The release of the Class Deck character sheets has made me think a lot about the future of the OP/Class Deck system. The main thing that has really been on my mind is the relatively low number of cards a OP character has to work with, considering the ~100 cards have to be split between seven different power levels (base plus adventures 1-6).
My first thought was: Will there ever perhaps be Class Deck expansions to add to your class deck? Like a pack of 50 or so Bard Class cards to add as options for your Bard Class Deck?
Then the talk of the ability to play the new Swashbuckler character in S&S (Jirelle), but using the current Rogue deck gave me another thought. What if future Class Decks don't have their own card types (such as having cards with "Barbarian Class Deck" on the top), but instead use one or two card types from the existing Class Decks? Consider this list:
Alchemist - Bard & Rogue
Arcanist - Sorcerer & Wizard
Barbarian - Fighter
Bloodrager - Fighter & Sorcerer
Brawler - Fighter
Cavalier - Fighter
Druid - Cleric & Ranger
Gunslinger - Fighter & Ranger
Hunter - Cleric & Ranger
Inquisitor - Cleric & Rogue
Investigator - Bard & Rogue
Magus - Fighter & Wizard
Monk - Fighter
Ninja - Rogue
Oracle - Cleric & Sorcerer
Paladin - Cleric & Fighter
Samurai - Fighter
Shaman - Ranger & Sorcerer
Skald - Bard & Fighter
Slayer - Ranger & Rogue
Summoner - Ranger & Sorcerer
Swashbuckler - Rogue
Warpriest - Cleric & Fighter
Witch - Ranger & Wizard
I made this list in a bit of a hurry, so some of the deck composition may be off, but the idea is that the new Class Decks would be able to use one or two card types introduced in the 7 debut Class Decks. For example, the Alchemist Class Deck would come with ~100 new cards that would be a combination of cards, half marked as "Bard" cards and the other half as "Rogue" cards. Of course, since the deck is for alchemist characters, there would be a lot of potions and other alchemical items included (likely mostly under the "Rogue Class Deck" label). The deck will be playable on its own like the current Class Decks, but it would then also be OP legal to mix and match cards from different class deck cards. An Alchemist can use cards from the old Rogue and Bard class decks to build his deck and a Rogue or Bard can pull in appropriate cards from the Alchemist Class Deck to build their OP decks.
Now this idea could cause issues. It would eventually be a lot of cards to keep track of and, at least based on my best-guess list above, some classes would end up with a lot of new cards while others don't get much. For example, Fighter would get at least double the amount of new cards compared to any other classes while the Bard and Wizard kind of get shafted. It would also be a little more complicated to keep track of everything.
But I also think that eventually having 31 or more different card types would be a little crazy and this would provide more variety to OP decks without having to release expansions for each individual class deck.
As much as I love having more options - I'd be thrilled to have class decks be twice as big - I think one of the greatest selling points for OP of all is the super low entry barrier. All you need to play is a $20 class deck. Period. No massive, expensive base set + expansions, no research, nada. Buy a class deck of your choosing and show up at an OP venue (the registrations stuff can be taken care of later, and helped along buy the event organizer). It's a wonderful way to pull in new players.
Much as I personally would love to be able to have more options, I think the more important thing is keeping things simple and cost-effective for the newcomers. Only one thing to purchase at a mere $20 is a huge selling point. Let's not lose sight of that in our zeal for the game - if you want a bajillion options for your Flenta, play the S&S game with your buds and use her there.
It is one of the rewards for organized play. I think it is maybe for completing the first adventure (not the first scenario, first adventure) of organized play. So, only people who managed to play enough (and win enough) at GenCon have unlocked that feat yet. To be allowed to do so, I think you'd have to have the Chronicle Sheet saying you'd earned the reward.
I can't find it anywhere, but have seen people say you can do it -- can someone please point me to where Paizo said you can use the Swashbuckler with the Rogue deck?
Andrew: Unlocking the S&S Swashbuckler is the reward for finishing Adventure 1 (That is, going through the first six OP scenarios with another character).
It's a reward for completing OP scenarios. We wont be able to point you to it until those scenarios are publicly released.
As much as I love having more options - I'd be thrilled to have class decks be twice as big - I think one of the greatest selling points for OP of all is the super low entry barrier. All you need to play is a $20 class deck. Period.
And with this proposal, that is still all a player would need. The option for further customization would just be there for those who will want to buy a bunch of the different decks anyway. Again, it's just a thought I've had so I thought I'd share. I'm sure not everyone would like something like this.
As much as I love having more options - I'd be thrilled to have class decks be twice as big - I think one of the greatest selling points for OP of all is the super low entry barrier. All you need to play is a $20 class deck. Period.And with this proposal, that is still all a player would need. The option for further customization would just be there for those who will want to buy a bunch of the different decks anyway. Again, it's just a thought I've had so I thought I'd share. I'm sure not everyone would like something like this.
I definitely like the idea, but I can see issues.
for example, if the Alchemist deck is to be playable without the Bard or Rogue decks, then you'll need a whole fresh set of daggers, blessings of the gods, troubadours etc.
IF you assume that the alchemist deck is only for those who already have Bard & Rogue, then you could get some serious increase in the card-pool, but that undermines the cheap entry point. If you focus on keeping the $20 is all you need to play element, then how much truly new and exciting stuff are you going to get?
Maybe they could do something like this with the OP rewards? Everyone wins.
Personally, I hate the idea. Using decks from other classes only works for a a handful of classes, and forcing those onto everyone dilutes the mechanics and individuality of different classes.
Monks need to have their own Decks. So do Alchemists and Gunslingers. Using cleric deck to build paladins and Druids dilutes the individuality of those concepts. If want to do something like letting war-priests use the paladin deck I am fine with that, but it shouldn't be general practice.
Personally, I hate the idea. Using decks from other classes only works for a a handful of classes, and forcing those onto everyone dilutes the mechanics and individuality of different classes.
Monks need to have their own Decks. So do Alchemists and Gunslingers. Using cleric deck to build paladins and Druids dilutes the individuality of those concepts. If want to do something like letting war-priests use the paladin deck I am fine with that, but it shouldn't be general practice.
I don't agree (I know, surprising since I thought of it). First, in case you didn't fully understand what I'm proposing, the idea isn't that you just use the decks from other classes. You have to buy the Alchemist Class Deck to play as an alchemist. The Rogue and Bard class cards from other Class Decks would just be available to you for further customization. The Alchemist Class Deck would come with all of the very alchemy kinds of things like potions and other alchemical items, just under the label of the Rogue or Bard class deck, making them available to other classes.
I don't see anything wrong with this and I don't think it dilutes the individuality of other classes. Yes, a Fighter or Ranger would have guns available to them through the Gunslinger Class Deck, but they will be nowhere near as good at using them as the Gunslinger characters, making them less likely to use them as much. Same thing goes for alchemical items for Rogues and Bards from the Alchemist Class Deck or unarmed fighting cards for Fighters from the Brawler or Monk Class Decks.
Personally, I think all of these things should be options for all classes, just like in the base game. The other thought I had was to maybe have Neutral Class Deck expansions. Maybe have an Arcane Magic Class Deck Expansion with about 50 new cards with arcane spells and related cards that can be used with any class deck. Or Gun-Power Class Deck Expansion with 50 new cards with guns and related things. Etc., etc. But I don't know how viable/popular that concept would be.
One problem is that the deck name is supposed to keep clear who owns which cards, so if you started letting players take cards from different decks, you would lose that.
One problem is that the deck name is supposed to keep clear who owns which cards, so if you started letting players take cards from different decks, you would lose that.
Yeah, this is one of my only real concerns. However, I don't remember reading anything in the guide that would prevent players with the same deck type to be in the same game, such as a table full of Fighter players. Though I could be wrong....
I like the concept, but don't ever want to see this happen for one very petty reason: I think the "<Class> Deck" logos are hideous, and I don't ever want to see 2 of them on a card. :P
(My apologies to whomever designed it.)
Why would there be two logos on a card? All of the cards would always have a single "<Class> Deck" logo on it. For example, the cards in the Alchemist deck would have either the "Bard Class Deck" logo or the "Rogue Class Deck" logo (about half and half). They would not have both the Bard and Rogue logos or have an Alchemist Class Deck logo plus the Bard or Rogue logo, assuming you were imagining one of these situations.
They would not have both the Bard and Rogue logos or have an Alchemist Class Deck logo plus the Bard or Rogue logo, assuming you were imagining one of these situations.
Yes, that was my what I was imagining.
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Part of the problem with using other decks to fill the roles of those classes is the features of those classes as well as the weapons, items, etc. that those classes need to function. While it is a clever idea, I'll have to hunker down with the 7 and wait for the next set next year.
:-(
(When I heard of the first set was the 7 base iconics from RotR, I was hoping for a quicker release of the next 4. Sadly, we'll have to wait.)
(When I heard of the first set was the 7 base iconics from RotR, I was hoping for a quicker release of the next 4. Sadly, we'll have to wait.)
Yeah, my inner Lini cried.
(When I heard of the first set was the 7 base iconics from RotR, I was hoping for a quicker release of the next 4. Sadly, we'll have to wait.)Yeah, my inner Lini cried.
I think they said a while back that the release of the next set of class decks will depend on sales of the first batch
on current impressions, it's not looking good...
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I think they said a while back that the release of the next set of class decks will depend on sales of the first batch
on current impressions, it's not looking good...
Considering that there is a huge number of people (including myself) just waiting for the start of PFSACG/Organized Play and that you need the Class Decks for that, I don't see it being an issue. People already knew that the Class Decks were pushed back to Sept 3rd. And probably will get pushed back a bit more in order to get the Add-On decks printed and shipped.
I think they practically sold out of the stock they brought to GenCon. (1000 of each Class Deck)
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Advanced fighter deck, cleric deck, barbarian deck, etc. Unlock use of cards from that deck to extend use of your OP character beyond what is in the base set. This would work well if Paizo ever decided to introduce nightmare decks with higher level banes to allow for play with your character beyond the mechanics allowed within the 6 chapter setup that we have now.
Take my money!