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<blockquote data-quote="kenjib" data-source="post: 63112" data-attributes="member: 530">A potential 4e D&amp;D:&nbsp; Create an underlying nuts and bolts system that allows you to construct a character level by level cafeteria-style from various abilities and use prerequisites and synergistic bonuses to encourage characters with multiple skills in related areas.&nbsp; Create templates for all of the traditional D&amp;D classes using this system.&nbsp; This allows you to play D&amp;D both ways.&nbsp; You can play it classless or you can use the templates to provide the conveniences of classes all the while retaining the flexibility of the classless underpinnings should you choose to deviate from the standards.There are netbooks out there that kind of do this but they are suffering from a fundamental design flaw - the original D&amp;D classes were not built with their systems, so they have to retrofit and make compromises.&nbsp; If built from the start like this, the whole system would be more consistent.&nbsp; They also lack two essential things:1.&nbsp; WotC's large resources and experience in both design and playtesting.2.&nbsp; The official stamp of approval.&nbsp; Don't underestimate this.&nbsp; It's a large part of where your playerbase comes from.As Joshua Dyal pointed out, if D&amp;D provided a solid, consistent, and mechanical way to custom build classes, it would effectively become a classless system.&nbsp; It's no different, other than semantically, from what I described above.What is the advantage to a classed system when you consider an alternate option like this?&nbsp; In theory it provides all of the benefits of a classed system but also opens up new realms of flexibility should you choose to use it (and with the templates you wouldn't even have to).&nbsp; You could make the thing work so transparently that players playing this hypothetical D&amp;D 4e wouldn't even be able to tell that there was a classless system underlying it at all if they don't buy &quot;Core Rules IV:&nbsp; Class Building Rulebook</blockquote>

[QUOTE="kenjib, post: 63112, member: 530"] A potential 4e D&D: Create an underlying nuts and bolts system that allows you to construct a character level by level cafeteria-style from various abilities and use prerequisites and synergistic bonuses to encourage characters with multiple skills in related areas. Create templates for all of the traditional D&D classes using this system. This allows you to play D&D both ways. You can play it classless or you can use the templates to provide the conveniences of classes all the while retaining the flexibility of the classless underpinnings should you choose to deviate from the standards. There are netbooks out there that kind of do this but they are suffering from a fundamental design flaw - the original D&D classes were not built with their systems, so they have to retrofit and make compromises. If built from the start like this, the whole system would be more consistent. They also lack two essential things: 1. WotC's large resources and experience in both design and playtesting. 2. The official stamp of approval. Don't underestimate this. It's a large part of where your playerbase comes from. As Joshua Dyal pointed out, if D&D provided a solid, consistent, and mechanical way to custom build classes, it would effectively become a classless system. It's no different, other than semantically, from what I described above. What is the advantage to a classed system when you consider an alternate option like this? In theory it provides all of the benefits of a classed system but also opens up new realms of flexibility should you choose to use it (and with the templates you wouldn't even have to). You could make the thing work so transparently that players playing this hypothetical D&D 4e wouldn't even be able to tell that there was a classless system underlying it at all if they don't buy "Core Rules IV: Class Building Rulebook [/QUOTE]

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