New Classes & Campaign Settings: A Thought Exercise

[pukunui]

Hi everyone,

I've had an idea that I thought I would share with everyone. To preface my idea, I'd just like to reiterate the point that 3.x had classes all over the place and that, while WotC is clearly trying to reign things in a bit with 4e, they aren't going as far as some people would like (as evidenced by the fact that the swordmage class is going to be published in the FR Player's Guide instead of a PHB).

My thought is this: What if WotC intends to publish new classes in just three places? We already know that new classes will appear in the annual PHBs and that some will even show up on the DDI (primarily for playtesting purposes), so that's two of my three accounted for already. The third is the annual campaign setting player's guides.

So rather than getting a new class here and a new class there, here a new class, there a new class, everywhere a new class ... we'll just be getting them in a few specific places, one of which is the campaign settings (where the new classes could be used as selling points and can be thematically tied to those settings, like the artificer is to Eberron).

For the purposes of this thought exercise, we will assume this to be the case ...

Now, as we've already know, we're getting the swordmage with FR. It seems highly likely and altogether fitting that we'll get the artificer with Eberron in 2009. Personally, if they decide to do a 4e version of Dark Sun, I'd quite like to see them include a revamped gladiator class. So that's three. What else might we get with the other campaign settings? I'll start a list and let's see if we can fill in the blanks.

Forgotten Realms: swordmage
Eberron: artificer
Dark Sun: gladiator
Dragonlance: ?
Ravenloft: ?
Spelljammer: ?
Planescape: ?
Mystara: ?
Birthright: ?
New setting: ?


This is just for fun so, while you're welcome to take it seriously, please try not to derail the thread with arguments about whether or not classes should be limited to PHBs and the like. I mainly just want to see what other ideas people have.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Jonathan

 

[Cryptos]

Forgotten Realms: swordmage
Eberron: artificer
Dark Sun: gladiator
Dragonlance: ?
Ravenloft: ?
Spelljammer: ?
Planescape: ?
Mystara: ?
Birthright: ?
New setting: ?

Al-Qadim: Sha'ir

Possibly an arcane leader whose gen (tiny genie familiar) delivers buffing and debuffing effects around the battlefield, and who can occasionally summon help from the Jann or even the Djinn for short periods at higher levels.

 

[pukunui]

Al-Qadim: Sha'ir

Possibly an arcane leader whose gen (tiny genie familiar) delivers buffing and debuffing effects around the battlefield, and who can occasionally summon help from the Jann or even the Djinn for short periods at higher levels.

Ooh, that's a good point. What role would a 4e gladiator be anyway? Martial, obviously. A controller? Defender? Striker? Some sort of crazy hybrid of all three?

 

[JohnBiles]

Ooh, that's a good point. What role would a 4e gladiator be anyway? Martial, obviously. A controller? Defender? Striker? Some sort of crazy hybrid of all three?

Gladiators usually do one on one combat, so I'm thinking a Martial Striker.

 

[arscott]

I think Dark Sun will present us a class that makes a suitable defiler. Whether it's the Sorcerer class (Which strikes me as a good match), or a separate Defiler class, I think it'll be the one we see in the book.

Dragonlance is tough--There's very little about DL characters that makes them different from characters in other settings. (And for that reason, I suspect that a DL book is pretty far down the list of setting releases). Maybe a Dedicated Mounted Warrior class--something that's suitable as a dragonrider at higher levels.

Ravenloft--Necromancer, maybe? Or something suitable for a Professor Van Helsing character, maybe an archivist.

Spelljammer & Planescape: Dont' actually know enough about these settings to have any ideas.

Mystara: See Dragonlance, plus one.

Birthright: Dedicated Bloodline class--maybe something like the 3e sorcerer's fluff (though I haven't heard anything about the 4e sorcerer that connects it to bloodlines).

 

[pukunui]

Gladiators usually do one on one combat, so I'm thinking a Martial Striker.

Good point. I was thinking controller-ish thoughts because of the nets and tridents and things.

 

[RandomCitizenX]

Ravenloft: I would lean toward a Monster Hunter/Scholar type class

 

[JohnBiles]

Forgotten Realms: swordmage
Eberron: artificer
Dark Sun: gladiator
Dragonlance: ?
Ravenloft: ?
Spelljammer: ?
Planescape: ?
Mystara: ?
Birthright: ?
New setting: ?

Mystara would need Paragon paths for the various secret mystic magical brotherhoods of Glantri, Epic Destinies for the paths to Immortality, and possibly either a Shaman class for the Atruaghin and Ethengars or a technologist class for the gnomes or possibly a Noble type class.

 

[I'm A Banana]

This is a fun thought experiment! Let's see...

Dark Sun: Defiler/Preserver
I can see most of the DS classes being variants (maybe with new paths) than brand new core classes. Gladiators are fighters who have a slightly different starting package, templars could be variant paladins, athasian bards are basically rogues...but there's a lot of potential for a "Athasian Sorcerer" kind of class, and it's so rich to the setting (not to mention fairly easy to exportable), it could be done VERY MUCH right.

Ravenloft: Archivist.
Again, most Ravenloft classes wouldn't be changed a whole lot from 4e's core. But the archivist would seem to have a special niche, and an iconic "Van Richten" character built in. It's a very "gothic scholar" kind of feel, which is perfectly evocative of the setting.

Planescape: Philosopher (aka Cloistered Cleric)
Since PS has always been partially about the "kitchen sink," there isn't a great need for new classes. However, if they're going this route, then it'd be a great opportunity to release a divine spellcaster who doesn't turn undead. PS would only benefit from the addition of a class that SPECIALIZES in the philosophies of the planes. Each Faction could be its own Paragon Path!

The other settings I don't know as much about, so I wouldn't venture a guess. Perhaps Birthright could have some sort of semi-magical Leader class? Perhaps Spelljammer could have some sort of pilot/pirate/nautical-type class?

I must confess, this would be kind of cool.

 

[Cam Banks]

Dragonlance: Mystic. They're not the same as clerics.

For 3.5, we had mystics, nobles, mariners, masters, and eventually nightstalkers in Dragonlance. Most of those can be taken care of with 4e classes, but the mystic (and the nightstalker is a rogue with mystic multiclass feats) needs to be its own thing.

Cheers,
Cam