D&D 5E Making the classes more generic


log in or register to remove this ad


dave2008

Legend
Why not just make magic a series of feats that build on each other so that a player can have as much magic as they want without multiclassing? ;)

(because let's face it, multiclassing in a two-class system is silly)
We don't multiclass in a 9 class system (or whatever 5e is) so I agree with that generally. However, I see my ideal as a combination of variant class features and feats, not just feats.
 

We don't multiclass in a 9 class system (or whatever 5e is) so I agree with that generally. However, I see my ideal as a combination of variant class features and feats, not just feats.
I totally get the desire to go classless - but it annoys me when people go halfway with it. Most of 5e's weaknesses come from an unwillingness to commit to being one thing or another, so they split the difference and end up will all the downsides and only a few of the upsides of the two things they dithered between. For example, the weapons list is to vague to make the choice of weapon mechanically meaningful, but to specific to let you just take whatever weapon looks the coolest.

So go all in: make it classless and add talent trees alongside feats to cover features that should be linked (like, say spellcasting).
 

I think they put too much LG paladin into the base paladin. If they did a 5.5, I would recommend moving healing touch into oath of devotion, and free up some design space.

For fighters (this is big enough to be more of a 6e thing than a 5.5), I would really increase the number of fighting styles available (probably powering them up but requiring concentration to use them), make almost all of them limited to one class, and let fighters get "martial secrets" that let them get other classes fighting styles; also let fighters have more of them then other classes.

Not touching rangers with a 10-ft pole.
 

dave2008

Legend
I totally get the desire to go classless - but it annoys me when people go halfway with it. Most of 5e's weaknesses come from an unwillingness to commit to being one thing or another, so they split the difference and end up will all the downsides and only a few of the upsides of the two things they dithered between. For example, the weapons list is to vague to make the choice of weapon mechanically meaningful, but to specific to let you just take whatever weapon looks the coolest.

So go all in: make it classless and add talent trees alongside feats to cover features that should be linked (like, say spellcasting).
Well I mentioned up thread that what I would like is: a D&D designed as classless, but presented with "builds." Basically builds are options that replace classes or people who want some of the choices made for them. So when you choose the Magic User class: that is just essential choosing the firs feature or feat that allows you to use magic. Every other choice then determines what type of magic user (eldritch knight, wizard, cleric, paladin, etc.). However, you can select the wizard "build" which already has a bunch (50-75%) of the choices made for you. It is a simple way to pick a pre-made archetype is another way of looing at it. Of course, at any point you can deviate from that archetype if you want.
 
Last edited:


Hawk Diesel

Adventurer
@Xeviat I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I always took lore as more of a recommendation than the lore being married to the mechanics.

For example, I once had a ancestral barbarian gnome. But his class abilities were flavored more like an Artificer. His unarmored movement was based on him having rocket skates, reckless attack was from having rockets attached to his elbows, his AC came from having a gadget that provided an inertial multiplier field around his body, his rage was an alchemical injection like Bane from Batman, his danger sense came from having an AI that would alert him to danger, and his ancestral guardians were trapped in a containment unit on his back like from Ghostbusters. It was really fun coming up with inventions to explain the barbarian.
 


Horwath

Legend
martial character - no spellcasting
1/3 caster
1/2 caster
2/3 caster(3.5e bard, goes to 7th level spells at 19th class level)
full caster(goes to 10th level spells at 19th class level)
 

Remove ads

Top