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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deadboy" data-source="post: 5939633" data-attributes="member: 61779">The distinction between what is a class and what is not a class is definitely arbitrary; most of these classes we're discussing date back to the earliest editions of D&D, when arbitrary game design was the only type of RPG design there was. No one thought twice about having very broad classes like Fighter, Thief, Magic-User and Cleric and then very focused classes like Paladin, Ranger and Thief-Acrobat. At the time that was acknowledged to some extent by the fact that the focused classes were subclasses, but they were still, functionally, their own thing.So any further decision we make about what is class and what is theme is almost by definition arbitrary unless we literally decide to boil the classes down to just the big four, plus maybe Psion and Druid. However, since D&D is, and always has been, a class-based system, it makes more sense to have a larger number of classes to create more mechanical distinction outside of feat choices. I would actually argue it makes more sense to take the big four and break them down into smaller, more focused classes so that all classes are focused than it does to fold the focused classes into the broad classes. Classes are popular, classes create more mechanical distinction, therefore dividing concepts by class is a good thing.To an extent, this has already happened over the past two editions, with the Mage being divided into the Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock and Beguiler in 3.x and with the Druid in 4e with the Warden, Druid and Shaman. So breaking the Rogue and Fighter down as well has some precedent to it.However, as arbitrary as the decisions have been in the past, I think we all know that legacy is going to be THE deciding factor. WotC already decided to depart from the commonly accepted ways of doing D&D last edition and that created the edition wars. So WotC is going to be very, very, very careful about how it departs from the old ways with the new edition. And getting rid of fan favorite classes is definitely NOT going to be on their agenda. So we will definitely still have the Paladin and Ranger as classes; the Avenger may become a theme, but that's only because, no matter the fact that it was a popular choice in 4e, it only has one edition behind it and thus has no strong legacy overall in D&D.</blockquote>

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