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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
The Role of Classes in 5e
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<blockquote data-quote="niklinna" data-source="post: 8391035" data-attributes="member: 71235"><p>Classes exist in 5e to provide stereotypes. These stereotypes aren't necessarily based on particular mechanical roles, but they usually do cover particular narrative tropes at some level of breadth (often in the class as a whole) or narrowness (more typically in its subclasses). On the plus side:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A quick glance over the baker's dozen of classes can get you in the ballpark of a character concept you have in mind, and with luck one of the subclasses will be very close. This is especially good for new players. More experienced players can multiclass for even more specific concepts.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stereotypes and tropes are by definition well-known, so they enforce genre standards and help give coherency to how things roll out in an adventure.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">On the other hand, you can subvert them for more interesting characters and stories.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">With a little work, you can reskin certain parts of a class/subclass for a custom feel.</li> </ul><p>On the minus side:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Thirteen stereotypes really isn't a lot (have you ever wasted hours at tvtropes.org?), so players with concepts that don't immediately fit snugly may be frustrated with the choices available—even with multiclassing. I've seen many a thread about making a shaman or witch, for example, with some people arguing that druid/warlock cover them fine, others saying oh no they don't, and of course plenty of homebrewed classes and subclasses.*</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Classes often provide very specific powers and abilities, both narratively and mechanically, so that reskinning can be problematic. Say you want a shaman-type with a spirit companion—wildfire druid looks like what you need! But it's all based around fire. Changing all the subclass and spirit abilities to a different element or theme is a mechanical job, and not a small one (not a huge one either, of course, but it's more work than picking things off a list).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The meta-classes of martial, caster, half/third/whatever-caster, plus whatever the warlock is**, limit character types more implicitly but every bit as much as the classes themselves.</li> </ul><p>* Part of the problem here, of course, is that compared to other stereotypes, shaman and witch are a fair bit fuzzier (not that this is the thread to go into detail about that). There's a reason Ronald Hutton names the parts of his book on shamans "Why we think we know about shamans" and "What we think we know about shamans".</p><p></p><p>** I mean really, what the heck is the grab bag of stuff that is the 5e warlock? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="niklinna, post: 8391035, member: 71235"] Classes exist in 5e to provide stereotypes. These stereotypes aren't necessarily based on particular mechanical roles, but they usually do cover particular narrative tropes at some level of breadth (often in the class as a whole) or narrowness (more typically in its subclasses). On the plus side: [LIST] [*]A quick glance over the baker's dozen of classes can get you in the ballpark of a character concept you have in mind, and with luck one of the subclasses will be very close. This is especially good for new players. More experienced players can multiclass for even more specific concepts. [*]Stereotypes and tropes are by definition well-known, so they enforce genre standards and help give coherency to how things roll out in an adventure. [*]On the other hand, you can subvert them for more interesting characters and stories. [*]With a little work, you can reskin certain parts of a class/subclass for a custom feel. [/LIST] On the minus side: [LIST] [*]Thirteen stereotypes really isn't a lot (have you ever wasted hours at tvtropes.org?), so players with concepts that don't immediately fit snugly may be frustrated with the choices available—even with multiclassing. I've seen many a thread about making a shaman or witch, for example, with some people arguing that druid/warlock cover them fine, others saying oh no they don't, and of course plenty of homebrewed classes and subclasses.* [*]Classes often provide very specific powers and abilities, both narratively and mechanically, so that reskinning can be problematic. Say you want a shaman-type with a spirit companion—wildfire druid looks like what you need! But it's all based around fire. Changing all the subclass and spirit abilities to a different element or theme is a mechanical job, and not a small one (not a huge one either, of course, but it's more work than picking things off a list). [*]The meta-classes of martial, caster, half/third/whatever-caster, plus whatever the warlock is**, limit character types more implicitly but every bit as much as the classes themselves. [/LIST] * Part of the problem here, of course, is that compared to other stereotypes, shaman and witch are a fair bit fuzzier (not that this is the thread to go into detail about that). There's a reason Ronald Hutton names the parts of his book on shamans "Why we think we know about shamans" and "What we think we know about shamans". ** I mean really, what the heck is the grab bag of stuff that is the 5e warlock? :p [/QUOTE]
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