Changes in the d&d class system

[ramza]

I have been playing d&d for quite some time now. Even though it is a cool system, I have to admit that there are many things that disturb me. For example, some of the playable races traits are badly designed. This is a personal opinion, but I believe that elves should get a +2 in CHA instead of +2 in DEX and get sorcerer as their favored class. Elves are supposed to be pretty creatures that are alsodeeply linked with magic... Half-orcs should have a +2 to both STR and CON so as to compensate the -2 in CHA and INT... I could go on like this forever but the main subject here is about classes.

 

Are you satisfied with the way classes are designed? Well, I am not. First of all, I have considering changing the spellcasting system. In my own rules, spellcasters do not need to memorize their spells anymore. The memorization system seemed

completely absurd to me and I have never seen such a thing in any other game. The mana system is much more convenient. All spellcaster will keep their progression tables for the number of spell uses per day and will be able to use any spell in their spellbook with this limitation. I don't know if Clerics and Druids should have automatic access to all their spells or if they should learn them from scrolls just like the wizard. The second option seems more equitable. Now, when it comes to the wizard and the sorcerer, the latter loses an advantage because of the removal of the memorization system. That is why I made the sorcerer some sort of "specialist wizard" using INT (and not CHA anymore) as their primary stat and getting the same bonus metamagic spells as the wizard. The only difference is that he keeps his current spell progression tables (meaning that he has more spell uses per day but can only learn a limited number of spells per day). BUT, the wizard cannot write down an unlimited number of spells in his spellbook either: just like in 2E, the number of spells he can learn will be determined by his INT. I think that I found a way to balance these 2 classes like that...

 

The way higher and lower saving throws are distributed to each class is not satisfying either but I won't get into that here. Wizards should also get a bonus feat every 4 levels instead of every five...

 

How about clerics? Since when do they wear armor? Since when do they have higher HP than thieves, bards and wizards? Since when do they fight better (higher BAB) than wizards? This is all absurd to me. The new cleric class will suffer spellcasting failure if wearing any armor (but there will be some nice robes to compensate the loss), and will have the same HP and BAB as the wizard. I could maybe give some metamagic bonus feats every 6 levels to compensate that too...

 

Concerning Bards and Rogues, they should normally keep their current BAB and have roll a d8 dice for their HP. Also, Bards should learn spellsongs instead of regular spells (arcane and divine). That way, the choice of CHA as their primary stat shoulb be more justified. Also, I believe that their songs (not spellsongs, just songs like the ballad of the 3 heroes) should last a few rounds after the Bard has stopped playing. Their CHA modifier should determine the number of rounds. The lingering song feat would just extend that...

 

I have thought of a 12th class (people who came to these boards since their creation already know about this) which I have named "warmage" (not very original I admit). It's an equivalent of the red mage in the d&d system. He can learn arcane and divine spells (only from scrolls) up to the sixth spell level and gains bonus feats (chosen from the list of the fighter's and the wizard's metamagic feats). His main stat is INT but WIS plays also a role for learning Divine spells. He has the same stats as the Rogue and the Bard.

 

Another class I "invented" to replace the sorcerer is the "summoner" class (which is supposed to be different from the conjurer). The concept is similar to the summoner class from the final fantasy games: call a nasty beast that will rampage everything for a round. Their main stat is CHA and the power of the beats increases as the summoner levels up. To make things difficult, the summoner begins with only two summons and has to find the other ones (he has to persuade them to answer his call either by beating them or by using his CHA). It reminds me of the famous sentence "gotta catch'em all"... lol

 

these are are few ideas...what do you think?

 

Cheers

Edited January 10, 2006 by ramza

[Nick_i_am]

outside of roleplaying (which I know is kinda the point, but never mind) is there ever any real reason to roll a half-elf?

 

This isn't me being ****y, they just seem a bit 'underpowered' vs both humans and elves, have I missed somthing?

 

EDIT: whoops, I didn't realise that was a naughty word.

Edited January 10, 2006 by Nick_i_am

[ramza]

outside of roleplaying (which I know is kinda the point, but never mind) is there ever any real reason to roll a half-elf?

 

This isn't me being ****y, they just seem a bit 'underpowered' vs both humans and elves, have I missed somthing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

True, in my own version of d&d rules, I have also considered changing the races bonus stats and abilities... The main problem is that each class should allow you to play a character that has a bonus in a specific stat and a minus in another one. Humans shouldn't receive bonus stats but as there are 6 races remaining, there should be at least a different bonus stat for each one of them. That way, if you want someone with a bonus in INT, take a gnome. If you want a bonus in DEX, take a hlfling, etc. Here is how I share everything:

 

DWARF +2 CON, -2 DEX (dwarves have their own way of being charming, I believe that dwarves should be considered as a clumsy race rather than a ugly one)

ELF +2 CHA, -2 CON

GNOME +2 INT, -2 WIS

HALFLING +2 DEX, -2 STR

HALF-ELF +2 WIS, -2 CHA (half-elves have higher wisdom since they have the heritage of two very prestigious races, however they are hardly accepted in either human or elven societies, thus the -2 in CHA)

HALF-ORC +2 STR, -2 INT and CHA

 

However, I believe that it is unfair for the half-orc to have -2 in two stats and to have +2 to only one. So I made some changes:

 

DWARF +2 WIS, -2 DEX (dwarves become a wise bunch which is not false either... we have also seen many cleric dwarves in d&d games lately)

HALF-ORC +2 STR and CON, -2 INT and CHA

HALF-ELF gets all the special skills and abilities of the elven race and gets +2 bonus skill points per level (half of what humans get)

[Deraldin]

HALF-ELF gets all the special skills and abilities of the elven race and gets +2 bonus skill points per level (half of what humans get)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That seems a little overpowered. They have all of the bonuses of elves and twice the skill bonus that humans get. Humans only have +1 skill point per level...

[ramza]

oooops, my mistake

then let's say that half-elves just get a bonus feat and an additional 4 skill points at first level ONLY

[Deraldin]

oooops, my mistake

then let's say that half-elves just get a bonus feat and an additional 4 skill points at first level ONLY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That sounds a little better.

[Nick_i_am]

Bonus wisdom also makes sense on half-elves because of the curiosity of humans combined with the longevity of Elves (on the basis that wisdom grows over time filled with interesting experiances, that the more of life over a longer period you experiance, the wiser you become).

[ramza]

oooops, my mistake

then let's say that half-elves just get a bonus feat and an additional 4 skill points at first level ONLY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That sounds a little better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

actually, I will remove the bonus feat to make things more balanced

[MrBrown]

If you prefer a more point-based system for spells, check out the Expanded Psionic's Handbook. It presents the system as Psionics, but it's really just a varian rule for magic.

 

As for the races, check the subraces provided in various supplements. Most of them already cater to the ideas you presented for your races.

[ramza]

If you prefer a more point-based system for spells, check out the Expanded Psionic's Handbook. It presents the system as Psionics, but it's really just a varian rule for magic.

 

As for the races, check the subraces provided in various supplements. Most of them already cater to the ideas you presented for your races.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

actually, I don't like the way psionics work either. It is too difficult to keep track of the number of power points that are left to your character. So, I have also made changes to the psionic classes. I just removed the psionic points system and replaced it by a "power progression table". It is just like a spell progression table in which the psionic classes gain more power uses per day as they level up. Just like sorcerers, they have to pick new powers from a list each time they level up. Since psionic powers are less powerful or useful than spells, I granted more uses per power level to these classes (a 20th level sorcerer will have 6 spell uses for each spell level, while a level 20 psion will have 8 power uses for each power level).

[Darque]

*reads initial post*

 

No.

[Gorgon]

I have had to find a cheat for all the point buy 3e games out there so I could manually roll my character and enter the results. Then delete any level up bonus points.

 

 

Level bonus attributes makes baby Jesus cry.

 

Also, Elves are tall, not short.

Edited January 12, 2006 by Gorgon

[ramza]

*reads initial post*

 

No.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

what an interesting and well-argumented answer...

[Darque]

You asked what I thought.

[Jorian Drake]

oooops, my mistake

then let's say that half-elves just get a bonus feat and an additional 4 skill points at first level ONLY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That sounds a little better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

actually, I will remove the bonus feat to make things more balanced

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

use the half-elf of Warcraft the p&p ,and let it get +1Agility-1Const(if it does not already)