Classes and Skills

[Frenetic Pony]

So, how are skills assigned in Project Eternity? Besides being "skills". Which brings up classes as well, what defines a "class" in PE? So far as I know, neither has been decided yet, besides "classes need to be flexible."

 

"A wizard should be able to pick up a sword and be a melee fighter" paraphrased. What then defines a class? Well, let's take one, a barbarian. What defines a barbarian? A barbarian charges into the fray, heedless of safety to slaughter his enemies. So if that's what a barbarian is, that means that's what other classes aren't. Meaning, say, a unique set of skills only the barbarian has access to. Something like a temporary damage reduction buff that stacks based on the damage your barbarian is doing. The more damage he does in a short period of time, the less damage he takes in that time.

 

Other skills could follow based on that, a unique skill tree that encourages you to fling the barbarian into the midst of combat, knowing they'll do the best that way. But not locking the barbarian into being ranged or melee, or heavy or light armor or etc. Which brings up the prospect of skill trees, and why not? They work well, and give interesting choices. Each class could have a unique skill tree and access to several others based on what they are, and one skill tree could even be your choice.

 

Rangers might, besides their unique (animal companion?) skill tree, skill trees for bows, nature magic, stealth, and (choice), not any unique tree obviously. A wizard, on the other hand, might get (unique), nature magic, heal/buff magic, elemental magic, (choice).

 

The main point, I think I can make here, is that som way needs to be decided for how you choose skills, and that classes need to be defined in some manner. A unique set of skills for each class, accessible only to them, and potentially very important seems the least that can be done to make classes unique without limiting them.

[Wirdjos]

I wonder if you've read Update #36. This in particular:

 

 

Core Four Class Design and Advancement - We want our classes to feel familiar but flexible, so we've designed our "core four" (fighter, priest, rogue, wizard) to reflect traditional D&D roles and allow you to build outside of them. In our current design, each of the classes starts with two active use or modal abilities and one passive bonus.

Fighter

• Defender (Mode) - In the Defender mode, fighters' melee attack rates decrease while their melee defenses increase. This is a particularly useful mode to enter when a fighter is blocking a route of attack to protect other party members.
• Surge - This active ability allows fighters to rapidly regenerate Stamina for a short period of time.
• Melee Accuracy - Fighters have inherent skill with melee weapons that is reflected by a small accuracy bonus.

Priest

• 1st Level Priest Spells - Priests gain access to all 1st level priest spells. Priests can cast a fixed number of 1st level spells before they must rest to recover their uses. They can cast any combination of different spells up to the per-rest limit. As priests gain levels, their 1st level spells will eventually become per-encounter resources.
• Recovery - The Recovery ability regenerates a modest amount of Stamina for allies (including the priest, if in range) in a Medium-sized area at Short range.
• Sacred Circle - All allies standing within a Small area around the priest gain Accuracy bonus. This bonus does not include the priest unless there are no conscious allies in range, in which case it applies to the priest.

Rogue

• Escape - The rogue may hop a short distance away and all hostiles lose him or her as a direct target for 3 seconds. After the 3 seconds are up, enemies can target the rogue normally.
• Reversal - Reversal prepares the rogue for the next melee attack against him or her. When it hits, the rogue takes reduced damage and instantly rolls to the opposite side of the target and executes a powerful melee attack. This will even allow rogues to move past enemies that are fully blocking a path.
• Sneak Attack - This damage bonus applies whenever the rogue "flanks" an enemy or when the rogue is hidden from an enemy. Flanking means that the rogue is within a short distance of the target and on the "opposite" side of that enemy from an adjacent ally.

Wizard

• 1st Level Wizard Spells - Wizards can access all 1st level wizard spells immediately. Unlike other wizard spell levels, the wizard does not need to find scrolls or grimoires to use any 1st level spells. Wizards can cast a fixed number of 1st level spells before they must rest to recover their uses. They can cast any combination of different spells up to the per-rest limit. As wizards gain levels, their 1st level spells will eventually become per-encounter resources.
• Blast - When wizards use any implement (i.e. a wand, rod, or scepter), they generate a Blast on the target. The Blast does a modest amount of damage to all enemies in a Small area around the target (excluding the target).
• Familiar - All wizards can summon and dismiss familiars. Familiars are mobile "totems" for the wizard, providing defensive bonuses to allies near them and inflicting defensive penalties to enemies near them. Players can also access the master's spell list through the familiar, though casting a spell through the familiar still requires the master to physically cast it; it's simply targeted from the familiar. Familiars are weak and fragile. If a familiar is killed, the wizard takes damage and is unable to summon his or her familiar until he or she rests again.

[rjshae]

My understanding is that each class will have a specific set of skills for which they will automatically gain three skill levels the first time a skill point is spent. Otherwise, the skills are not class-specific.

[Oner]

It looks like classes will be distinguished by their (combat) mechanics instead of the acquirable skills. Which is a good thing, imo.