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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aaron L" data-source="post: 3704522" data-attributes="member: 926">A neat twist is that every four levels, TWO abilities get an increase, instead of just one.  But it has to be two separate abilities, you can't "double-bump" one ability score.You add half your level to all damage rolls; higher level heroes just hit harder.  Weather this stays in 4E, I have no idea.    You add your level to AC.  Reflex saves are the same as AC. (Reflex Defense, I think it's called.)  I love how classes are put together:  They each have a set BAB and saves as in 3.X, but as for class abilities and feats; they all get a feat and class ability selection at alternating levels, every level.  The class abilities are picked from several different "trees" for each class, and the feats are chosen from a pool common to all classes.  So everyone gets lots of feats, and can totally customize their class abilities.  Take the Jedi class; there are Gaurdian, Consular, Lightsaber Combat, and a few other tress to select class abilities from.  It makes it so no two Jedi are the same (unless you specifically set out to make them the same) and every character can be individualized as far as you can think.  It makes it so that instead of having a separate class for every little distinction in class abilities you want, you just have to make a different tree for the "overclass" that covers the basic archetype.  So maybe for 4E a "Warrior" class could have Paladin, Ranger, Fighter, and Psychic Warrior trees.  Maybe a "Magic-User" class could have Wizard, Cleric, and Druid trees.       And even more than that, it could allow for some pretty nifty specializations, like maybe a Duskblade branch for a Warrior class tree, with lighter-than-Wizard spellcasting at the cost of the specialized combat abilities of, say, a straight Fighter-style build.  Or maybe a "Fighting Cleric" branch of the "Warrior" with spellcasting at the cost of some combat ability, or maybe make the "Fighting Cleric" branch off of the "Magic-User" by choosing fighting ability at the cost of increased magic use.Prestige classes are the same, with more powerful class ability trees to choose from, and the same pool of feats.  Plus, the way it is in Star Wars Saga, the PrCs are two-tiered; it goes from Jedi Base Class, to Jedi Knight Prestige Class, to Jedi Master "Stage 2" Prestige Class.  (The same with Sith, and Soldier/Officer/Commander type classes.  Forgive my vagueness, I lent my book out and don't have it handy to reference.)The concept has interesting possibilities, if they follow through with it for 4E.  Fighting Cleric could be a PrC for Warriors after the basics are chosen from the base class trees, and maybe Paladin could be a second stage PrC after that.I really like that idea of progressing Prestige Classes.  I had toyed around with similar tiered PrCs for my homebrew setting.  Kind of like the old Dragonlance Crown/Sword/Rose knighthoods.  To get to the higher tiers you have to go through the lower ones, but you can progress as far as you want in the lower tiers accumulating class specific abilities and skills before you "graduate" to the "higher" class.   And because of the plethora of class abilities and feats every character has at it's disposal, no two characters need be the same, even moreso even than it is in 3.x.  Many different "palettes" of class abilities to choose from instead of fixed "paths" really excites me with the possibilities for D&D classes.  Armored magic-user trees, weapon specialization and mastery trees, acrobatic combat trees, psionic, divine, and arcane trees... you name it, they could have anything, judging how they handled it in SWSE.  The Lightsaber Form trees alone made me giggle with glee, with all the different 'saber combat form masteries.  It was just fun to look at and imagine the possibilities. And now, imagining building Fighters and Wizards and Bladesingers the same way, maybe with trees for Two Handed Weapon bruisers vs Sword and Board Warriors vs Elegant One Handed Finesse Weapon and One Free Hand... this has the possibility of being REALLY cool.  I just hope it lives up to the possibilities.  But the basic mechanics how the game actually plays are pretty much the same old D20 you know and love (depending on if you love it or not... I do.)           I REALLY like the set-up and the possibilities it implies for 4E.  I hope I'm not setting myself up for a fall with all the possibilities I'm thinking up, because I'm thinking up some REALLY COOL possibilities!  Say, a primarily Arcane Magic-User "Wizard" (with abilities from an Arcane Magic tree) with just a touch of Divine grace and miraculous abilities (from a Divine Magic tree) and a few Psionic powers (an ability or two from a Psionic Power tree.)Hey waitaminnit, isn't that Elminster?!Or maybe make a "Warrior" with some "Light Arcane Spellcasting" tree class abilities, mixed with some "Single Finesse Weapon with a Free Hand" tree abilities and "Lightly Armored and Dodging" tree abilities and make yourself a nice little Bladesinger (I know I certainly will!)And finally, wrap it all up with powers and abilities balanced to renew after each combat/encounter, rather than each day, and you get adventurers who keep going and only stop when they need to sleep, instead of going into a dungeon (or hat-have-you) and coming back out to rest for the night after 15 minutes of "hard exploring."  I like the sound of that.  Like comic books, or fantasy novels.  The Wizard can just keep casting and casting and isn't limited to so many spells per day.  But I have absolutely no idea how they'll handle magic, if it will stay Vancian or not.  I like Vancian, but wouldn't have a problem with dropping it, modifying it, or having alternatives.  The Saga method of handling the Force is really cool.    Anyway, enough of my rambling speculations.  My fingers are tired and aching after all this.  Hope this wasn't TOO incoherent.</blockquote>

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