Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 onemanhorde Apr 30, 2009 6:54:46	The Concept During 4e’s development stage we heard that your Race will be a choice that will play a more important role in your characters career. But I didn’t find this true when I came to read the Player Handbook, Yes Racial Feats seem to be a lot more useful in addition but I’m not seeing this “more important role”, even with the Racial Paragon Paths I’m still not seeing what I quite imagined occurring, I expected to be able to acquire more powerful abilities my race may have as I level. Which really other then Racial Feats (the odd few giving a new racial power) and paragon paths this isn’t present. And so here is my proposal, an idea a concept for how to make you race allot more important in both your characters career and design. Racial Classes. When WotC Released the FR player Guide they released the very foundation of my idea, Spell Scar, a Multi-Class, without an actual class but instead a feat and some powers. But still the idea in my eyes was lacking. No what I want is to be able to when it comes to selecting my powers select a feat from my “Racial Class” or my “Main Class”. And this is how I hope to do it. Design Notes Access to the Racial Classes Powers Should not be free. A character should be able to select from a small collection of racial powers EVERY TIME he gains a power. This means that it is completely in the hands of the player to keep to his role. Powers will have certain elements of roles however (such as powers a striker may favour, and powers that a defender would prefer). This is meant to be an additional option, not a must have option. Powers should be balanced in a way that are not seen as the must have but instead a little bit extra to add to your characters flavour through mechanical means. The Power Source of all racial class powers is Racial. Racial Feats may allow characters to effect any powers they have with the Racial Keyword. Powers should key attacks off of a small selection of Ability Scores, with a number of powers giving a player a choice. Most should however Key off either of the Races Ability Bonuses (So in the case of Eladrin Powers would be based on Dexterity, and Intelligence.) Problems I need to figure out. What of Humans, with there floating Abbility Bonus? What should the cost of being able to choose Racial Powers be, bearing in mind, that when a race gains a power it can choose from it's Racial Class or Normal Class. Should you have to pay a cost every tier (Like Heroic Dragon Born: Can choose heroic tier Dragonborn Class Power, Paragon Dragon Born: You Can choose paragon tier Dragonborn Class Powers Ect.) When Balancing them against classes, what classes should they be balanced against? Should it be a typical balanced version of the role that the power is trying to favor or what? Im'm thinking mainly of the Wizard in this respect.
#2 Electricbee Apr 30, 2009 8:07:18	I would modify this to be multiclass only classes akin to the spell scarred class in the forgotten realms players guide. The ability to sub in racial powers for standard class powers could add a lot to the game without the problems fo building racial classes as stand alone classes.
#3 onemanhorde Apr 30, 2009 9:04:47	I would modify this to be multiclass only classes akin to the spell scarred class in the forgotten realms players guide. The ability to sub in racial powers for standard class powers could add a lot to the game without the problems fo building racial classes as stand alone classes. Thats the thing I wanted say, a elf ranger to be able to select powers from both the Elf Racial Class, His Ranger Class and if eh choses to he can multiclass as normal.
#4 Electricbee Apr 30, 2009 13:24:59	I would consider building it with the exception that it does not count as the players one multiclass option. I would personally keep the feat requirement for swapping multiclass powers. Dual strike is (IMO) broken in the hands of a defender, but works fine as its equivalent ranger (ie striker) power. By having a list of powers any class (and hence role) can choose from you are giving away part of other classes role with no opportunity cost.
#5 onemanhorde Apr 30, 2009 17:16:34	I would consider building it with the exception that it does not count as the players one multiclass option. I would personally keep the feat requirement for swapping multiclass powers. Dual strike is (IMO) broken in the hands of a defender, but works fine as its equivalent ranger (ie striker) power. By having a list of powers any class (and hence role) can choose from you are giving away part of other classes role with no opportunity cost. This I think could work. I should be able to start drafting up powers for a the first racial class sometime tonight or tommorrow.
#6 ascottbay Apr 30, 2009 18:03:23	I have to admit, when I saw the thread title I was hoping to see something like OD&D/AD&D where certain races were classes. Not because I think it's a superior design (it's not) but because it's nostalgic. Will each races' set of powers/feats be themed to be similar to a certain class? For example, will eladrin racial powers be similar to wizard arcane powers, with changes for flavor and power source?
#7 onemanhorde Apr 30, 2009 18:06:57	I have to admit, when I saw the thread title I was hoping to see something like OD&D/AD&D where certain races were classes. Not because I think it's a superior design (it's not) but because it's nostalgic. Will each races' set of powers/feats be themed to be similar to a certain class? For example, will eladrin racial powers be similar to wizard arcane powers, with changes for flavor and power source? Powers will be flavored to certain archetypes of the Race Such as the Eladrin Fey Knight.