Too Many Classes?

[SteveC]

I can see the reasons that a lot of GMs like to run a "core only" campaign. At the same time, as a player, I've really done everything I want to do with the core classes: I've played paladins, rangers, fighters, wizards, rogues and so forth all the way from first level to near epic levels. I've been playing this game for a long time!

For me, playing a new class is about trying something different, and trying to do something I haven't experienced yet. It's not about the power, it's about being novel. So while I could play a hexblade as a combination of fighter and sorcerer, I'd rather try the hexblade, and see what I can do with it. That's about it.

--Steve

 

[Herobizkit]

My reluctance to add a base class is because I need to understand where all those base classes were before. Warlocks a born, not trained, so I am comfortable with them. Archivists can be justified by existing in small numbers, hiding in libraries and monastaries across the campaign world, and their insertion doesn't cause a huge impact on the game.

Do any other DMs worry about this sort of thing?

Not me, for one.

Personally, I'm tired of the same old boring core classes. You'd think with the countless years that a campaign world is alleged to exist, there would exist the possibility that a new job would arise. I mean, someone had to be the "first" scientist, doctor, engineer, practicioner of wu shu, plumber, and so on. So why not have the PC be "the first" of his/her kind? Run him on a trial basis, let the player KNOW he's only on a trial basis, and if the character class doesn't slide, offer him some options or some recompense for making him make a new PC.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Not me, for one.

Personally, I'm tired of the same old boring core classes. You'd think with the countless years that a campaign world is alleged to exist, there would exist the possibility that a new job would arise. I mean, someone had to be the "first" scientist, doctor, engineer, practicioner of wu shu, plumber, and so on. So why not have the PC be "the first" of his/her kind? Run him on a trial basis, let the player KNOW he's only on a trial basis, and if the character class doesn't slide, offer him some options or some recompense for making him make a new PC.

I agree to a degree. As long as you have classes, you'll have the need for new classes. It's one of the downsides of a class system (not that I'm saying that it hasn't its advantages - quite the contrary)

 

[moritheil]

It sounds like headway might be made if this was approached more as a "players and DM have different expectations" problem, instead of a "which side is right?" problem.