After a player selects the race of their character and generates the attribute ratings, the next step in the character creation process is the selection of character class or role. In my 2D6 system, this class or role will basically be a bundled together group of talents and a few other options that help to mold the character into a more focused direction.
I am attempting to detail the classes or roles in a manner that does not straight jacket the character into being useful in only limited situations. Yes, I want the characters to be "better" or "best" in certain situations BUT I also want there to be situations where other classes would better handle the situation so the team aspect is encouraged.
My initial impression on how the class or role information will be formatted is detailed below.
Name: The name of the class or role followed by a few sentences explaining the functions of that class.
Talents: The bundle of talents that will be the core building blocks of that class or role.
Other: A short list of special abilities, bonuses, and penalties related to characters playing this class or role. This will include stuff like clerical healing, the ability to detect evil, or other similar abilities. (This should be where the difficulty columns of the Action Result Table get the most use. For instance, on a successful roll in the Hard column against knowledge, a mage can decipher a magic scroll.)
I would like a healthy amount of variation among the classes or roles so the players will have plenty of options to choose from. A few ideas for the list of classes or roles are listed below:
Barbarian: a warrior of the wild that is prone to fly into an uncontrollable rage during combat.
Bard: a traveling minstrel type character desiring fame and fortune.
Cleric: a warrior-priest.
Druid: a nature priest.
Elementalist: a mage that uses the forces of the elements to aid him.
Knight: a noble warrior.
Mage: a worker of arcane magic.
Monk: a spiritual warrior that commonly groups together in a monastery.
Paladin: a holy warrior.
Ranger: a warrior of the woods; typically prefers bows.
Thief: an adventurer typically from the "wrong side of the tracks".
Warrior: a typical sword for hire.
Witch: a misunderstood magic user that is often thought to be evil.
That is just a basic list showing the general idea; not much detail yet and I am sure that much of it will eventually change. I just needed to get it out there. Besides, I still have a list of talents to complete. More later...
