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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Trickster Spirit" data-source="post: 7652734" data-attributes="member: 6701829">Must spread XP around, etc., etc.There's a distinction, though, between "rigid silo of what your character can do" (fixed class abilities), "flexible silo of what your character can do" (picking from a buffet of class abilities ala PF), and "classless system" (choose from any level appropriate class ability). I think you rightly point out that the class system exists in D&D for more reasons than just historical inertia; that archetypes have a purpose in the game. If the "adventurer class" can pick freely from any class's ability list, than there's no longer a class system - an important part of those archetypes is that they not only define what you're good at, they also define what you're not good at. For all we gripe about it, a key part of a class based system is limiting what you character can do based on that archetype.So are we discussing the ability for DMs to create new archetypes for their campaigns, or removing archetypes entirely and just going classless? There's nothing wrong with the latter, but personally I'd rather have a system to bolt different mechanics onto a simple class skeleton and then fine-tine with variant class abilities and fluff changes, sort of a combination of PF-style alternate class abilities with D&D Next style sub-classes, where the sub-classes do most of the heavy lifting. Boom, instant Gladiator or Templar or Noble class that feel different from a fighter or magic-user mechanically and flavor-wise, and it will still provide a loose silo for character hooks - the "cognitive shortcut" you mentioned.</blockquote>

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