I can't make head nor tails of that layout you suggested. I think if the system designer can't understand it, most players won't either!
Hmm, let try explaining it a different way.
Your current list of traditions is sorted by the tradition name. I am recommending sorting the list by the type of prerequisite so that someone who has a character with three ranks of Bow can look at the list and quickly pick out the traditions that the character meets the requirements for.
Or vice-versa, look at the list and skip over the traditions that the character does not meet the requirements for.
One thing you may not be taking into account. It's all very well forcing an artificial increasing specialization to careers, but sometimes the opposite is true. You require competence in various disciplines before gaining access to a higher one.
I do not propose forced specialization, I propose setting up the system to provide choices between continuation, specialization, advancement, and changing career tracks. In this system some traditions would be marked as specializations and would preclude the character from going back to the generalist tradition.
Lets take a Archer III. The player should have some options, each with their good and their bad:
- Continue as Archer: good, get better and leave your options open
- Specialize as Musketeer: Good, focus on the Musket, bad cannot go back to archer but can still advance to sharpshooter.
- Advance to SharpShooter: Good,focus ranged kills, still can go back to archer or specialize as musketeer
- Change track to Sailor {or any other tradition you meet the prerequisites for}
I'm considering dropping pre-reqs altogether. Completely freeform.
Please don't. I like progressive career paths and would prefer a mix of 'base', 'mid', and 'advanced' traditions.
