Reskinning Class Fluff

[Kzach]

One of my players has done a librarian. Now admittedly this is setting-specialized (a library so large that its own guild-clan has taken care of it for generations as one of the setting elements), but the character's powers are all expressed as Words of Power, learned from musty tomes. And Vicious Mockery is, well, a "shushing."

Another's a gnoll bard. Bone rattle, eerie laughter, howls and other hyena-ish vocalizations in lieu of actual songs or human-style music; more of a mystic with a very primal, unearthly feel. Vicious mockery is of course a peal of unnerving laughter, mystically reinforced.

Nice. I love this sort of thing. Shushing indeed

 

[Piratecat]

In my Merchant Prince game, the bard is the daughter of one of the Empire's movers and shakers, with a proud and important family who are loyal to the God-Emperor. We've recast her powers as being an actual manifestation of the Empire's might; when she casts, she's literally channelling her family's importance and prestige to bludgeon her foes.

I've also created a prescient bard who can see the future - ALL the futures. Every second of every day, he sees thousands of different possibilities spread before him that play out as he watches, every reality spiraling away except for the one he lives. His prescient bard powers involve him picking out the possibility he wants in order to make it come true. He's, err, kind of crazy.

I also created a dwarven malediction invoker who was a simple miner until he broke through into an ancient chamber and saw words of creation inscribed on the wall by the primordials themselves. The sentient words burrowed their way into his brain and want to be said; that gives him his invoker powers. He's bitter, and misses mining.

 

[ExploderWizard]

One class I would like to see some reflavoring suggestions for is the Bard.

Namely because I just do not enjoy the Music/song element of the Bard. Whenever I play a bard, I get teased about carrying around a lute or singing awkwardly mid battle. I have no intention of doing either, nor seeing my characters doing either.

You can do a lot with a bard without being musical at all. Play up the bardic knowledge/ historian angle of the class. Your powers can affect enemies as powerful pronouncements of DA TROOF!!.

The truth hurts sometimes.

Of course, even musical bards can be awesome. Do not doubt the power of the great Mississippi Gary.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

One class I would like to see some reflavoring suggestions for is the Bard.

Namely because I just do not enjoy the Music/song element of the Bard. Whenever I play a bard, I get teased about carrying around a lute or singing awkwardly mid battle. I have no intention of doing either, nor seeing my characters doing either.

That´s the price for playing a bard... sadly...

But I believe noone has been in a LARP tavern with a bard and without a bard... usually hi will NOT get thrown out...

And I don´t see my bards playing a lute or something... The ADnD bard kids were scholars and riddle masters, weapon masters or skalds...

 

[Derulbaskul]

I wanted to have rune magic IMC but couldn't be bothered creating a class that couldn't be used in the Character Builder.

Reading the artificer, I realised how perfectly that suited rune magic. In some ways I like it better as a rune mage than as a by-the-book artificer!

 

[SkidAce]

I wanted to have rune magic IMC but couldn't be bothered creating a class that couldn't be used in the Character Builder.

Reading the artificer, I realised how perfectly that suited rune magic. In some ways I like it better as a rune mage than as a by-the-book artificer!

We think alike. This is exactly the conclusion I came to. My players are glad to see the runemasters return to my campaign, and so far nobody has caught on that they are artificers.

...however that rune priest preview from PH3 might be nifty also...

 

[fba827]

one of my earliest 4e chatacter concepts (that i never got around to playing).

(kind of arcane archer-ish). Imagine a bow wielder who fired magical arrows. This was thought of as being a wizard whose powers were all ranged attack type powers and the "fluff" is that they are coming out of the arrow/bow attack. And the rituals he got for free would have all been nature themed... possibly multiclassed to ranger in the future if for no other reason than to grab skill training in perception and a hunters quarry.

So from visual appearance fellow PCs might assume he's a ranger/scout type class, and that is what the PC would think of himself as, but mechanically he'd be a wizard.

 

[Rechan]

Yeah, Rune magic is what I thought when I saw the Artificer.

Speaking of the artificer.

I love shotguns. There are so many shotgun shells, designed for many different situations. Destroying bulletproof glass? Check. Punching through armor? Check. Explosive? Check. Stunning but not killing? Check. They even make tazer bullets for shotguns. I'd love playing a character who just has a shell for every situation.

With that in mind, I imagined a dwarven commando with a crossbow. And he had a bolt for every situation.

Artificer suited that very well. I suppose Seeker likely will too, but still. Artificer also facilitates things like grenade-like items, potions, etc.

 

[theskyfullofdust]

Is it a robotic bear?

Transformers - more than meet the eye!

This is exactly what one of my players has done. Created a hybrid rogue/druid warforged, and is essentially a transformer! It's a cool concept and works well.

There's also a blog somewhere (I think Greywolf, can't remember) that refluffed the classes as noir-styled characters, which was a nice idea.

I had an idea for an invoker (or an avenger, can't decide which would work best) that worships the Raven Queen. He is always surrounded by ravens, and these fly out to attack his enemies, embodying his powers.

 

[Garthanos]

We could go to Wotc and suggest it or have hope they are reading this

But, seriously, the idea of a monthly article for reskinning class is something I find very inspiring/useful.

If they could add the resking to Character Builder, changing the name and description of the powers... endless joy for me and a lot of reskinners I know...

awesome, endless joy.