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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Matthias" data-source="post: 5893029" data-attributes="member: 3625">I considered this question when attempting to come up with a list of alternate classes for d20 Modern.Here was my guideline: identify all the ways any given character would seek to solve a deadly and immediate problem. What skills or talents are they able to apply in order to survive in a harsh and hostile world that is trying to kill them at every turn? Thus, for each distinct method or archetypical set of talents that might be employed, let's build a class around it.D&D 4E came close to this with their "character roles" paradigm (controllers, leaders, defenders, strikers), but my classes took this to heart--the class list I came up with was intended to be a complete list with no hybridized classes added later on. (Role hybridization was to be handled with multiclassing.)My list was also influenced by the circumstances of the game setting, which precluded magic and high technology, but adapted to a fantasy setting they would probably look something like the list below.Chosen - he survives simply by having lots of pure dumb luck, or a personal destiny. No spellcasting ability is assumed, but the class may have access to certain supernatural abilities designed to rescue the user from a bad situation. Concepts: this is the sort of character simply proves nigh-impossible to kill or cripple, but not because they are good at anything or because they have special powers. They're just fated to survive whatever trouble comes their way.Guru - he survives by applying his considerable knowledge of a wide range of topics from alchemy to religion. No spellcasting ability is assumed but may have some simple supernatural powers. (A significant portion of Gurus will probably be NPCs.) Examples: alchemists, experts, spellthieves, factotums, sages.Leader - he survives by leading, managing, and manipulating other people. Spellcasting ability optional, and may possess some additional supernatural charismatic abilities. Examples: bards, aristocrats, warlords.Mage - he survives by his unique gift of understanding of how to manipulate and harness the eldritch powers of arcane magic. Spellcasting ability is assumed. Great intelligence or powerful force-of-personality helps but is not required; so-called 'idiot savants' able to wield arcane spells (that is, mages with average or even deficient intelligence and charisma) should be viable character builds. Examples: wizards, sorcerers, necromancers, illusionists, warlocks.Mindwalker - he survives because of his natural psionic ability. Concepts: psion, psychic warrior, wilder, ardent, divine mind.Priest - he survives by virtue of the divine powers bestowed on him by his deity, patron spirits, or his true faith in his ethos. Spellcasting ability assumed and is divine in nature. Examples: clerics, druids, shamans, oracles.Thief - he survives by stealing, pillaging, and operating outside conventional norms of society. No spellcasting ability is assumed, but may have some simple supernatural powers. Examples: rogues, assassins.Warrior - he survives by killing and breaking things as efficiently as possible. Some may have a few supernatural abilities on the side, but they are not the norm. Examples: fighters, barbarians, rangers, monks, cavaliers, inquisitors.Worker - he survives because he is willing and able to perform simple labor and toil for others. (The vast majority of members of this class would be NPCs). Concepts: commoners, henchmen, minions, children.This is the "long list" of classes I would implement. Any hybrid concepts can be mixes and matches of two or more of the above. For example, "gishes" (as in the Pathfinder class Magus) would be Warrior/Mage hybrids. I would also prefer a class mixing method that would be more effective than simply stacking class levels and more involved than 4E's methodology.</blockquote>

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