Prestige classes as branches

[arscott]

I think a system like this makes a lot more sense when resources are a lot more limited that they are in the core d20 rules.

If you can easily afford good mundane equipment at first level, then there's not much point in not specializing.

But on the other hand, if you start with 10 gp as a fighter, then your armor proficiencies are useless, and if you chose to take, say, weapon focus, then you'll either need to take it in a crappy weapon that you own yet or in a good weapon that you won't get until third level.

But if you start with a level in warrior, then at fourth level get access to knight at fifth and mounted champion and ninth, it solves the problem.

The branching classes method also works well for divergent spell lists. Right now, there's no good way to let a class grant aditional spells. For instace, If you have a White Mage class that puts healing spells on a Wizard's spell list, there's nothing to prevent the wizard from taking one level of it and then taking levels of Mind Mage and Arcane Druid, further broadening his spell list without actually devoting himself to the class. The best way of doing this probably involves having branching paths that regulate spell selection at certain levels.

There's an Adept class that grants access to all first an 2nd level spells, then at 5th, the Adept must chose Warmage, White Mage, Druid, Illusionist, or Necromancer, and that governs their choice of 3rd and 4th level spells, etc.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I thought about doing something like this (after playing EQ2). I find with my group - casual players who aren't interesting in devoting too much time to character planning - the choice built into the current system is illusionary. They don't want to take advantage of it, so it really doesn't exist.

In my system, everyone would start with a base class at 1st level, take a class at 6th level, and an advanced class at 11th level. There would be no requirements for any of these (except race or alignment). So below, Skirmisher would be a 5 level class, as would Archer. Arcane Archer would be a 10 level class. I haven't got much beyond sketching out the trees and a few of the base classes.

Sounds pretty identical to d20 Modern's system of base -> advanced -> prestige.

 

[Zoatebix]

I was going to say that SWBaxter's idea sounded a lot like the Grim Tales model, but it looks like Grim Tales already came up...

 

[Mark Causey]

Your currently selected class works something like a template. You gain some of the 1st level abilities of the class, and you gain more class-based abilities by gaining JP. It usually applies a "cap" to your statistics -- e.g.: the Wizard class may halve your hp, cap your Fort and Ref saves at 1/4th your HD, and give you a bonus to Will saves. The selected class would also give you a bonus/penalty to ability scores (in the Wizard's case, maybe a +2 Int, -2 Str).

As a character, you have a certain number of "job slots" based on your HD (two plus one per 5 levels). Your current job fills one of these automatically, and you can fill the other ones with selected abilities from your other jobs that you've gained with JP. You can change your job and job slots after 24 hours of rest.

Do you have a thread started on this? If not, could you?

 

[philreed]

Phil, have you taken a look at the Warhammer Fantasy RPG? (I'm not familiar with the older editions; I'm going solely by the new one Green Ronin put out.) Their career system involves a few similar elements to what you're talking about. You start in one career, and then as you "complete" it, you can move into a variety of others determined by your current or past careers..

I want to but keep missing it at Dragon's Lair.

Of course, you could always collect some of us in Austin together and run a session . . .

 

[JoeGKushner]

With feats, substitution levels and the wide amount of PrCs already available, D20 is kind of like this already. Complete Adventurer has Shadowbane Inquisitor and Seeker and Daggermage and Daggershapechanger (probably messed up those names), which were different branches of the same organization.

For me, if I want complete control over a character, I'll play GURPS or Champions where I can build the character I want.

If I want structure and guidelines, that's where d20, HARP, Rolemaster and of course, the new Warhammer come in.

 

[Andor]

I've hashed out something for my FFd20 project that works in a similar way to FFV, Tactics, X-2, and other "classed" FF games. The thing with this system is that the powers you gain stay with your character, but you can only access a limited number of them at a time when you change classes. The class can drastically change how one character accomplishes things, and cannot be tied well to character level (which advances independantly from class level).

Sounds very FFT. Nothing wrong with that, as far as I'm concerned FFT is the best PS game ever. Do you have a full writeup I could look at?

Although I'll note that unless you're going for the FFT like idea of 35th level characters as routine I'd up the rate of JP vs XP as to preserve the feel of having several classes per character I'd think it should take no more that 2-4 levels of character advancement to finish any but the most powerfull of classes.

Dang now I want to play a FFT monk in DnD. Good lord those guys rock.

Of course the D20 modern approach would also be an interesting one. You'd have fewer classes in any one character of course, but it'd also be much much simpler.