Shared Class Features

[Minigiant]

Last week's Ro3 stated that many of their current versions of classes share certain mechanics/features. I have no problem with this being included in the core version of the game. These mechanics can be pulled out later with modules and variants.

But what should be the core shared mechanics/features...

Arcane Spellcasting: Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Assassin
The wizard and sorcerer classes would be full arcanists. It the Bard's magic stays arcane, it would be a secondary arcanist. The assassin would be a tertiary arcanist.

Divine Spellcasting: Cleric, Priest*, Paladin
The cleric is the primary divine spellcaster if there is no caster priest class. If there is, the cleric could be reduced to secondary. Either way the core paladin is a tertiary divine caster.

Primal/Druidic Spellcasting: Druid, Ranger, Bard.
Druid primary. Ranger tertiary. If the bard is primal/driudic, it is secondary.

Weapon Specialization: Fighter, Ranger, Barbarian, Paladin, Warlord
Every warrior class gets weapon specialization. If it is done in weapon groups and able to chosen multiple times, the way the fighter keeps its specialness is by having the most specializations. By a very low level, a fighter could have almost every weapon specialized.

Sneak Attack: Rogue, Assassin, Bard
These three classes would get sneak attack. The rogue could get an ability for trickier sneak attack while the assassin gets a deadlier sneak attack. The bard would just get a basic one to reflect its thief roots.

Evasion: Assassin, Barbarian, Rogue, Monk
I want to roll 3E's Evasion, Trapsense, and Uncanny Dodge into one class feature.

Hide in Plain Sight: Rogue, Ranger, Assassin
I am all for these classes to be able to blend into their surrounding easily in the correct terrain.

Combat Manuvuers: Fighter, Barbarian, Ranger, Rogue, Warlord
For this one. Paladins don't get it and get smites instead.

Now in certain modules I would not be opposed that other mechanics are share. A bard could get HIPS in crowds. A fighter could swap a few weapon specializations for rage or sneak attack through a variant.

What shared mechanic would you accept as core?

 

[GreyICE]

God I don't want Bards as arcane spellcasters. It's always been a hack fix for the fact that Bards have no identity.

Give them a real identity.

 

[FireLance]

God I don't want Bards as arcane spellcasters. It's always been a hack fix for the fact that Bards have no identity.

Give them a real identity.

I'm not sure which concept of a bard you're thinking of, but to me, bards should be adept at illusion and charms, which puts them quite solidly in the arcane camp.

I suppose you could also make a case for them to be psionic, but I doubt that would gain much traction. Crystals and singing? Yeah, right.

EDIT: By the way, this should probably be spun off into another thread so as not to derail the original discussion.

 

[MoonSong]

Bards with sneak attack? that is extremely odd, even if it is a token one, I'd rather have a meaningfull perform skill than that.

 

[Grazzt]

Assassins shouldn't be spellcasters (meaning the class shouldn't cast spells; if someone multiclass's into it or it's a prestige class, fine. But the class in and of itself shouldn't grant spells.)

 

[Minigiant]

Assassins shouldn't be spellcasters (meaning the class shouldn't cast spells; if someone multiclass's into it or it's a prestige class, fine. But the class in and of itself shouldn't grant spells.)

The thing is, I don't see an assassin class having much of a reason for existing without spellcasting. Without spellcasting, the assassin is just a rogue with a slightly different sneak attack with percentage dice. Such an archetype is not deserving of it's own class.

 

[Frostmarrow]

The thing is, I don't see an assassin class having much of a reason for existing without spellcasting. Without spellcasting, the assassin is just a rogue with a slightly different sneak attack with percentage dice. Such an archetype is not deserving of it's own class.

Assassins belong in the Monster Manual.

Great list, by the way.

 

[Minigiant]

Assassins belong in the Monster Manual.

Great list, by the way.

There is a place for the assassin. It just needs to strip off the "hired killer" baggage.

A D&D assassin should be refluffed into people trained in various methods of killing others and the surrounding abilities needed to get to the kill; information gathering, stealth, bypassing traps and wards, opening locked doors, indentification of people and place, tracking, and disguise.

That way players can create hunters of a faith's enemy, a king's counterassassin, a VIP's secret security, crime fighters who cannot risk being known publicly, a protector that deals with threats that cannot be dealt with fairly, and of course hired killers.

 

[gyor]

Here is my list:

Arcane Spell Casting:
Wizard, Sorceror, Warlock, Bard. The difference is in the spell list and how the class features interact with spells and wheather vancian or some other system.

Divine: Priest, Cleric, Paladin. Priest and Cleric get full access to most divine spells, but a Priests domain adds extra choices depending on domain. I'd also give Priest other benifits to compensate for the lack of good armour weapons and other cleric stuff. Paladin's get less choice in spells and fewer, but get powerful smites instead and divine challenge and a steed. Clerics vancian spells, Priests flexible, Paladin's vancian.

Combat Manuevers: You forgot they already said that martial classes all get combat manuevers, although how they interact with them is different.

Shadow Magic: Assassin, possibly any shadow magic classes.

sneak attack: Rogues, Assassins with the possiblity that they will be combat manuevers instead.

Primal Magic: Druid, Ranger, maybe Barbarian

Turn undead: Clerics, maybe Priests.

Psionic power points: Psions and any future psionic class.

Animal Companions: Druid, Ranger, and limited Paladin. Magical summon and dismiss.

 

[Sunseeker]

There is a place for the assassin. It just needs to strip off the "hired killer" baggage.

A D&D assassin should be refluffed into people trained in various methods of killing others and the surrounding abilities needed to get to the kill; information gathering, stealth, bypassing traps and wards, opening locked doors, indentification of people and place, tracking, and disguise.

That way players can create hunters of a faith's enemy, a king's counterassassin, a VIP's secret security, crime fighters who cannot risk being known publicly, a protector that deals with threats that cannot be dealt with fairly, and of course hired killers.

I still quite perfer the assassin as the "made a deal with dark powers for special death magic" to the "trained killer" trope.