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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack7" data-source="post: 4805653" data-attributes="member: 54707">I'll be honest with ya YSIM, I'm not an especially big fan of approaching every new type of character idea as a class either (see <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/254759-worlds-apart-2.html#post4772901" target="_blank">the Vadder</a>).   I do though see people inventing or modifying classes all of the time, especially for particular settings.And I get your point I think about the Lady not being so much a Class, as a Type (or maybe you were implying a Career).Classes though are basic archetypes in D&D, and so common and ideas and easy to understand.I've though, because of this thread and because of other ideas I have previously had, begun to consider the possibility of developing things outside of and independent of class, which would function similarly to class in some ways, but would be very broadly free and subject to open-ended role-play in other ways. So that players would be free to role play more easily and to develop their characters in a much broader, and perhaps far deeper, fashion.The things I am considering for character development include things like:1. Professions or Vocations - adventuring Professions or "Callings,' or what is commonly called class, though profession would operate in a little more open and less regimented fashion2. Roles - both Combat and Non-Combat roles. These roles would be to establish roles within the group, team, or adventuring party itself. 3. Types - as per what I discussed above, these would be mainly very broad social and cultural and gender types. Things like the Lady, Maiden, Nobleman, and Gentleman (and their opposites) that I mentioned before. In some ways these things would be "social roles" and in other ways social and cultural types.4. Classes - in this case I mean actual and real social and political and economic classes, including the ability to take on those responsibilities appropriate to your "station" in life if you wish. This would include Kingmaking, the ability through personal and Heroic action to gain a reputation and to advance to become a publicly acknowledged Leader, or Leader in your field.5. Avocations - such as <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/254759-worlds-apart-2.html#post4772901" target="_blank">the Vadder</a>6. Variant Professions - such as the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/254759-worlds-apart-2.html#post4780289" target="_blank">Acer</a> and <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/254759-worlds-apart-2.html#post4780875" target="_blank">Sharper</a>7. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/254759-worlds-apart-2.html#post4783273" target="_blank">Poly-Professionals</a> - characters with more than one adventuring profession 8. Civil Careers - such as I am considering from the game you mentioned. These would be careers that you undertake over the course of your life that are not adventuring professions and may or may not be helpful in adventuring situations, but are definitely helpful in the broader society and culture. You could have a number of careers and career paths over your life.9. Real World Skills and Abilities - skills and abilities that the player possesses that he would like his character to possess as well, as long as they are setting appropriate10. The Great Man or Woman (the Maestro) - I need perhaps to settle upon a different term for this but it would similar to the political idea behind Kingmaking, but it would carry no overt police power. Instead it would carry great social, cultural, and perhaps religious, academic, and organizational prestige. Over time a character could work his or her way up to being Great. Great as in considered great for and within his culture, society, people, or group (or perhaps the world) - becoming an acknowledged Hero, Genius, Doctor (not necessarily medical doctor, but as in Doctor or PhD, the acknowledged expert), or Saint.11. Civic and Organizational Interest(s) - these could be anything from a Guild membership to being the civil defense or militia leader of the local town to assisting the local hospital and church rescue and treat survivors after an earthquake.(12. Personal Interests - sort of developing on Mal's idea of developments regarding a "wide range of activities," interests, skills, or hobbies, that a character might undertake but which would not necessarily have any direct adventuring (using the term adventuring to mean dangerous infiltration or expedition) benefit or relationship, but could be of real benefit in other ways. And example would be a guy who studies etiquette customs of other cultures because it interests him and is therefore occasionally called upon by the emperor as a court-advisor. He could get paid for such activities or rewarded in other ways, as well as receiving experience or "favors" from time to time. Or it may just be that such activities add to his "reputation" and the way in which he is viewed favorably by others. I may just work this idea into the Civil Careers paths though, but it would be considered more of an amateur career than a professional one.)You put all of these things together and you have a lot of opportunities for role play over a very broad spectrum of activities (it would also be very hard for the DM not to have something to play), and you make characters far more like Real People, many of whom, if not most of us, have a wide range of professional, civil and civic, religious, political, cultural, societal, and amateur interests. Characters could then branch out and practice far more in the way of role play than hack-hack/slash-kill (though I got nothing against outright physical heroism and gritty adventure in and of itself) and dungeon crawl, and could instead also pursue numerous other in-game (and out of game) interests.Such a system, if that's what you wanna call it, of "Complex Character Development" would both help to develop far more well-rounded characters and allow DMs so inclined to develop far more interesting and varied adventures that also help to develop "in-depth" their particular world setting. Instead of their world being just a storehouse for ruins and dungeons (I like dungeons and ruins, I explore ruins as much as I can, but no world could really function if it's main or only product was "ruins") it can then become far more a "real-world" with diverse and distinctive cultures, societies, religions, peoples, etc. And the charters could be more that way too.Because they have avenues of interest to pursue and advance in other than just the ruin-adventure path.If anyone wants to comment about any of these things I'll be happy to listen to what you have to say.</blockquote>

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