Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 suigintou Jul 19, 2008 10:27:21	First off, I apologize if this is in the wrong section. Anyway, I generally like 3.5e D&D, but I also like many of the things they did with 4e. However, I'm rather dissatisfied with the "powers" and how severely reduced the skills have become (I like "perception," but I feel like they took it to an extreme). I would like to create my own spin-off veriety of 3.5e using some of the 4e mechanics, but essentially get rid of classes altogether. The basic idea is that all "class features" would become feats and skills that one can take. I would get rid of "martial/simple/exotic weapons" groups, and make them weapon specific: For example, to use a weapon, one would have to take a feat, "weapon training: longsword" and then instead of a BAB, one would put ranks in the now availble "weapon: longsword" skill. That skill modifier would be your attack-roll. Without the weapon training feat, it would be -4 to attack. With it, you don't get the -4. Armor, too, would be feat based (though I see no real reason to have it skill based, unless an armor skill allowed you to do things like move silently, or tumble if one beats the DC to do these things in armor using one's skill modifier. Magic would be handled similarly: to cast spells, a spell-caster feat would have to be taken, which would make availble the various spell-school skills, e.g. conjuration skill, abjuration skill, etc . . . Since I'm getting rid of "classes" there would no longer be a need to make the wizard/sorc distinction. To cast a spell, you roll your check for the spell's school, and if you meet or beat the spell's casting DC, you successfully cast the spell. If one wished to maintain the wizard/sorc distinction, one could easily have wizards only casting spells in their spellbook (though no preperation necessary), but needing to beat high DCs, a sorc on the other hand would pre-learn a set, smaller number of spells, but with much lower DCs to cast (the idea being that learning them by heart would make them easier to cast, but one could only learn a smaller number by heart). This distinction would be made by a "arcane spellcaster: spellbook" and "arcane spellcaster: memorized" Similarly, there would be "divine spellcasting" feats availble. The main point of the spellcasting skills is that a generalist would spread his or her points across the spectrum of schools, but the specialist would concentrate their points in a few. This is where the 4e bits come in. I particularly like the idea of Saves as AC. Not only must you meet/beat your own spell's casting DC, but your roll must also meet/beat the enemy's save DC, unless the spell has no save. This is where my problem comes in: if I eliminate all the classes, then how many feats would I need to give first-level players in order to let them "build" a custom class reasonably. How many skill points? The idea is in its infancy, and needs a lot of work but I'd like to figure out how to make it work (I will otherwise being using SRD material). Perhaps instead of eliminating all classes, I could have broader catagories: martial, magical, skills-based, divine. Each one gives a certain hit-dice, each one gives a different number of feats to play with, and each gives a different number of skills to play with. So, anyway, any help with the idea would be appreciated.
#2 tema69 Jul 21, 2008 11:49:05	Hey. This is generally a good idea. But why start creating your own system instead of finding one already created. I don't remember any names of the top of my head, but I know that systems like the one Nefilim uses is based on something similar. Many % and d6 systems use this kind of idea. I understand that it's cool to create your own. But it sounds like a lot of work for something that you can find already created.
#3 suigintou Jul 22, 2008 23:33:51	Hey. This is generally a good idea. But why start creating your own system instead of finding one already created. I don't remember any names of the top of my head, but I know that systems like the one Nefilim uses is based on something similar. Many % and d6 systems use this kind of idea. I understand that it's cool to create your own. But it sounds like a lot of work for something that you can find already created. Well, generally, I am quite familiar with the SRD material, and so rather comfortable with it. I don't want to completely create my own system, so much as figure out how to make . . . massive house-rule changes to the current system (3.5, that is).