Should Advanced Classes include Talents?

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I think AdC trees would be a GOOD idea ... it works really well and has been done in RPGObjects' stuff (I'm looking at the supers AdCs in Blood And Vigilance, right now, and they all have talents alternated with class abilities). It doesn't seem odd, out of place, or difficult to me.

Especially if they aren't overpowered and maintain a relatively limited class focus. I don't want to see broad AdCs because BROAD is what the base classes are supposed to do. In general, I really like to stay away from AdCs when I'm building characters for myself or my players unless there's a very good reason to do otherwise. I don't like them being 3-level dump classes or anything like that. Which is why I'm overall wary aout AdC bloat in general Modern. AdCs are great for very specific games ... like BnV and the like. Something setting-connected.

--fje

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

I think Talent trees are a good idea for advanced classes, allowing them to be slightly different from one another, instead of the old: "Oh, a 4th level Soldier, blah blah blah"...

The Talent Tree is one of the better ideas, allowing more flexibility (isn't that what we want) in the AdC, than what we see with the majority of d20 Fantasy PrC's.

My vote is a big: Yes

 

[C. Baize]

This is another plus in my book, Ralts...
A lack of metagaming possibility.
"Well, let's see... we're 5th level, so, he might send two 4th or 5th level soldiers.... at 5th level, a soldier has [x] BAB, [x] class features, yadda yadda yadda..."
With Talent Trees, it throws a wrench in the metagaming cogs, because there are a number of variables, rather than a set progression.

 

[ledded]

I think AdC trees would be a GOOD idea ... it works really well and has been done in RPGObjects' stuff (I'm looking at the supers AdCs in Blood And Vigilance, right now, and they all have talents alternated with class abilities). It doesn't seem odd, out of place, or difficult to me.

Especially if they aren't overpowered and maintain a relatively limited class focus. I don't want to see broad AdCs because BROAD is what the base classes are supposed to do. In general, I really like to stay away from AdCs when I'm building characters for myself or my players unless there's a very good reason to do otherwise. I don't like them being 3-level dump classes or anything like that. Which is why I'm overall wary aout AdC bloat in general Modern. AdCs are great for very specific games ... like BnV and the like. Something setting-connected.

--fje

I agree whole-heartedly. I like the way that Chuck did it in BnV, and the way our group is modelling future AdvClasses is very similar in style. Give the PC's options that are restricted to those within a particular advanced class so that you get 'reusability' out of an Adv Class. That way, two different guys with the same Adv Class aren't always exactly alike, thereby reducing the need for so many advanced/prestige classes.

Like you, I like to stay away from AdC bloat, but at the same time would like them to serve the purpose of giving someone a class that is more focused in what their character concept is trying to go with, while having just a little bit of leeway so as to serve more than just one distilled purpose.

For example, I play a private investigator in our Modern game. None of the investigative-type AdCs are even close to the kind of hard-hitting, hard-boiled, better-charismatic-than-good-at-this style he portrays. If there was a few options to one or two they would have been a much better match, but as it is either the flavor/abilities of the classes or the prerequisites would require me going too far out of where I want to go with him, so I stayed away from them.

I like the way Grim Tales does talents also, and we may do something like that in the future, but for now our new Advanced Classes are probably going to have a carefully selected and small set of options for at least one of the class abilities that you receive every 3 levels or so.

 

[Petya]

I think d20 Future provides us with a better way to get more talents...I mean, look at the <base class name> Plus it gives 2 talents? What more could we need? And it isn't that future-specific thing (IMHO)...on the other hand isn't there an advanced class (Speed Demon) that gives Uncanny Dodge X?

 

[kingpaul]

on the other hand isn't there an advanced class (Speed Demon) that gives Uncanny Dodge X?

Both Speed Demon (Urban Arcana...there's one in BnV as well) and Thrasher have Uncanndy Dodge X.