How I use Racial Paragon Classes - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

How I use Racial Paragon Classes

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
drizztrocks
May 11, 2008 11:49:18 In my games, when a character plays a race, they automatically take a class in the Racial Paragon class of their race. They also have to choose a normal class, as the Racial Paragon does not count as a class in my games, it simply offers more skills and abilities to characters of that race, making the races give more to the characters, and making them more important.

For example, many people argue that elves suck because despite all the fluff about being magically attuned they don't have any magical spell like abilities. This house rule gives them access to cool magic as they level up in their character class, even if they're not a magic using class.

I like this system because it mixes the sweetness of the old racial classes in 1E with the awesomeness of demihuman races being able to take levels in normal classes. And it makes dwarf fighters and elf fighters uniquely different.
#2
shaggy_shaggs
May 11, 2008 12:16:18 So basically you give free and enforced gestalt for the first three character levels, using the racial paragons as the secondary class channel? Interesting... but what about players who might want to play a race for which there is no paragon class provided? For a theoretical example, me... more often than not I'll play a goblin PC if there's any chance of talking the DM into allowing 'em.

Also, what about half-orcs and half-elves? They can double paragon... are they forced to in your game? And if they choose to, do they continue to gain those levels as gestalt characters, or must they take the levels of the second paragon class normally?

EDIT: This just came to mind for races that don't have paragon classes. What about giving them the same deal as other races with paragon classes, but using their race's favoured class instead of the nonexistent paragon class? Favoured classes are kind of expected to be a dip for many characters of that race anyway, aren't they?
#3
drizztrocks
May 11, 2008 22:46:43 I was thinking about that also, and that's a hole I have to work through. But it kind of gets rid of the need for LA in my games when the drow rogue is just the same as the halfling rogue balance wise, so that works out, but i'm still trying to work through the hole of non LA PC races...

Half-Orcs and Half-Elves will take the Half-Orc and Half-Elf Paragons.

I didn't quite understand you're wording on the last bit.
#4
shaggy_shaggs
May 12, 2008 1:32:57 Okay, for the last bit I started with an assumption, quite a few people seem to share it but it's not necessarily a universal thing. That assumption is that a race's favoured class isn't a statement that "this is the class the race will be best at playing as", but rather "many members of this race will have some level(s) of this class, regardless of their overall class focus".

By dip I meant a single level or just a few levels in one class, while focusing on a different class. For example a kobold sorcerer 1/fighter 4/dragon disciple 10 is primarily a warrior type character, but he has dipped sorcerer, his favoured class, as is common for a kobold that isn't primarily a sorcerer anyway. IIRC, kobold actually has a paragon class, but I think it works for the example.

Given the assumption that it's common and normal for characters to have a few levels of their race's favoured class even if they primarily pursue a different career, it seems reasonable that races that do not get to benefit from your free paragon class variant rule should be able to use a few levels of their favoured class as their paragon class instead. So for example, all together in the same APL 20 party, you might have a half-orc druid 20|half-orc paragon 3, a dwarf cleric 20|dwarf paragon 3, an aasimar sorcerer 19|paladin 3, and a goblin wizard 20|rogue 3. (And a whole lot of party tension due to high destructive power all around and racial disagreements, but that's another subject.)

Make sense?
#5
drizztrocks
May 12, 2008 16:13:30 I think I see what your saying. If my Dwarf wants to be a wizard, he might "dip" into a few classes of fighter first to give him the Dwarfy style as well as giving him his "paragon class,". Now, think of my Paragon Class idea to be an improvement. Instead of having to take a few levels in a class just to fulfill your dwarfy or elfy look, you get the bonuses of your race naturally, as it should be, and then your class defines the rest of the abilities.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 drizztrocks May 11, 2008 11:49:18	In my games, when a character plays a race, they automatically take a class in the Racial Paragon class of their race. They also have to choose a normal class, as the Racial Paragon does not count as a class in my games, it simply offers more skills and abilities to characters of that race, making the races give more to the characters, and making them more important. For example, many people argue that elves suck because despite all the fluff about being magically attuned they don't have any magical spell like abilities. This house rule gives them access to cool magic as they level up in their character class, even if they're not a magic using class. I like this system because it mixes the sweetness of the old racial classes in 1E with the awesomeness of demihuman races being able to take levels in normal classes. And it makes dwarf fighters and elf fighters uniquely different.
#2 shaggy_shaggs May 11, 2008 12:16:18	So basically you give free and enforced gestalt for the first three character levels, using the racial paragons as the secondary class channel? Interesting... but what about players who might want to play a race for which there is no paragon class provided? For a theoretical example, me... more often than not I'll play a goblin PC if there's any chance of talking the DM into allowing 'em. Also, what about half-orcs and half-elves? They can double paragon... are they forced to in your game? And if they choose to, do they continue to gain those levels as gestalt characters, or must they take the levels of the second paragon class normally? EDIT: This just came to mind for races that don't have paragon classes. What about giving them the same deal as other races with paragon classes, but using their race's favoured class instead of the nonexistent paragon class? Favoured classes are kind of expected to be a dip for many characters of that race anyway, aren't they?
#3 drizztrocks May 11, 2008 22:46:43	I was thinking about that also, and that's a hole I have to work through. But it kind of gets rid of the need for LA in my games when the drow rogue is just the same as the halfling rogue balance wise, so that works out, but i'm still trying to work through the hole of non LA PC races... Half-Orcs and Half-Elves will take the Half-Orc and Half-Elf Paragons. I didn't quite understand you're wording on the last bit.
#4 shaggy_shaggs May 12, 2008 1:32:57	Okay, for the last bit I started with an assumption, quite a few people seem to share it but it's not necessarily a universal thing. That assumption is that a race's favoured class isn't a statement that "this is the class the race will be best at playing as", but rather "many members of this race will have some level(s) of this class, regardless of their overall class focus". By dip I meant a single level or just a few levels in one class, while focusing on a different class. For example a kobold sorcerer 1/fighter 4/dragon disciple 10 is primarily a warrior type character, but he has dipped sorcerer, his favoured class, as is common for a kobold that isn't primarily a sorcerer anyway. IIRC, kobold actually has a paragon class, but I think it works for the example. Given the assumption that it's common and normal for characters to have a few levels of their race's favoured class even if they primarily pursue a different career, it seems reasonable that races that do not get to benefit from your free paragon class variant rule should be able to use a few levels of their favoured class as their paragon class instead. So for example, all together in the same APL 20 party, you might have a half-orc druid 20\|half-orc paragon 3, a dwarf cleric 20\|dwarf paragon 3, an aasimar sorcerer 19\|paladin 3, and a goblin wizard 20\|rogue 3. (And a whole lot of party tension due to high destructive power all around and racial disagreements, but that's another subject.) Make sense?
#5 drizztrocks May 12, 2008 16:13:30	I think I see what your saying. If my Dwarf wants to be a wizard, he might "dip" into a few classes of fighter first to give him the Dwarfy style as well as giving him his "paragon class,". Now, think of my Paragon Class idea to be an improvement. Instead of having to take a few levels in a class just to fulfill your dwarfy or elfy look, you get the bonuses of your race naturally, as it should be, and then your class defines the rest of the abilities.