PHB classes: fact or rumor

[jaer]

In the recent WotC_Shoe statements about leaderless parties, he lists "Warlord, a Paladin, a Fighter, a Cleric, a Rogue, and a Wizard" in one party and "Fighter, wizard, rogue, warlock, and ranger" in the other party.

So, unless the playtesters are using and reporting on classes not in the PHB, we know there are 8 classes in the PHB just from this one report.

Cleric
Fighter
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Warlock
Warlord
Wizard

Whether WotC kept a class or two (or even a race or two) carefully hidden until the unveiling of the books, we just don't know, but we do have enough reason to believe these 8 are in.

 

[Atreides]

By limiting the PHB to 8 classes, the page count per class is higher then it would be if there were 11 classes. Remember - everyone now has powers (ala Book of Nine Swords) - so the Divine/Arcane spell lists in your 3e PHB now also includes powers for the nonmagical (martial) classes as well. Feats + Talents are now included in the Feats chapter - with a resulting widening of its page count as well (presumably). Theoretically, the crisper/cleaner combat rules results in a smaller combat chapter, but who knows if that is true. Add in 20 or so pages for magic items and call it a day.

Eight classes in PHB 1, with 3 new classes per PHB released annually.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Some money might be on a second 'controller' class.

They said they weren't going to worry about filling out the grid, but they also said that the 'optimal party' has at least one controller, and it would be a bit odd to have only one class able to perform a nearly-essential task. "If you want a good party, have a Wizard, otherwise, good luck!" sounds like something they might want to avoid....too many memories of "If you want a good party, have a Cleric, otherwise, good luck!"

What that controller class might be, though, is kind of anyone's guess.

This isn't essential, but if there *is* going to be change from the 8 that we're "90% sure about," that would be a good place for it to be.

 

[Logan_Bonner]

By limiting the PHB to 8 classes, the page count per class is higher then it would be if there were 11 classes. Remember - everyone now has powers (ala Book of Nine Swords) - so the Divine/Arcane spell lists in your 3e PHB now also includes powers for the nonmagical (martial) classes as well. Feats + Talents are now included in the Feats chapter - with a resulting widening of its page count as well (presumably). Theoretically, the crisper/cleaner combat rules results in a smaller combat chapter, but who knows if that is true. Add in 20 or so pages for magic items and call it a day.

Eight classes in PHB 1, with 3 new classes per PHB released annually.

Don't forget that the game goes to level 30! That makes the classes' page count longer, too.

I was curious to see if the combat chapter is actually shorter, so I checked. It's actually several pages longer. Of course, one page of that is art, the chapter incorporates some of the stuff that would have been found in the "Magic" chapter in 3.5 (like areas of effect), there are more bulleted lists and callouts, and the font's not as tiny.

I wouldn't be too confident in your "3 new classes per additional PH" number.

 

[Voss]

Why surprised? Wizards get that _now_ (change self, alter self, polymorph [self], polymorph any object, shapechange).

Because at some point, some dev said that polymorph wasn't going to be in the first PH. So its unlikely that wizards will get much, if any, of those anymore.

 

[Demigonis]

What classes in PHB1 get summoning or shapechanging effects?

It doesn't say there will be summoning or shapechanging effects in the PHB, it simply says that when there's a class that does that, the info will be with the class that makes use of it.

 

[WyzardWhately]

Maybe we'll find out more from Winter Fantasy?

 

[Belorin]

Don't forget that the game goes to level 30! That makes the classes' page count longer, too.

I was curious to see if the combat chapter is actually shorter, so I checked. It's actually several pages longer. Of course, one page of that is art, the chapter incorporates some of the stuff that would have been found in the "Magic" chapter in 3.5 (like areas of effect), there are more bulleted lists and callouts, and the font's not as tiny.

I wouldn't be too confident in your "3 new classes per additional PH" number.

Thanks for stopping by Logan!
As I see it if each PHB introduces new power sources the there would have to be enough classes to make those sources viable, at least 3 per source. Then add classes in the source splat book as well as powers, feats, etc.
I also hope that WotC keeps the number of sources in check, no sinister power source for left handed characters.

Bel

 

[Gundark]

It would be totally cool if WotC surprised us with a class that we weren't expecting. Like the druid or the bard. I'm not expecting it....but it would be pretty darn cool.

 

[drothgery]

Thanks for stopping by Logan!
As I see it if each PHB introduces new power sources the there would have to be enough classes to make those sources viable, at least 3 per source.

If our current unofficial class list is correct, PH1 has 4 martial (fighter, ranger, rogue, warlord), 2 arcane (wizard, warlock), and 2 divine (cleric, paladin). So I'd figure two per new power source is probably the low end, not three; if you figure three power sources per PH, then you're figuring 6-9 new classes. I don't think that's a safe bet; I'd figure 3 new power sources in PH2 because adding primal (barbarian, druid), shadow (illusionist, necromancer), and psionic (psion, psychic warrior) heroes will cover the most popular archetypes that aren't going to make PH1 or the first-cycle power source splatbooks. But after that I expect to trickle off to one, two, or even none; if the one PH/year thing actually lasts for 8 years, PH8 may very well have no new classes in it.