What are favored classes to you?

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I think favored classes should reward a player for playing his race's favored class, rather than punish a player for not doing so. I think the way they are now is pretty ignorant.

I agree with you. I am in the process of weighing whether or not to give a small XP bonus to characters advancing in their Favored Gestalt, but otherwise allowing characters to multiclass as they see fit.

 

[Starglim]

The favoured class is the one that defines the society of the race. It may not be mechanically the best class for them, or fit their greatest leaders - they may not even be especially good at it - but a great many of them partake, in some way, in that role.

 

[Greylock]

I think favored classes should reward a player for playing his race's favored class, rather than punish a player for not doing so. I think the way they are now is pretty ignorant.

I like that idea. How would you implement it?

 

[Voadam]

I generally think of it as an easy level or two addition rather than the main focus dipping into something else a little.

So most elves pick up a little basic magic and can cast cantrips.

Most dwarves will have some combat skill and know one end of an axe from the other.

Even the gnome illusionist will likely have a little bardic knowledge.

The half-orc cleric can likely fly off the handle and rage.

The Halfling baker can probably pick your pocket as well as make great pastries.

Etc.

It gives a little more stereotypical flavor to the races easily.

 

[Voadam]

Don't think I could live with myself if I played a Half-Orc anyways. Does anyone play them for that matter? Outside PvP NWN?

Half? Not personally though I have played a full orc.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

I like that idea. How would you implement it?

Not sure really, but I can come up with a bunch of things to consider.
Free feat(s), free skill points, bonuses to saves/BAB, upping their HD, etc..

Maybe an elf casts spells at a higher caster level, and a dwarf has a big BAB bonus...
I'm sure with time I could come up with a viable system, one in which people might be tempted to stick to their favored class - but not one in which it would be ridiculous not to stick to favored class.

 

[wingsandsword]

I also hate favored class. They seem arbitrary, stereotypical, and just seem to get in the way, a vestigial stump of racial level restrictions/limits of prior editions. It even seems to make no sense sometimes. An elf is punished if he decides to start training as a druid or ranger after 2nd level, but both very stereotypical "elf" things. In 1st Edition Half-Orcs were the quinessential assassin race, so why are they potentialy penalized for becoming a Rogue (the quickest path to assassin, and the core-class analog of it). Why are Aasimar favored as Paladins, when they are just as likely to be Neutral or Chaotic good? It must be pretty bad to be the child of an Guardinal who's a NG Aasimar and has effectively no favored class.

I don't want to reward characters for being stereotypical, and I wonder about the potential abuses of bonus feats every 5 levels like in the Conan thing.

I ditched Favored Class in my campaign and never looked back. I did realize that possibly the "Favored Class: Any" was a racial edge for Half-Elves and Humans, so I gave any race that has "Favored Class: Any" the ability to make any one of their class skills they have at 1st level into a permanent class skill. A minor perk, but it doesn't come up unless they multiclass (and even then, out of the same archetype).

Unlike bonus feats for playing a favored class, this doesn't let you qualify for any PrC or feat chain earlier, it only gives a slight skill perk that you don't have to pay extra to keep a single skill maxed out if you multiclass

 

[sullivan]

To me Favoured Class is a way that the RAW manage to take what is suppose to be a game balancing benefit for Humans and Half-elves that reflects their flexibility to adapt and turn it into a penalty.


Elf - Ranger 5/Rogue 5/Wizard 1, no XP penalty

Half-Elf or Human - Ranger 5/Rogue 5/Wizard 1, better lube up because your flexibility "benefit" means it's your turn in the XP barrel

 

[DM_Matt]

To me, favored classes do not exist...and my group is still about half human, so clearly it doesn't nerf them THAT much (Although it does, admittedly, change half-elves from bad to unplayable, but thats a price I'm willing to pay).

 

[sullivan]

To me, favored classes do not exist...and my group is still about half human, so clearly it doesn't nerf them THAT much (Although it does, admittedly, change half-elves from bad to unplayable, but thats a price I'm willing to pay).

It's the principle though. You pay for this and they give you that.