D&D 5E Making the classes more generic

[R_J_K75]

Personally I would like D&D to be designed like a classless system, but presented as a class-based system. So the underlying structure is there for a classless system (or nearly classless) but the PHB presents various "builds" to make what we now call classes. That way it would be easy to mix and match whatever you want to essentially have a classless system for those who want it.

Somewhat like Archetypes. You'd still have your base base archetypes, fighter, magic user, rouge and priest then build from there might work.

 

[R_J_K75]

Personally my preference would be 4, maybe 5 base classes that sat at a more macro level and defined basic class structure, Subclasses at a comparable level and number to the current base classes that gave you your main features, and a third more granular level for further customization - something like kits or feats.

For example,

Fighter
• Barbarian
• Paladin
• Ranger

Mage
• Sorcerer
• Wizard
• Warlock

Mystic
• Cleric
• Druid
• Monk

Rogue
• Assassin
• Bard
• Thief

I liked the kit system from 2E. I think those gave the most diversity than any edition since.

 

[jasper]

I see two suitable options for this:
1) Drop D&D in favour of a classless system; or
2) Play 2e's Skills and Powers or modify it for your 5e game

3. leave the class system in place.

 

[Bagpuss]

Personally my preference would be 4, maybe 5 base classes that sat at a more macro level and defined basic class structure

You might as well go back to Martial, Arcane, Divine and Primal.

 

[aco175]

I could see a classless system work. It may not feel like D&D or it may be nothing more than when all the other stuff changed like Thac0 or alignment going on now. There could be a suite of abilities that you can take with some based on ability and level. Each PC would start with a number of points to spend on abilities. Some may need to stack like armor and weapon training or need like having 1st level spells before you get 2nd level spells. It would feel odd at first but work.

I can see a bunch of min/maxing with this though. In 3e there was a breakdown guide by someone that has something like this where you need points to make your own class. Something where if you wanted d10hp rather than the d8 you spent 10 points and if wanted d6 hp you would get 5 points back. Ended up making a healer class with no weapons other than a stick and no armor with cheap other things, but it could lay on hands and cast spells easily. The class gained levels faster as well since the points were not spent. It was more an extreem example to go with the other one where I wanted a lot of cool powers making the PC more a dual-class PC and needed 3x to XP to level.

 

[jgsugden]

The class system needs to go, its limiting and boring. Just eliminate it altogether and give players the option to pick from a list of abilities.

There are other systems, such as GURPS, that allow this to take place. D&D, however, has certain basic features that make it D&D - and classes are one of these elements.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I always thought D&D would benefit from having class progression like 40k rpg.

pick a template (make those as generic as you want)

then you have base xp to pick a few abilities from a list based on your template. As you gain xp, you buy more abilities. I when you spend a certain amount of xp, you level up and unlock more abilities to buy. You can buy from other classes but they are at a premium.

it makes customizing very easy, keeps game balance because of the levelling tiers and feels more natural because you pick up abilities as you go instead of ‘levelling up’ and suddenly acquiring piles of new stuff.

I’ve always wanted to do a conversion but it’d be a huge undertaking so never even started.

 

[Helldritch]

There are reasons why D&D has always been a popular system. Fixed classes is one of them. By removing these features, it is no longer D&D. At that point, better go to an other system.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

This reminds me a bit of the poll I did a while ago:


The seven classes that scored above 50% were:

More relevantly, the four classes that scored approximately 90%, dusting all other classes, were the core four of Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard.

Everything after the core four is superfluous at best, or silly and annoying at worse (that would be the Bard).

 

[Haldrik]

You might as well go back to Martial, Arcane, Divine and Primal.

Arcane is too much anything and everything. Likewise Cleric.

If splitting sources:

• Primal (Life-Healing/Plants-Animals/Shadow-Undead)
• Elemental (Water-Air-Ice-Thunder/Fire-Lightning-Radiant-Earth-Metal)
• Psionic (Divination-Teleportation/Telepathy-Illusion/Force-Flight-Telekinesis)
• Martial (Skills-Tools-Weapons/Number of Attacks-Actions)