Suggest New or Variant Classes for a Woodsy Campaign

[WayneLigon]

I'm restarting an old campaign and I think this time around I want to start using or including some different classes. The campaign is focused on a forest setting with only a few small towns, save near the coast. Obviously, the traditional druids and rangers would ordinarily be predominant in such a setting but... I'm thinking I might want something different. I'd like some suggestions for classes to include, classes to exclude, and class modifications.

Some ideas I'm looking at right now.
Using the Witch class from Green Ronin as the major spellcasting class.
Using the no-spells ranger variant from UA.

Some opinion I'd like to see.
Barbarians. Obviously barbarians of some type should be around, but the berserker rage just does not fit the setting. Is there a rage-less Barbarian variant out there, or - lacking that - should I just drop the class altogether and use, say, Warriors and call them Barbarians. Should I use the class as written, drop the Rage ability and replace it with something else? What else would that be? With the Ranger included, is the Barbarian a little superfulous without the Rage ability?

Druids. I like the idea of the nature priests, obviously. Shapeshifting fits right in there with the various themes I want to use. The spell list is OK; not grwat, but OK. The question is, if I use the druid as the major Divine caster, I lose that spontaneous curing capacity of the cleric. Also, dealing destruction to the undead will be a major campaign theme.

So...

1. Should I go with a 'godless' Cleric, call it a 'druid' or whatever, and simply have them pick two elemental-related Domains?

2. Add in the spontaneous cure and turn undead abilities back into the Druid and find some way of balancing those? At that point, it's well on the way to 'create my own woodsy spellcaster class', so... is there a good one out there?

3. I've thought of using the AU Greenbond to some degree, as well, but want to use the 3.5E spell system for this group.

4. Or just go with the Green Ronin Witch and be done with it.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Shallown]

A nice mounted specialist class. Not cavalary but nomad horse archer etc. A ranger can do it but maybe something more specialized than that. cross of Babarian and Paladin. replace Rage with specialist mount stuff.

Adepts may fit in as well. A small boost in power to make them balance a little better.

I think the Greenbond fits in very well. Just have to switch thinsg around to make it 3.5 and not AU. could be done.

A bard that is more a traveling scholar/mediator etc than a performer.

You can also do the druid and have them choose Wildshape or turning. animal companion or spontanous healing or work out something balanced like that. Keep the spell list and other abilities.

I would imagine Fighters would be less heavy armor oriented so think of Swashbuckler form Colpete warrior or some varient like that.

later

 

[EricNoah]

You might want to peek at Unearthed Arcana -- lots of suggestions for variants of the standard classes. Your rage-less barbarian is in there, some alternatives for druid spellcasting are in there, etc.

 

[WayneLigon]

Your rage-less barbarian is in there, some alternatives for druid spellcasting are in there, etc.

I'm still going through it; probably going to use the spell-less ranger variant in there. I must have missed this, what with seeing the Frenzied Berserker and all. Excellent.

 

[dreaded_beast]

I'm a big fan of "customizing" classes to fit into whatever you envision for your character concept. For this particular thread, my definition of customizing means keeping the mechanics of the class in question "as is" with no mechanical modifications, just changing the descriptive/flavor text of class and it's abilities.

For example, using "non-woodsy" type classes:

Rogue: Just change the name Rogue to Scout. Call Sneak Attack, Ambush: the Scout is trained at striking vital points using the woods and trees. Works exactly like Sneak Attack, just different flavor text.

Bard: Just change the name of Bard to Tribal Storyteller or Keeper of the Word

Paladin: Just describe him as a "warrior who draws his powers from the divine power of nature". Maybe he can be called a Warden. Call Divine Grace, Nature's Grace, etc.

Wizard: The wizard's spellbooks consists of treebark and leaves.

Sorcerer: The powers of the sorcerer spring from having "fey" ancestory.

Hope this helps.

 

[DiFier]

perhaps for the cleric you could have requirements on domain choice. basically make the first domain be from this list: air, animal, earth, fire, plant, sun, water. that will give the clerics a more nature feel. or perhaps you could remove fire air and earth. and just have animal, plant sun and water.

I want to run a world where the "gods" are the 4 elements so each cleric must choose air, earth, fire or water as one of their domains.

 

[fett527]

When we started our current campaign one player wanted a Wilderness Fighter, but not the Ranger class. We did some looking around and found the Woodsman from Wheel of Time was almost perfect. Check it out.

 

[WayneLigon]

When we started our current campaign one player wanted a Wilderness Fighter, but not the Ranger class. We did some looking around and found the Woodsman from Wheel of Time was almost perfect. Check it out.

Actually, I requested the WoT book as my prize from BigFreakingGoblinoid's contest for that very purpose. I'm looking at a number of classes from that book.

For this particular thread, my definition of customizing means keeping the mechanics of the class in question "as is" with no mechanical modifications, just changing the descriptive/flavor text of class and it's abilities.

Yeah, I'm definately keeping rogue, and bard. They both have a huge role to play in this world. The name changes might go into effect. I like the idea of Sorcerers as gaining power from fey blood. That will probably go into the players intro document. I still haven't decided about wizards; there might be some customization I want, but I'm not sure what. Fighter and Wizard I'll probably just use as is.

 

[Nightfall]

My advice, use a Shaman core class as well as druid.

 

[SSquirrel]

Back just after Monte made his Ranger variant i blended the D&D and WoT Ranger types together and made a nice spellless ranger. The version from WoT by itself is just fine.

My answers for everyone lately seem to involve the phrase "Have you looked at Arcana Unearthed yet?". Seriously, the Witch class is neat, Totem Warriors work very nicely as Barbarians. I think a Druid is a definite yes and the Star Wars d20 game has a Scout class if you wanted a more wilderness rogue. Or use the WIlderness Rogue from UA heh.

Hagen