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*Dungeons & Dragons
Your Core Classes if The Core 4 Aren't Allowed
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<blockquote data-quote="DammitVictor" data-source="post: 9827347" data-attributes="member: 6750908"><p>I'm... <em>doing this twice. </em>Concurrently. One's a 3.PF thought experiment in... mechanical worldbuilding. The other's a house system I'm designing for the OSR/NSR community, with a JRPG spelljammer-ish default setting, to support a couple of my BIG WIP settings.</p><p></p><p>The Big Dumb Thought Experiment is 3.PF1, with <em>wide open </em>(but not unconditional) supplemental and third-party tolerance, but no core classes/ancestries. Planetouched are "human", goblinoids replace all the standard Tolkien ancestries, and the sprawling space setting is chock-full of WotC and Paizo obscurities.</p><p></p><p>The <em>Octal Heart </em>house system (title pending) and <em>Shroompunk</em> are my ongoing professional projects. Mechanically, I'm using <em>Sword World, Player's Option</em>, and <em>Level Up Advanced 5e </em>as my comp titles; it's basically a d20 System game replacing the d20 with roll-and-keep d8s to balance 5e's Bounded Accuracy with reliability for specialists.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>For the 3.PF1 thought experiment, all PHB/CRB base (not NPC or PrC) classes are banned, with <em>narrow</em> cut-outs for Monk and Sorcerer.</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First-party and third-party supplements are <em>wide open</em>; the actually class/ancestry whitelist is <em>Oriental Adventures</em>/<em>Rokugan Campaign Setting</em> (minus Courtier), XPH/<em>Ultimate Psionics</em>, <em>Races of X, Complete X </em>and <em>Ultimate X, </em>APG/ACG/ARG minus any class that gets unrestricted access to the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell lists. Plus DSP's half-goblin ancestries to replace half-elf and half-orc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Planetouched and dhampir count as human for all purposes; they get a modified (limited but scaling) version of Bonus Feat and Skilled.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Handful of tweaks:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There's a sort of ki/psionic transparency and "buying in" is fairly easy even without using dedicated classes.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Every mid or full-caster has a couple of other spell lists it can poach with Expanded Arcana, including the <em>forbidden lists</em>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Prepared" casting is Arcanist-style, like in 5e; Spell Mastery applies to all prepared casters and adds +1 "always prepared" spell in addition to its normal benefits.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A lot of unique mechanics that are tied to Core classes get sprinkled around, notably Advanced Weapon & Armor Training, <em>lay on hands</em>/<em>mercies</em>, Rage Powers and Rogue Talents. Lots of classes get big bumps to replace ribbons or features I consider excessively fiddly.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p>As far as Octal Heart... </p><p></p><p>Classes are divided more or less into Role and Power Source, like in 4e, except classes are ranked in multiple Roles and Power Sources. </p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Every class advances in <strong>Martial </strong>and <strong>Psychic</strong>, as the most basic expression of these power sources is having ability scores and saving throws. Martial includes "martial arts" similar to Bo9S or <em>Dragon Fist</em>, while Psychic includes 3e/5e psionics and dilettante magic.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Pure" Martial classes have better-than-average Psychic and <em>vice versa.</em></li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Arcane </strong>power is largely about the manipulation of matter and physical energy, like the schools of elemental evocation and transmutation.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Primal </strong>power is about living beings, flesh and blood and vegetable matter, and the natural world.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Spirit </strong>power is about souls and spiritual forces. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Shadow </strong>power is about darkness, entropy, and destruction.</li> </ul><p>Similarly, the Roles are almost straight 4e, except Melee/Ranged Striker are separated and Debuff/AOE Damage are separated. </p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Martial</strong><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Knights</strong> are basically 4e Fighter/Warlords. Martial Defender/Leader, better in melee than at range.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Rangers </strong>are... ranged Rangers, or 3.PF Gunslingers or (DSP psionics) Marksmen.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Slayers</strong> are melee Ranger/Rogues.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Freebooters</strong> are well-rounded combatants, less specialized than the others and less Martial, but with more versatility as Martial characters and better Psychic abilities.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Psychic</strong><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Espers </strong>are mostly diviner/enchanter types, with a bit of dimensional (non-summoning) conjuration and force evocation. Buffer/Debuffer with strong utility, psychic damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Psykers</strong> are more or less the reverse, Psychic Strikers and AOE relying on force, lightning, and thunder damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Witches</strong> are... basically magic Freebooters. Higher Martial than other Psychic classes, less specialized, and better capable of poaching spells from other Power Sources.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Arcane</strong><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Evokers </strong>use elemental magic to wreck face.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Alchemists </strong>are less effective at wrecking face, but are better at buffer/debuffer and utility magic. More transmutation than evocation.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Druids </strong>are... more like PF Hunter + Shifter, a more martial and combat-focused primal caster. Primal magic in the core rules doesn't really "go up all the way".</li> </ul><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Shaman</strong> is your classic Life/Light Cleric, White Mage, etc. Usually gets mixed with varying degrees of Knight, to range from the D&D Paladin type to the 3.0 Healer type.</li> </ul><p><strong>Shadow </strong>breaks down into the <strong>Avenger</strong>, the <strong>Assassin</strong>, and the <strong>Warlock</strong>. The Avenger's the Blackguard/Hexblade, the FF Dark Knight; the Assassin is the 4e Assassin, magical ninja, etc. The Warlock is a debuffer/ranged striker that uses a lot of necrotic damage, curses, and overall misery.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DammitVictor, post: 9827347, member: 6750908"] I'm... [I]doing this twice. [/I]Concurrently. One's a 3.PF thought experiment in... mechanical worldbuilding. The other's a house system I'm designing for the OSR/NSR community, with a JRPG spelljammer-ish default setting, to support a couple of my BIG WIP settings. The Big Dumb Thought Experiment is 3.PF1, with [I]wide open [/I](but not unconditional) supplemental and third-party tolerance, but no core classes/ancestries. Planetouched are "human", goblinoids replace all the standard Tolkien ancestries, and the sprawling space setting is chock-full of WotC and Paizo obscurities. The [I]Octal Heart [/I]house system (title pending) and [I]Shroompunk[/I] are my ongoing professional projects. Mechanically, I'm using [I]Sword World, Player's Option[/I], and [I]Level Up Advanced 5e [/I]as my comp titles; it's basically a d20 System game replacing the d20 with roll-and-keep d8s to balance 5e's Bounded Accuracy with reliability for specialists. For the 3.PF1 thought experiment, all PHB/CRB base (not NPC or PrC) classes are banned, with [I]narrow[/I] cut-outs for Monk and Sorcerer. [LIST] [*]First-party and third-party supplements are [I]wide open[/I]; the actually class/ancestry whitelist is [I]Oriental Adventures[/I]/[I]Rokugan Campaign Setting[/I] (minus Courtier), XPH/[I]Ultimate Psionics[/I], [I]Races of X, Complete X [/I]and [I]Ultimate X, [/I]APG/ACG/ARG minus any class that gets unrestricted access to the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell lists. Plus DSP's half-goblin ancestries to replace half-elf and half-orc. [*]Planetouched and dhampir count as human for all purposes; they get a modified (limited but scaling) version of Bonus Feat and Skilled. [*]Handful of tweaks: [LIST] [*]There's a sort of ki/psionic transparency and "buying in" is fairly easy even without using dedicated classes. [*]Every mid or full-caster has a couple of other spell lists it can poach with Expanded Arcana, including the [I]forbidden lists[/I]. [*]"Prepared" casting is Arcanist-style, like in 5e; Spell Mastery applies to all prepared casters and adds +1 "always prepared" spell in addition to its normal benefits. [*]A lot of unique mechanics that are tied to Core classes get sprinkled around, notably Advanced Weapon & Armor Training, [I]lay on hands[/I]/[I]mercies[/I], Rage Powers and Rogue Talents. Lots of classes get big bumps to replace ribbons or features I consider excessively fiddly. [/LIST] [/LIST] As far as Octal Heart... Classes are divided more or less into Role and Power Source, like in 4e, except classes are ranked in multiple Roles and Power Sources. [LIST] [*]Every class advances in [B]Martial [/B]and [B]Psychic[/B], as the most basic expression of these power sources is having ability scores and saving throws. Martial includes "martial arts" similar to Bo9S or [I]Dragon Fist[/I], while Psychic includes 3e/5e psionics and dilettante magic. [LIST] [*]"Pure" Martial classes have better-than-average Psychic and [I]vice versa.[/I] [/LIST] [*][B]Arcane [/B]power is largely about the manipulation of matter and physical energy, like the schools of elemental evocation and transmutation. [*][B]Primal [/B]power is about living beings, flesh and blood and vegetable matter, and the natural world. [*][B]Spirit [/B]power is about souls and spiritual forces. [*][B]Shadow [/B]power is about darkness, entropy, and destruction. [/LIST] Similarly, the Roles are almost straight 4e, except Melee/Ranged Striker are separated and Debuff/AOE Damage are separated. [LIST] [*][B]Martial[/B] [LIST] [*][B]Knights[/B] are basically 4e Fighter/Warlords. Martial Defender/Leader, better in melee than at range. [*][B]Rangers [/B]are... ranged Rangers, or 3.PF Gunslingers or (DSP psionics) Marksmen. [*][B]Slayers[/B] are melee Ranger/Rogues. [*][B]Freebooters[/B] are well-rounded combatants, less specialized than the others and less Martial, but with more versatility as Martial characters and better Psychic abilities. [/LIST] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][B]Psychic[/B] [LIST] [*][B]Espers [/B]are mostly diviner/enchanter types, with a bit of dimensional (non-summoning) conjuration and force evocation. Buffer/Debuffer with strong utility, psychic damage. [*][B]Psykers[/B] are more or less the reverse, Psychic Strikers and AOE relying on force, lightning, and thunder damage. [*][B]Witches[/B] are... basically magic Freebooters. Higher Martial than other Psychic classes, less specialized, and better capable of poaching spells from other Power Sources. [/LIST] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][B]Arcane[/B] [LIST] [*][B]Evokers [/B]use elemental magic to wreck face. [*][B]Alchemists [/B]are less effective at wrecking face, but are better at buffer/debuffer and utility magic. More transmutation than evocation. [/LIST] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][B]Druids [/B]are... more like PF Hunter + Shifter, a more martial and combat-focused primal caster. Primal magic in the core rules doesn't really "go up all the way". [/LIST] [LIST] [*][B]Shaman[/B] is your classic Life/Light Cleric, White Mage, etc. Usually gets mixed with varying degrees of Knight, to range from the D&D Paladin type to the 3.0 Healer type. [/LIST] [B]Shadow [/B]breaks down into the [B]Avenger[/B], the [B]Assassin[/B], and the [B]Warlock[/B]. The Avenger's the Blackguard/Hexblade, the FF Dark Knight; the Assassin is the 4e Assassin, magical ninja, etc. The Warlock is a debuffer/ranged striker that uses a lot of necrotic damage, curses, and overall misery. [/QUOTE]
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