"Some" traditional classes to get the axe - Which ones do you reckon?

[Snapdragyn]

From the article:

Part of that polishing includes ramping up the coolness factor on some of the less-popular character classes to make sure that every class has a unique and essential role in a well-balanced party....

I think they'd be hard-pressed to find a better target for this than the bard. I hope that means that bard is not only in, but majorly revamped; the current rogue/sorcerer hybrid is just not unique enough IMO.

 

[The_Gneech]

Based on a recent podcast, Mearls and Noonan consider the bard "the class that wandered in from another game"...

The other game being, presumably, "Dungeons and Dragons before 1991 or so..." :\

-The Gneech

 

[takasi]

I sincerely hope we'll be able to replicate it fairly easily, without being forced into simply being a Rogue/Mage.

I believe you're thinking of a beguiler. Or a spellthief. Or maybe a ninja.

A bard is a fighter / cleric / wizard / rogue.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A sexed-up bard seems like a lock. I'm betting fighters are warblades (or whatever they're called) under the hood. I sure hope prepared and spontaneous spellcasters are merged together into one class with aspects of both (and I'd like to see the equivalent of reserve feats built in a class feature).

 

[drothgery]

If I were to guess...

Bard, paladin, and ranger are prestige classes
Barbarian is a talent tree for Fighter
Druid is a talent tree for Cleric
Sorcerer is nuked because the new spellcasting mechanic means it's redundant with Wizard
And monk is quietly shuffled off to OA4.0 where it belongs.

But Noble shows up as a new base class.

 

[bento]

I'm thinking the monk gets the axe for now. They could re-release it in a future supplement covering Asian-flavored classes.

Gnomes and possibly half-elves might also get the boot.

This thread needs a poll!

 

[Zaruthustran]

Bard needs to go. Remember the OotS strip?

Elan: I'm a bard.
Nale: A bard, huh? My dad taught me that Bards are underpowered.
Elan: Really? So what class are you?
Nale: I'm a multiclass fighter/rogue/sorcerer who specializes in enchantment spells.
Elan: And that never struck you as needlessly complicated?
Nale: Not until this moment, no.

I think Paladin will go as well--that's a PRC. And Ranger and Barbarian will be blended into one class.

Not sure what will happen with magic-using classes. If it's a true new edition, I think we won't have a need for the cleric. Instead, we'll see something like the Dragon Shaman.

For arcane, in my ideal world Wizard will be PRC, and the base arcane class will be something like the Warlock. I don't think we'll see Sorcerer and Wizard as they currently exist.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

This thread needs a poll!

Sadly I can't seem to edit one in.

However, if mods can, and a kindly mod wants to make so we have a multiple-choice poll with all the 3E PHB classes listed, that would be ideal.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Poll already exists in another thread, '4E Class Anti-Survivor' or something like that.

 

[Razz]

I knew it. They're going to kill of Sacred Cows in 4E.

Can't they just either leave them be or make it so they ARE interesting to play?

This is driving me further away from even bothering with 4E... so much for trying to make my 3.5E games work in 4E somehow by meshing and converting the two.