Post by gallowglacht on Jun 17, 2015 16:35:56 GMT -6
For my game I'd like to include the option of playing "later" classes, for friends who are open to playing old-school, but are fond of later classes.
I'm thinking the simplest approach is to "reskin" or slightly modify existing classes.
For example:-
Druid;
I mentioned in another thread that I'd happily treat these as Magic Users. The spell selection seems appropriate to me and the image and "trappings" of a magic user seem much better than modifying the Cleric. I'll probably take a closer look at the spell list and if anything stands out I'll just sub in a spell from another source.
Paladin;
I've always felt they overlap too much with the Cleric anyway. I think I'll use Paladin or Templar as gameworld terms for Lawful cleric. Since weapons do 1d6, I'll let them use swords, spears and whatnot. I'll restrict their magic weapons to the likes of maces and warhammers. Sure I'll throw in Holy swords too. I'll explain this restriction as Geasa, the spirits that power magical weapons want to be in the hands of Heroes (ie Fighters). Spirits powering magic Hammers and Maces will serve Paladins as they are symbolic of protection, rulership, building and civilisation, rather than outright warfare.
Spirits are weird and fickle.
Warlock/Witch;
Following on from the previous thought, chaotic Clerics can be witches/warlocks. Throwing around curses and the like. Rather than the spirits of Light, Law and Civilisation they serve spirits and Deities of Chaos. Most of these beings are evil, but warlocks might also serve fey princes and "Herne the hunter" type spirits, who while not actually evil, oppose the march of civilisation and the churches of Law.
Bard; [with an aside into general magic users]
Another magic user. Legends and Lore seem like an appropriate skill or trait for wise court magicians and other magic user types too, so maybe they all get bardic knowledge on a 3+ on a d6. Bards are sometimes seen as a step on the part to becoming a Druid. So maybe my world is a Celticy/Arthurian/Cerillian type world where young Magic Users start out as Bards, memorising and telling tales and learning magic before becoming Druids, Diviners or Court Magicians. Spells aren't memorised so much as they are spirits that "possess" or live in the brains of spell casters. Perhaps memorising all those legends gives them a little imaginary world they can happily occupy until cast. So as a spell casters knowledge of myth and legend grows so does the amount of spirits/spells he can accomodate. As his name grows and spreads more powerful spirits/spells are willing to serve him.
Bards as a character class often get away with a little armour wearing. Perhaps 1st level spirits will serve a caster who wears chain armour, 2nd level will serve someone in leather, but no way 3rd level spirits/spells will serve someone so weak as to feel the need to wear physical armour. So low level casters start out similar to other classes but as they grow more powerful they choose to drop some mundane trapping and embrace the "wizard in robes" look we want them too. The spirits serving Paladins have no such compunctions however.
OK, so the Bard drifted off into a description of some wider magic thoughts there, but it seemed like the place to bring it up.
Ranger;
Lawful thief. Lost pick pockets, open locks and other shifty skills in favour of tracking, survival and animal whispering. Use the same 3+ on a d6 mechanic.
Invoker/Abjurer/Priest;
A magic user with a different, more clericy spell list. A robed, white wizard type to stand in for the Church of the Light types that aren't armour wearing sword swinging Paladins.
Barbarian;
A popular, but I feel misguided trope. Conan wore armour whenever practical and lectured on the foolish reluctance of civilised borderers to do the same. Still, people love half naked badasses from Franzetta paintings, so maybe we have warriors under a magical Geas that prevents wearing armour in return for bonus hit points and saving throws. Maybe forgoing Plate gives you +1 hitpoint/hit dice and +1 to saves, forgoing chain +2 and all armour +3. As for the berserker fury, maybe the player can voluntarily rage, +2 to attack rolls but cannot retreat.
I imagine these guys would have short but gloriously entertaining lives.
I feel that covers a lot of character class ground with a minimum of fuss, while adding a little colour to my game-world.
I'm thinking the simplest approach is to "reskin" or slightly modify existing classes.
For example:-
Druid;
I mentioned in another thread that I'd happily treat these as Magic Users. The spell selection seems appropriate to me and the image and "trappings" of a magic user seem much better than modifying the Cleric. I'll probably take a closer look at the spell list and if anything stands out I'll just sub in a spell from another source.
Paladin;
I've always felt they overlap too much with the Cleric anyway. I think I'll use Paladin or Templar as gameworld terms for Lawful cleric. Since weapons do 1d6, I'll let them use swords, spears and whatnot. I'll restrict their magic weapons to the likes of maces and warhammers. Sure I'll throw in Holy swords too. I'll explain this restriction as Geasa, the spirits that power magical weapons want to be in the hands of Heroes (ie Fighters). Spirits powering magic Hammers and Maces will serve Paladins as they are symbolic of protection, rulership, building and civilisation, rather than outright warfare.
Spirits are weird and fickle.
Warlock/Witch;
Following on from the previous thought, chaotic Clerics can be witches/warlocks. Throwing around curses and the like. Rather than the spirits of Light, Law and Civilisation they serve spirits and Deities of Chaos. Most of these beings are evil, but warlocks might also serve fey princes and "Herne the hunter" type spirits, who while not actually evil, oppose the march of civilisation and the churches of Law.
Bard; [with an aside into general magic users]
Another magic user. Legends and Lore seem like an appropriate skill or trait for wise court magicians and other magic user types too, so maybe they all get bardic knowledge on a 3+ on a d6. Bards are sometimes seen as a step on the part to becoming a Druid. So maybe my world is a Celticy/Arthurian/Cerillian type world where young Magic Users start out as Bards, memorising and telling tales and learning magic before becoming Druids, Diviners or Court Magicians. Spells aren't memorised so much as they are spirits that "possess" or live in the brains of spell casters. Perhaps memorising all those legends gives them a little imaginary world they can happily occupy until cast. So as a spell casters knowledge of myth and legend grows so does the amount of spirits/spells he can accomodate. As his name grows and spreads more powerful spirits/spells are willing to serve him.
Bards as a character class often get away with a little armour wearing. Perhaps 1st level spirits will serve a caster who wears chain armour, 2nd level will serve someone in leather, but no way 3rd level spirits/spells will serve someone so weak as to feel the need to wear physical armour. So low level casters start out similar to other classes but as they grow more powerful they choose to drop some mundane trapping and embrace the "wizard in robes" look we want them too. The spirits serving Paladins have no such compunctions however.
OK, so the Bard drifted off into a description of some wider magic thoughts there, but it seemed like the place to bring it up.
Ranger;
Lawful thief. Lost pick pockets, open locks and other shifty skills in favour of tracking, survival and animal whispering. Use the same 3+ on a d6 mechanic.
Invoker/Abjurer/Priest;
A magic user with a different, more clericy spell list. A robed, white wizard type to stand in for the Church of the Light types that aren't armour wearing sword swinging Paladins.
Barbarian;
A popular, but I feel misguided trope. Conan wore armour whenever practical and lectured on the foolish reluctance of civilised borderers to do the same. Still, people love half naked badasses from Franzetta paintings, so maybe we have warriors under a magical Geas that prevents wearing armour in return for bonus hit points and saving throws. Maybe forgoing Plate gives you +1 hitpoint/hit dice and +1 to saves, forgoing chain +2 and all armour +3. As for the berserker fury, maybe the player can voluntarily rage, +2 to attack rolls but cannot retreat.
I imagine these guys would have short but gloriously entertaining lives.
I feel that covers a lot of character class ground with a minimum of fuss, while adding a little colour to my game-world.
