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Thread : Your custom classes/kits
Started at 04-19-05 10:45 AM by Luminescent
Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=415963
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[Post 1]
Author : Luminescent
Date : 04-19-05 10:45 AM
Thread Title : Your custom classes/kits

Greetings all.
I'm interested in hearing details and ideas on custom classes and/or kits that you have created, or are working on. I'm always looking for solid additions to my game, and more options for my players. So please, share your creations and ideas.

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[Post 2]
Author : weasel fierce
Date : 04-19-05 08:17 PM

Which edition ?

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[Post 3]
Author : Thailfi
Date : 04-20-05 09:46 AM

We never allowed custom classes until 2e specialty priests came around with the publication of Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Patheons, and Demihuman Dieties.  Then we allowed players to create additional specialty priests of their creation as long as the class is balanced.

The only non-core classes we allow are the archer as published in the Best of Dragon, Volume III.  The monk class must be played as written in the Best of Dragon, Volume III as well.

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[Post 4]
Author : havard
Date : 04-20-05 09:55 AM

The kits was one of the best ideas that ever came up for 2e. Unfortunately, quite a few of them were really unbalanced. 

If I was to run a 2e campaign (or port kits to other OOP editions for that matter) these days, I'd probably rewrite the kits based on the 3E UA Class Variant model. That is, selecting a kit provides a certain number of benefits , but means losing an equal number of class abilities. I never liked the idea of using ability score requirements, since it just means more powerful characters can get even more powerful. When did that make sense?

Håvard

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[Post 5]
Author : Warhead
Date : 04-21-05 02:55 PM

The kits was one of the best ideas that ever came up for 2e. Unfortunately, quite a few of them were really unbalanced. 

Agreed in spades, there's some great kits in the ol' rusty brown books, but the books themselves aren't consistent enough between each other. I've been working (for years, it seems) on a unified set of kits, all based as much as possible on the 2e ones, but changing things where absolutely necessary to bring them back in balance.

Last count, Fighters, Clerics, Thieves, Adventurers (non-guild, and rather more playable type thieves) and Bards are all done, and I'm close to finishing the millions of Wizard combinations (doing it now actually).

The worst offenders for unbalanced kits though, are the "Warriors and Priests of the Realms" and "Wizards and Rogues of the Realms". You'd think those two books alone might have some consistency, but no...and the balancing...

"This character has a free suit of magic plate mail, and is +6 to hit everything. However, he has a -1 reaction penalty to Elves. But only on a Tuesday. And he has to wear a hat."

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