commoner, druid, expert, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, wizard).
I don't like other base classes, both out of principle and because in practice I havn't found any that I like outsode of the core books. I'm much less likely to buy a book if I know it has base classes in it (other than *possibly* alternate core classes, like in UA).
I don't like other base classes, both out of principle and because in practice I havn't found any that I like outsode of the core books. I'm much less likely to buy a book if I know it has base classes in it (other than *possibly* alternate core classes, like in UA).
GlassJaw
Hero
I'm not a fan of most of the new base classes but in my "standard" D&D game (Dungeon Adventure Path) I'll allow pretty much anything. That was kind of the point when I decided to run it.
However, I would actually like to see less base classes that are more generic, like Grim Tales. I think the new classes show that you can't meet a lot of archtypes with the core base classes. Most of them already have archetypes "built-in" anyway. If you want a non-spellcasting bard or non-sneak attacking rogue, you have to do a lot of tweaking to make it happen. The Grim Tales system allows for these types of combinations. I hope 4ed goes more in the generic base class direction.
However, I would actually like to see less base classes that are more generic, like Grim Tales. I think the new classes show that you can't meet a lot of archtypes with the core base classes. Most of them already have archetypes "built-in" anyway. If you want a non-spellcasting bard or non-sneak attacking rogue, you have to do a lot of tweaking to make it happen. The Grim Tales system allows for these types of combinations. I hope 4ed goes more in the generic base class direction.
Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, and Cleric I consider base classes that exist everywhere (people always need to fight and steal). Other classes come in based on the setting... though barbarian is invarably a part of my campaings. Paladins, Druids, and Bards are restricted to European style games while the Samurai, Ninja, and Monk are usualy restricted to Orental settings.
Primary spell casters are modified based on the setting (revamping the 3.5 magic system is an ongoing project of mine). While fighter and rogue recive some tweaking (slight changes to the weapons list and feats access).
I havent seen any reason to use any of the other classes IMCs. Though I'd be open to hearing about another class if a player wanted to bring it in. I just dont have the time (and more importantly money) to buy the set of complete books (not to mention that the art in the Complete Arcane was soooo insanely bad).
Primary spell casters are modified based on the setting (revamping the 3.5 magic system is an ongoing project of mine). While fighter and rogue recive some tweaking (slight changes to the weapons list and feats access).
I havent seen any reason to use any of the other classes IMCs. Though I'd be open to hearing about another class if a player wanted to bring it in. I just dont have the time (and more importantly money) to buy the set of complete books (not to mention that the art in the Complete Arcane was soooo insanely bad).
The Shaman
First Post
I was working on a hombrew D&D campaign a few months ago (it's since been banished to the "Isle of Boring Gaming Ideas") and I planned on using about twenty different base classes but only a small handful of mostly difficult-to-enter prestige classes - character concepts would be developed using class combos rather than prestige classes (fighter/mage, instead of spellsword, &c).
I picked the classes based on the feel of the campaign - it wasn't a free-for-all. I leaned heavily on Unearthed Arcana's class variants and a couple of classes from Complete Warrior and Complete Divine (Swashbuckler and Spirit Shaman, I believe).
I picked the classes based on the feel of the campaign - it wasn't a free-for-all. I leaned heavily on Unearthed Arcana's class variants and a couple of classes from Complete Warrior and Complete Divine (Swashbuckler and Spirit Shaman, I believe).
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