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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aaron L" data-source="post: 7826557" data-attributes="member: 926">Absolutely.  I do 1st Edition style, where each Character Classes represented an established tradition and training methodology (achieving 1st level in a character class would be like earning a basic degree as, say, a Ranger, with continuing training to reach higher levels of education after that.)  That's why Character Classes had level titles, which were meant to be actual in-universe rankings, and I am heavily considering reintroducing them.  A Fighter fights using a different style than that of a Monk with the same THAC0, and both fight in a different style than a Cleric of the same THAC0.  There would probably be varying schools of methodology descended through varying lineages of Fighter mentors, such as various Oeridian Fighter traditions vs. several different Suloise styles, each descended from different Masters of the Fighter Class. ("My Kung-Fu is stronger than yours.")  But the basic stances and techniques would be the same for all members of the Fighter Class.  Likewise the Ranger Class, as a subclass of the Fighter, would use a similar fighting technique with additions for combating Giant-Class creatures.Think of martial arts traditions and the various Dan rankings, with each different school descending from different Masters, but each using the same basic techniques that define the skill as Karate, or Tae Kwan Do, or Jujitsu.  Being 1st level in the Fighter Class wouldn't just mean you were good at fighting, it would mean you were trained in the specific skillset of the Fighter tradition, using established combat techniques passed down through various mentord and trainers.  Likewise for the Ranger, Paladin, etc.  That is why all Rangers were taught Druid magic when they achieved the rank of Pathfinder (reached the 8th level of training) and were taught Magic-User spells when they achieved the rank of full Ranger at the 9th level of training.  Just like the Alignments, the Character Classes weren't meant to be simply abstract game mechanics, but rather living, breathing elements of the game world, such that an 8th level Paladin PC knew full well that he was a member of the Paladin Class of the Justiciar rank, and likewise a 10th level Ranger PC understood that he was a member of the Ranger class with the rank of Ranger Lord.  Magic-Users all knew that achieving the rank of Thaumaturgist was an important milestone because it meant that you were then capable of casting the Fireball spell.  And the spells of the Magic-User Class would be just one possible way of utilizing magic, with the spells of Clerics being another, and still other possibilities, the Disintegrate effect of a Beholder's eye-stalk doesn't happen because the eye-stalk cast the Disintegrate spell, it just naturally creates the same magical effect that the Disintegrate spell utilizes.So in short, yeah, Character Classes are an in-world concept in my campaigns, just like the Alignments are as well.</blockquote>

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