D&D 5E The Classes and Races of my 5E Game - What will be yours?

[Jack7]

I have already decided, based upon the likely speculation about 5E Classes and Races which of these will be used in my game and setting.

If 5E introduces new classes and races I find interesting I may introduce those things as well. If you would like to post on what races and classes you intend to use in your 5E game then please feel free to do so.


CLASSES:

These will be the Classes I will be using in 5E. If the class does not exist then I'll either use the class I've already developed or modify the appropriate one in 5E to use in my Milieu. But I don't think, if the class construction is modular in the way I assume it will be (or even if it is not) that it will be much of a problem to adapt such to my setting.

Human classes do not use magic, but the Clerical classes (Cleric, Monk, Priest, and Hermit can do miracles and wonders). Under the right conditions others can as well but the Clerical classes are more adept at this.


Earth: our world, circa 800AD

Cleric
Priest
Monk - Occidental (Byzantine and European)
Monk - Oriental
Hermit

Soldier (also called Warrior or Fighter in some places, all Soldiers have organized military force experience)
Paladin
Ranger (also called the Vigilante)
Cavalier - the precursor to the Paladin and Ranger, nearly hunted out of existence by the Dragoons, some few remain in secret
Knight
Barbarian Warrior

Thief
Rogue (also called a Knave some places)
Bard (also called Skald and Minstrel and other names)

Magi (also called a Wizard some places) - not a magic user but more a Genius and Inventor and Wizard (as in brilliant)
Illusionist - a non-magical illusionist


Ghantik: the world in which magic works, and on which dwell other creatures, such as Elves, Dwarves, Giants, etc. Most Ghantikan Classes use magic. Human classes do not.

Bhiurr (Artillerist) - Equivalent to a Soldier/Ranger on Earth
Konnacht (Knight) - Equivalent to a Cavalier/Knight on Earth
Nockma (Magi) - Equivalent to a Magi/Sorcerer on Earth, but a user of real magic
Tenantt (Peace Agent) - No real equivalent on Earth, but a partial equivalent to a Bard//Illusionist/Ranger/Warrior
Vinfarra (Mystic) - equivalent to Monk/Hermit, and Priest on Earth



Add on Class-Components, Multiclassed and Classless Characters - not separate Classes as specialized large skill clusters that can operate as a separate Class in certain situations or as need be.

Cryptoi (also called Sharper)
Amatuer (also called Acer)
Vadder

Amaconoi - Multiclassed


Important NPCs and Counter PCs

Druid - nearly a dead class but a few still exist in a few isolated areas
Sorcerer
Warlock/Witch
Dragoon - the Antipaladin and the Antiranger
Assassin
Mercenary
Pirate
Brigand
Man-At-Arms (men at arms are individual hirelings, mercenaries muster in camps and groups)
Craftsman
Merchant
Politician
Noble
Bureaucrat
Sage - expert and consultant on a wide range of issues
Master - someone very skilled at a particular thing that can train a PC



RACES (of PCs and NPCs):

These will be the Races to be used in my setting for 5E. There is still one race, long thought extinct, that will be allowed but I haven't disclosed that yet. The other races we've been using for a long time.

Sidelh - (Elf)
Lorahn - (Eladarin)
Ghelkarin - (Dwarf)
Hidelhi - (Halfling)
Human
Tardeem - (Half-Giant) (7 to 12 feet tall)
Haelfa - (Half-Elf)
Deirae - similar to a demigod


Specifically NPC Races

Tardeeks - Giants
Afve
Glammorn
Farhl

 

[Ichneumon]

*points to future PHB* The ones in here.

 

[Incenjucar]

Yes.


Assuming I get it.

 

[Jack Daniel]

I usually allow four to six classes in my campaigns, chosen from (in traditional D&D terms) fighters, clerics, thieves, mages, monks, bards, and artificers. Those pretty much cover all the bases. In some settings, some of these roles get folded together, such that (for example) clerics and bards might both be represented by a single "scholar" class; rogues and artificers might be covered by a single "expert" class; or clerics and monks might get folded together as a single "mystic" class who fights unarmed (rather than turning undead) and manifests divine spells with ch'i.

I like to keep options limited. It makes character creation super-easy, and there's no need to represent mechanically every possible version of an archetype. I see a rangers, paladins, and barbarians as fighters who, respectively, know how to track, take religious vows, and have anger-management problems.

As for races, that varies a little more. I like to include lots of races, ranging from the common (human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling) to the uncommon (centaur, merfolk, faun, sylph, fay) to the downright rare (clockwork man, ent, naga, beastman, sapient construct). My fantasy milieu has always drawn from Tolkien first, classical mythology and Final Fantasy second, and the Wizard of Oz and Shining Force last of all.

 

[Jack7]

I usually allow four to six classes in my campaigns, chosen from (in traditional D&D terms) fighters, clerics, thieves, mages, monks, bards, and artificers. Those pretty much cover all the bases. In some settings, some of these roles get folded together, such that (for example) clerics and bards might both be represented by a single "scholar" class; rogues and artificers might be covered by a single "expert" class; or clerics and monks might get folded together as a single "mystic" class who fights unarmed (rather than turning undead) and manifests divine spells with ch'i.

I like to keep options limited. It makes character creation super-easy, and there's no need to represent mechanically every possible version of an archetype. I see a rangers, paladins, and barbarians as fighters who, respectively, know how to track, take religious vows, and have anger-management problems.

I find that an interesting approach for a milieu, especially the scholar and expert classes.

The Human Wizard is a combination of Scholar and Expert (tending towards being a proto-scientist and inventor) in my setting, though they usually have a lot of allies, such as Sages who assist with scholarship. So I guess you'd say he is primarily an expert, and an artificier/inventor, and lastly a scholar.

The Oriental Human Monk is a mystic and unarmed combatant, the Western Monk more like a Cleric and Mystic, and the Byzantine Monk is a fighting Monk who uses blunt weapons.

Bards are sort of Renaissance Men (for their time period) in my setting, based primarily on both historical Bards and Skalds.

All of the Ghantikan classes are multi-classed, because all of those races have lifespans greater than humans and so naturally have much more time unless killed young to develop multiple class capabilities. Because they are all multi-classed there are only six playing classes altogether (not six Types, but six altogether).

How do you handle Thieves?

And do you have a steady, on-going, long-term milieu or do you have various game-worlds/milieus/settings?

 

[Jack7]

By the way, I guess I should say that I'm also interested in this question for this thread:

"Are you going to use 5E to modify your current game-world, setting, or milieu, or are you going to use 5E to develop an entirely new game-world, setting/milieu?"

How do you suspect you're going to use it?

 

[Jack Daniel]

Oh, even if I'm not always playing in my one main setting, I'd say things usually stay pretty similar from game-world to game-world, since I have pretty definite ideas of what constitutes a coherent and flavorful milieu.

Whether I buy 5E or not is going to depend on a few different factors, thinks like "does this work better for me than Basic D&D?" and "does it come in one book, that I can carry around as easily as my Rules Cyclopedia?" If I have to lug around several core rulebooks just to play the core game, or the system doesn't truly "do anything" better than what I already have, it's bound to be a moot point.

But, assuming I do take up fifth edition, whatever its flavor and mechanics are is also moot. I will hammer the system into fitting my setting, doubtless removing most classes from play, reskinning the various magic systems to suit my needs (sometimes divine magic is based on spell-books, sometimes it's alchemy, sometimes it's ch'i; arcane magic in my games is usually some combination of bookish sorcery and spiritualist pact-making, unlocked by individuals with inherent psychic talent), and adding a pile of playable races that core rules are bound not to cover but which are vital to my kind of fantasy world.

 

[Yora]

I am quite happy with the classes we can expect from the PHB. For a bronze age setting of small clans, these classes should cover almost anything.

Barbarian
Bard
Fighter
Priest
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Warlord

I hope there's a way to have non-vancian druids, then I'll take those as well. In the worst case, I have to make non-vancian conversions for druids and pirests myself.

Race wise, I'll probably only take humans, elves, and half-elves from the PHB, possibly gnomes if they match my plans. Lizardfolk and the unique races of the setting I'll have to come up with myself.

 

[Glade Riven]

5e influences my campaign world by encouraging that I make as much of it as possible system independent. If I have to create new rules for specific systems, then I will - but I want to keep a lot of it to a minimum.

 

[avin]

All of them.

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