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More on classes/skills/races/etc. (long)





I think it might help to clarify the issues surrounding experience,
skills, races and classes if we could make a decision about what experience
a character might already of had when they start the game.

I think the idea behind classes as they were originally envisioned by
Gygax in the original D&D works was that the character you role-played
had a prehistory, primarily they had received some rudimentary training
in whatever skills were appropriate to that class.  It is this training 
that the rest of your life's experiences will build on.  To pull an example
from real life you could think of a starting character as someone who has
just graduated from college and is seeking a profession.  If they majored 
in mathematics then it doesn't really make sense for them to try to find
a job as an archeologist, they would spend too much time just learning the
basics.  This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but they'd progress in the
profession at a much slower pace then someone who came to it with the
proper background.   

Given this rationale, the assigning of different experience scales, different
skills and different attributes to the various classes seems to make a lot of
sense.  Basically, no matter how hard they try a magic-user will never learn
to be as skilled with weapons as a trained fighter, likewise a fighter will
struggle to learn even the most rudimentary spells.

As for dividing experience into skills as opposed to class (i.e. if you killed
it with a sword you should gain fighting experience, if you killed it with magic
you should gain magic experience) I don't have a fundamental problem with this,
only that there should be a multiplier based on class which effects how quickly
experience in the skill is gained.  I also think that some experience spill over
is natural, we all find ways to apply what we learn to our fields of expertise
no matter how unrelated they may seem, so you should gain at least some class
experience no matter what the source.  If the notion of class experience is
to be eliminated altogether then we should assign a "primary skill" to each
class that the experience can be applied to.

I believe race should be treated seperately from class excepting that certain races
may have a propensity towards a particular class.  This should be divided and made
a separate choice from class, e.g. "Choose a race: [Elf, Dwarf, Human, Orc, ...]"
before "Choose a class...".  I believe that attribute maximums and starting bonuses
should be race based, e.g. orcs generally have low charisma, elves tend to be good
looking.  The choice of a class should derive from your attributes, not change
them--you became a mage because you're smart, not the other way around.
I also believe that classes should have minimum stat requirements, e.g. you won't
be admitted to fighter school if you have a weak constitution.

Anyone get this far?  Good.  All of this said I'm willing to give qualified support
to Peter's reccommendation for revamping the class/race/experience system, including
coding if needed.   However, I'm not sure that the goal should necessarily be simplicity,
just more logical behaviour.  I think that a wide variety of classes (such as the 
Paladins, Rangers, Druids and Illusionists added by AD&D) would add to the game.
We can just see to it that the new classes are logically built up out of the fundamental
skills.  (Paladin = Cleric + Fighter, Ranger = MU + Fighter, Druid = MU + Cleric with
different path attuned/repelled, etc.).

--Ken

+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+
| Ken Woodruff           | Most Latin words in -us have plural in -i,  |
| woodruff@cadence.com   | but not all, & so zeal not according to     |
+------------------------+ knowledge issues in such oddities as hiati, |
| Disclaimer: What tote  | octopi, omnibi, & ignorami; ...             |
| bag full of $20 bills? |     Fowler, "Modern English Usage"          |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+