User:Ubergeek63/Simplified D20 Class Structure

Author: ubergeek63 (talk) Date Created: 07/07/17 Status: <-how close to completion-> Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Simplified D20 Class Structure

Let's all flip WotC and their evil overlords at Hasbro a massive bird: They can not copyright basic math, only fluff. After the massive abortion called 4e (hoping to cash in on the MtG croud) and the cop out called 5e (over simplifying the wrong things to the point of being little more than cheap video game mechanics), they decided to screw us out of 3.5e.

A breakdown of the system collapsing all base classes into just one and four sub-classes that can be chosen from each level. No tables, instead a very straightforward base line that all the sub-classes add on. Adders based subclass level actually eliminates a 3e anomaly: the "advantage" that a "good" save has over a "poor" save goes up, then down then up again. Go ahead and see for yourself - I dare ya!

Technically this is a single class, the ONLY base class. At every level you pick one of up to 4 signature abilities to advanced and that determines what bonuses are added and what class abilities and feats are available at that level to pick from. The signature ability is the defining characteristic of a 3.5e class: the wizard's spells, the ranger's fighting style ... all other class abilities are converted to "feats" of which you get ONLY one. All PrCs convert in the same straight forward manner.

Character (stuff that EVERYONE gets based on character level)

+1 BAB every even character level, +1 saves every 3rd character level, a class appropriate feat at every level, a signature class ability (in each base class that they take) that improves with class level, class skills: all "trained", 1 rank every 5th class level, and Int bonus of favored skills (class level, +3 for the character lvl 1 ones: this actually approximates what usually ends up happening with players, though they never have a few skill ranks in every skill).

ALL class abilities become class specific feats

While 20 feats might seem massively overpowered, if you look at the SRD druid and add up all the class features with the basic level feats you get 28 feats at level 20!

Sub-Classes

Peons (general population - the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker)

The Peon practices a particular "P" primarily. (ok, I did just rewrite that just for the joke. The point is that the common rabble do little else but the single thing that feeds their family and keeps a roof over their heads)

D4, 3 simple weapons

Signature class ability: a SINGLE Production (craft), Perform, or Profession - 5 bonus ranks per level.

Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Warriors (battle brutes and meat sticks)

The warrior covers all the normal swinging and shooting types

D10, BAB +1 every odd class level, fort save bonus (+2 at lvl 1,+3 at lvls 2-8, +4 at lvls 9-14, etc), 2 favored skills, all simple and martial weapons, all armors and shields

Signature class ability: rage, a feat chain (TWF, archery, trip, grapple etc) flurry of blows, std fighter even lvl feats, etc.

Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis).

Sneaks (precision damage and dex based)

The sneak covers all the skill monkeys and the precision damage types

D8, BAB +1 every other odd lvl, dex save bonus, 4 favored skills, light armor, simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword

Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Psionic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex).

Casters (mystic and supernatural)

The caster encompasses all the magic and supernatural ability bases

D6, 3 favored skills and will save bonus (the "spell slot" table reduces to a new spell level every odd character level and all existing spell levels add one slot every even level up to 5 per level)

Signature class ability: a single category of spells, psionics, shape shifting

Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Control Shape (Wis), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Truespeak (Int), Use Rope (Dex).

Half Casters

While ANY class can be a half caster, it comes at a price: the class's 1st feat is apprentice (gaining lvl 1's lvl 0 spells if any) and EVERY other odd class feat is casting level advancement... this is actually a fair approximation of SRD half casters such as the ranger, getting more lower level spells sooner since they follow an actual half caster instead of the semi arbitrary tables

Feats and Class abilities

All class abilities, including those of PrCs, are converted to feats and ALL feats have a class level signature ability prerequisite. This prevents a single cleric level to access turning and then stack up turning to use for powering arcane metamagic. A number of min/max abuses are thus negated.

Approaching an SRD druid you take a single shape shifting use at any level you have taken druid casting as your signature ability ... OR the next shift type: NOT BOTH

Some feats (such as the two weapon fighting ones) give a choice of signature requirements (unarmed strike feat chain or sneak attack, among others)

Over View

This is not precise, it approximates averages and reduces tables and rules to simple progressions. the DMG is quite blatant about new classes being trade offs of roughly equivalent power appropriate to a theme. So many home brew classes ignore one if not both of those stipulations and frankly some WotC PrCs ignore them as well.

This mechanic throws away the theme with the copyrighted fluff and much of the build complexity. Every level is a trade off, one that determines what advances and what feats or class abilities are available to choose from at that level. This also has the side effect of nerfing some of the more overpowered classes since they must decide which class feature to take or if they would rather take a different feat entirely, within the class type restriction.

Summary Table

LEVEL	Character			Class			Spell "Slots"
	BAB	SAVES	Skill Ranks	Good saves	Average Attack	Good Attack	Half Castor	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	0	+2	+0	+1	3rd	4	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+1	+0	0	+3	+0	+1	5th	5	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	+1	+1	0	+3	+1	+2	7th	5	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	+1	0	+3	+1	+2	9th	5	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	+2	+1	1	+3	+1	+3	11th	5	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	+3	+2	1	+3	+1	+3	13th	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	+3	+2	1	+3	+2	+4	15th	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	-
8th	+4	+2	1	+3	+2	+4	17th	5	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9th	+4	+3	1	+4	+2	+5	19th	5	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-	-
10th	+5	+3	2	+4	+2	+5	-	5	5	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-
11th	+5	+3	2	+4	+3	+6	-	5	5	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-
12th	+6	+4	2	+4	+3	+6	-	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	-	-	-
13th	+6	+4	2	+4	+3	+7	-	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	1	-	-
14th	+7	+4	2	+4	+3	+7	-	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	-	-
15th	+7	+5	3	+4	+4	+8	-	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	1	-
16th	+8	+5	3	+5	+4	+8	-	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	-
17th	+8	+5	3	+5	+4	+9	-	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2	1
18th	+9	+6	3	+5	+4	+9	-	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2
19th	+9	+6	3	+5	+5	+10	-	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	2
20th	+10	+6	4	+5	+5	+10	-	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3

Build Example

For instance a S5/W3/C6 might have sneak attack (3d6), two weapon fighting and 3rd lvl druid spells for their signature abilities, 14 feat/class features from the various lvls

BAB +7 (14 character lvls) +3 (3 warrior lvls) +1 (5 sneak lvls) +0 (6 caster lvls) = +11

fort save +4 (14 character lvls) +3 (3 warrior lvls) +1 (5 sneak lvls) +2 (6 caster lvls) = +10

reflex save +4 (14 character lvls) +1 (3 warrior lvls) +3 (5 sneak lvls) +2 (6 caster lvls) = +10

will save +4 (14 character lvls) +1 (3 warrior lvls) +1 (5 sneak lvls) +3 (6 caster lvls) = +9

at every level the feat selections available are based on the signature ability advanced that level. PrCs are handled in the same way though they do run afoul of multiclassing rules as normal. Skill ranks for ALL class skills are at the lvls indicated. FAVORED class skills are at class lvl (+3 for 1st character lvl favored skills). This actually approximates how MOST players play the game while simultaneously nerfing many common abuses of rules. In other words most players have a few skills they max while dropping a few skill points here and there, so we simplify it by giving them max in a few favored skills and advance all the rest slowly.

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