Too easy to accidentally copy something OGL and Too easy to copy the flaws of 5e.
Split the Champion, Battlemaster, and Eldritch Knight into their own classes and give them the full class design space to capture their identities. Samewith something like the Beastmaster and Hexblade. Cut them out and make full classes. We aren't bound to WOTC's no "new classes" rules. And doing so helps you separate yourself from 5e OGL more.
Yeah my current ideal class lineup features 4 classes with roots in the fighter class; brute, knight, swashbuckler, and archer. The Warden is my current name for the swordmage and may be inspired in part by the Paladin, esp with the protective auras, while the Mystic is a more hermetic/occult version of the monk. The Ranger is still the Ranger. Whether there is a Pet Class or not, the Ranger would have an option for an animal companion, probably tied to the spirits of nature rather than a mundane beast.
Since my conception of an assassin class can actually fight (my 5e homebrew gets extra attack), I guess it’s a bit of a rogue/fighter in D&D terms.
But tbh this is a lot. I’m not gonna dive too deep into it until I know the status of the OGL.
Fair enough. Although I'd worry there'd be a very high risk of some classes definitely outshining others. Like, how would a Champion class be as interesting as a Battlemaster Class? Yes, I know that they wouldn't be taken directly from 5e, but the concept of the "basic fighter" isn't going to be as compelling as "basic fighter, but with maneuvers."
Well, if everyone has a resource pool, the champion simply spends it to add to rolls directly, increase intensity of hits, boost defense. Basically, it’s just “spend 1 [resource] to increase the result of a d20 roll by 1d6”. Meanwhile the Battlemaster (what I call the knight) has a combination of stances, techniques, and a mark that can either help it lock down enemies as a tank or give allies extra efficacy against them as a “leader” type.
I'm usually up for combining things, taking the most interesting parts of multiple archetypes and making them into a single, more interesting one. Combine Sharpshooter and Arcane Archer. Battle Master, Kensei, and maybe even Hexblade. Battlemaster, Samurai, and Purple Dragon Knight. Champion and Brute. Obviously not taking it directly from them, of course, but the ideas.
(Also, it might be easier if, like a lot of OSR games, this only went up to 10th level.)
My current idea is, whatever number of types of magic, you also have that number of levels, levels of magical power, etc. so, 9 or 13 or something.
I could be convinced of 13 classes, with way more (mostly) mundane classes than magical focused.
Especially if there isn’t an actual level limit, and you can take a “level” of something that in D&D 5e would be a feat.