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IceFractal 12-20-04, 01:58 AM

At least it's different from the ones I've seen so far, but I might have missed one like this. Anyway, I'm trying to implement a basically classless system in D&D, for a particular campaign. Unlike Generics systems where you point buy a custom class to level in, you choose how your abilities rise from level to level. Basics: When you level up (including first level), you get 8 character points to spend. You can buy the following things: +1 BAB - 2 points +1 Defense - 3 points* +1d10 HP - 2 points +1 to one save - 1 point 3 skill points - 1 point *Defense is a special dodge bonus added to AC, classes usually have either a Poor(+0 to +6), Average(+1 to +9), or Good(+2 to +12) progression. If you don't use a defense bonus in your game ignore this and change character points a level to 6, instead of 8. The setup is designed so that (for most of the features) someone who "buys" that feature every level will have "good" progression, someone who buys it every two levels will have "poor" progression, and average progression would be buying it every 3 out of 4 levels. This works obviously for BAB, and I think it works for the others too. For HP, a d4 HD is 2.5 average. Buying a +1d10 HP every 2 levels works out to 2.75 hp/level on average, which is pretty close. Buying it every 3 out of 4 levels works out to 4.125, fairly close to 4.5 (the average of a d8 HD). Defense bonus is trickier, players can achieve slightly higher results than normal, but not unreasonably so. Save bonuses work out so that having one good save and 2 poor works out to 1.2 points a level a bit above poor BAB, 2 good works out to 1.5 a level, the same as average BAB, all good works out to 1.8 a level, just a bit less than good BAB progression. Skill points are somewhat of an exception to the rule, as you buy it once a level for even poor skills, and 3 times a level for good ones, but given the low cost it works out. Caps: The basic caps are: Max BAB = level, Max HP = 1d10xlevel, Max Defense = 3/4 level, Max Save Bonus(for a particular save) = 3/4 level. Skill points total don't have a cap but the normal cap for individual skill applies. This is the basic cap but it could probably be relaxed a little, and probably players should occasionally be able to exceed it for a level or two so that they can spend their character points in the most useful way. Other Stuff: You'll also be getting a starting package, which grants a fair amount of skill points (you don't get 4x at 1st level, you get this instead), and some weapon/armor proficiencies (the more of those, the less skill points). Then, every even level you get a feat and every odd level you get a special ability. You don't get the normal feat every three levels, these replace it. Special abilities are generally somewhat better than feats but locked into a specific path - a chain instead of a tree, and they'll be used to simulate class abilities unsuitable for feats. At first level you get both a feat and a special ability. Magic: Magic will be skill and feat based, and will be fairly subtle compared to the current system. Mages will tend to have lower combat ability from spending their character points on skills, and their feats on magic abilities. Access to more powerful magic might require joining an order or undergoing a transformation, and having less character points a level to compensate for the improved magic abilities. So, I'm soliciting feedback on balance, overall design, ease of use, and how to integrate various class features. All comments welcome.