Online Poll: 8th race and / or 12th class

Hi!
Many folks responded to the previous survey on Alpha 1.0. Thank you!

Now, would you like to see included in Pf-RPG an 8th race and/or 12th class?

I will share results as they come in.

Note: Paizo has signaled that an 8th race / 12th class is unlikely. Nonetheless, there potentially might be some flexibility if a sufficient number of folks show preference for a race or class. Some of you have PCs or important NPCs of particular non-core races, and might like to see those come along with the Pathfinder upgrade. Plus, I'm just curious, aren't you? A smurf-type race is an option. :-)

Good idea to make this poll ! I hope a lycan ou dragon race, and a fighter/mage will be aded.

Done! Thanks for organizing this Dario, these polls are definitely good ideas.

A poll would be interesting. Certainly and adjunct web offering (even fan derived) should be possible, right?

From my own tinkerings prior to Paizo's announcement I would like to suggest Kyn (race) and some kind of Divine Expert (class).

Kyn would steal the kobold/dragon obsession and amplify it into it's own small race. Give kobolds back a more goblinoid kinship. I say keep them Small too, a 3rd small race would be good.

While I know that Arcane Warrior types are popular there really isn't a divine expert type. If you do an odd breakdown (think of Barbarians, Rangers, and Druids as Nature not Divine) you don't really have: a martial caster, divine expert, or arcane warrior. Although you could kind of get an arcane warrior by using the Unearthed Arcana Battle Sorcerer variant. I guess the Cloistered Cleric is rather close to the concept of divine expert. What would a martial caster even look like?

I'm actually on the fence with adding a new race, but to me, it's all about flavor. For some reason, I like how changelings, shifters and even warforged feel and fit with Eberron, but don't really care for eladrin, tieflings and especially dragonborn w/ 4e. I can't say what it is, but the latter just doesn't seem as, well, a good fit.

If Paizo adds a race, it'll move Pai20 further away from 3.5, but it also helps them put their own footprint on the game. I'd be curious to see something original and different, but not in a crazy dragonblood way.

VOTED.

I like the discussion here. I'd love to see more iconically Pathfinder choices for race and class. I'd love to see a new, distinctly Pathfinder, race come out in particular--I just hope it isn't a really freaky fringe thing that you can never play, or some really gonzo gamma-world feeling thing.

When the early thoughts were rolling out about 4e, I suggested what I still think is a pretty neat idea. Shelf the elf and dwarf. Don't get rid of them, they're still there, just don't focus on them--they tend to be fringe societies that live on their own in deep mountains and ancient forests, so you don't see them much anyway.

Introduce a handful of fun flavorful races that actually do rub shoulders with each other in the main cities of the world. Create the races to be friends and companions who are able to coexist and improve the society they share. Loads of color and flavor and fantasy feel but not so rare you never see them.

That said, this is Pathfinder, so you really can't do much of that. It's been set out pretty clearly that nonhumans are really rare on the order of one or two per town or city unless it's a major place like Magnimar or Kaer Maga. At that it's usually more half-somethings rather than full-blooded somethings. Player characters are supposed to not let that limit their choices, because they're so special they can be anything (yuck by the way...I hate the idea of PCs not fitting into the tapestry of the setting and being their own distinct thing). I don't know how different it gets outside Varisia, but I'd hate to go messing around with the flavor out the setting too much.

Survey results for Pf-RPG 8th race and/or 12th class
Respondents: 59
Since it's still early in the process, I'm only reporting the major results.

If Paizo adds a race, it'll move Pai20 further away from 3.5, but it also helps them put their own footprint on the game. I'd be curious to see something original and different, but not in a crazy dragonblood way.

I feel the same way, something new to separate PAthfinder a little from everyone else. As for classes, I'd love to see a Gish, many of my players tend to gravitate towards them.

Options, Options, Options!!!!!

If you're gonna make a new (variant) system why WOULDN'T you throw in some new races/classes. It's the perfect time to do so.
A new race with it's own history etc... that is specific to Pathfinder would be awesome. Maybe Mr. Logue could come up with something so cool that even WOTC would say "Damn, I wish that was OUR new race"

Hmmm... weird that Goblin gets so much love -- as a long-time FR DM I'd have preferred Genasi, Aasimar or Tiefling myself. I'm fine with anything as long as it is not Dragonwhatever or Dungeonwhatever, though.

My preferences would be if we have an 8th race, a Half-Giant/Goliath type race. Definitely interested in a Tinkerer type (especially to give it to Gnome as a favored class)

I think that Pathfinder would do well to have both an 8th race AND a 12th class. I think as far as a selling angle these would be good additions. Pathfinder has a great strength in the fact that it is thus far a game that appeals to current 3.x players. Pathfinder may find a weakness down the road, however, if these appealed players simply question whether to switch over to Pathfinder or to just scrounge up an extra copy of the core books for 3.0 or 3.5. Giving that much extra, especially since a new race or class might not really change anything in a backwards compatible issue, may be that much more of a selling point for Paizo's Pathfinder.

I've always felt that if Half-Orc is going to be a base race, then a full Orc should really be an option as well. As for a new class, as there are already two versions of a divine caster/fighter (paladin and ranger) an Int based arcane caster/fighter should really be in there too as a standard class, particularly as it's very difficult to do gish without prestige classing.

Ninety-nine responses so far to the poll -- strong preferences from many regarding a 12th class -- either artificer / expert / tinker, or gish, or warlock type class. Also a strong response re psionic characters, not to mention aristocrats and witches. One more smurf and I'll post an update of the survey results. :-)

VOTED!

I would like a new race...empahsis on NEW. Let the werecabbages at Paizo invent something genuinely creative- I'm up for giving them more freedom.

Voted!

For my personal campaign settings, I like to find an extra race or two and fit it into a new niche for character options, so I definitely think that there should be a unique Pathfinder option. If not a wholly new race, maybe go with a race that has a distinct culture (like the Gith races?) very different than what you would find in "standard" settings.

I love class options, whether it be the variants or new base classes. The Dragon Compendium has some good options (Battle Dancer, Mountebank, Jester), and of course we can't forget the psionic classes ...

I think the way this needs to be approached is by checking out the class dynamics and see what needs to be filled in, for example:
Martial - Fighter; Ranger; Paladin; Barbarian; Monk
Arcane - Wizard; Sorcerer; Bard
Divine - Cleric; Paladin; Druid
Stealth - Rogue; Bard; Ranger; Monk

Obviously some of these are hybrid classes or specialize in other more streamline areas, such as Ranger and Druid focusing on wilderness related things. Rogues are also useful in martial situations, but that isn't meant to be a large focus of the class. These are the four party dynamics and I guess using this table means we need some sort of hybrid Divine/Arcane spellcaster? Well, maybe it's not perfect, but if you broke it down farther, maybe added something such as wilderness or social to the list of general features. From there you could come up with a combination of features/party roles you want to fill and build a class around that. Basically, that is how each class was conceptualized to begin with anyways.

Wow, 21 more votes in the last couple hours, very smurfy!

The problem with this poll is that most of the people who take are those already intereested in stuff like an extra race or class, and clicked onto the thread because of the title, so the results of poll are skewed positively.

I'd like to see something totally new, but still low-fantasy, believable (ie, not morphing doppleganger-types, or illumians with a light-bulb for a head).

One thing to keep in mind is that those who really love an existing non-SRD race or class, probably already have the relevant books, and can always add it to their home game.

They don't actually need Paizo to rework it, unless they believe that the race/class is under- or over-powered. And if they currently believed that, they probably wouldn't be cheerleading advocates for including them.

The only advantage to having a revised, re-named version of one's favourite non-SRD race/class in PathfinderRPG, is that the race/class would possibly see a bit more usage in published scenarios?

The problem with this poll is that most of the people who take are those already interested in stuff like an extra race or class, and clicked onto the thread because of the title, so the results of poll are skewed positively.

You'd be amazed at how many people have said they prefer to keep with the 7 traditional races, or are open to the idea of an 8th race but are quite leery.

As for sampling bias, if you know of a way to collected unskewed data, the National Bureau of Statistics has a huge grant and a fancy office waiting for you. ;-)

In all seriousness, yes, folks should keep in mind that the sample is surely biased in some way, if not several ways; although if we are going to be objective about it, there is no way to know how exactly it is biased. From comments left in the "other" section of the survey, it is clear that at least a few people took the survey because they definitely don't want a change.

No options for Dire Flumphs? No disturbingly depicted scantily-clad Awakened Anthropomorphic Animals. No Giant Space WereHamsters? Hmph. Poller bias! :)

Anywho, I wouldn't mind seeing some classic races added later as options (Orc, Gnoll, Kobold, Hobgoblin, Bugbear, Lizardfolk) or some newer faves like the Eberron races (Changeling, Shifter, Warforged) or some sort of dragon-blooded humanoid.

For classes, I'm not sure what needs to be covered. Some sort of working version of the Marshal/Warleader/Savage Bard could be neat. Warlocks also have their perks. A Psychic, using rules similar to the Complete Psychic's Handbook (GR) could be neat (I like the idea of a skills and feat based power system).

civil goblins....satan is throwing snowballs right now...yellow ones. LOVE IT!

Voted - thanks for the poll!

I thought Half-giant would be a great idea for Golarion, with all of those giants in the history and stuff. A new class would be great - always welcome. I voted witch - loved since the kit in 2nd ed.

Peace,

tfad

I am if the mind that any races and classes beyond those already in the PHB under 3.5 or in the PRPG (as it stands) are the realm of supplements. I dont mind adding races but i have an aversion to adding more base classes. I prefer offering more options to core classes or quickly qualified for prestige classes (especially the intermediate 5 level ones) for added flavor.

-Weylin Stormcrowe

I'd like to see a Marshal/Warlord class most of all. Other ideas I'd like to see are a Noble class (though I think maybe the Bard could handle it) and Variant Paladins.

I always have trouble seeing "Noble" as a proper class. Nobles are a mixed bag really...some are (class-wise) aristocrats, experts, fighters, wizards, clerics, rogues (usually non-theiving), sorcerers, or any other class. Having a "Noble" class is too much like having a "merchant" class, a "freeman" class, a "serf/slave" class.

I would rather see a subsystem added that allowed for more infuence from the character's social status/upbringing.

-Weylin Stormcrowe

Here the latest results. 169 responses.

Folks were mixed about having an 8th race. The top 10 or so race preferences were all over the place, although 4 ranked pretty high (Goblin, Aasimar, a Half-Giant/Goliath type, and a Lycanthrope-blooded race like Eberron's shifter).

The desire for a 12th class was clear as were the top 3 preferences: an expert/artificer class, a gish, and/or a warlock. Popular 2nd-tier choices included a noble, an alternate cleric class (spontaneous, unarmored, and/or sage-like), and a witch (a shapeshifting arcane caster) were .

Folks really liked the idea of having sidebars or an extra page with class variants in the main Pf-RPG book.

I feel slightly smurfed-out on surveys. But it's been a lot of fun. I can't wait to see Alpha 1.2! I'm excited to do another survey as more stuff comes out.