I'm thinking of a setting that is based on the Gestalt concepts of the unearthed Arcana. However with a few stipulations.
1. One of your classes must be Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard.
2. One of your classes must be Alchemist, cavalier, Inquisitor, Magus, Oracle, Summoner, Witch.
I've intentional left out Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer. The reasoning is that those classes seem to be to be bluring the lines between two or three classes already. Except the Sorcerer.
This provides the following combinations
Cleric/Alchemist, Cleric/Cavalier, Cleric/Inquisitor, Cleric/magus, Cleric/Oracle, Cleric/Summoner, Cleric/Witch
Fighter/Alchemist, Fighter/Cavalier, Fighter/Inquisitor, Fighter/magus, Fighter/Oracle, Fighter/Summoner, Fighter/Witch
Rogue/Alchemist, Rogue/Cavalier, Rogue/Inquisitor, Rogue/magus, Rogue/Oracle, Rogue/Summoner, Rogue/Witch
Wizard/Alchemist, Wizard/Cavalier, Wizard/Inquisitor, Wizard/magus, Wizard/Oracle, Wizard/Summoner, Wizard/Witch
Which gives the players a setting with 28 character classes. However I'm concerned that some of the combinations may not be that good of a fit thematically, while some may be way too powerful (and I know it's Gestalt, that should say something).
Classes out of this that could be not worth having. The goal here is to create a nice variety of Gestalt Classes that have a solid theme and good mechanics. Once I have a solid list, I do plan on doing some minor tweaks in order to assist the mechanics. Like the Fighter/magus might get Armored Casting a little earlier, any where powers or abilities are duplicated I would want to enhance the class to have a more natural feeling.
Got any Ideas.
One thing you may not have noticed is that you're going to end up with all spellcasters. The only non-spellcaster on your second list is the Cavalier. Not only is Cavalier not a very popular class, but it would have to be combined with Fighter or Rogue from the first list to avoid major spellcasting, but Fighter/Cavalier doesn't offer much from mixing, and Rogue/Cavalier seems more than a little awkward as a concept.
Why do you want to restrict the combinations?
Without knowing WHY it's hard to suggest HOW.
Turns the 4 base classes into 6
Fighter/Wizard (Magus)
Fighter/Cleric (Paladin)
Fighter/Rogue (Barbarian)
Cleric/Wizard (Divine Archanist)
Cleric/Rouge (Inquisitor)
Rogue/Wizard (Bard)
Optional these other 3
Wizard/Sorcerer (Sorcerer)
Cleric/Druid (Druid)
Fighter/Monk (Monk)
Unless I Missed something, and then create some prestige classes later on.
For shame, for shame,
you dropped the monk
in a gestalt game.
Master Arminas
The reason is I want to create new character classes that would be unique to this setting. Replace the tired old wizard and fighter. We've been gaming a long time and I'm looking for something as a GM to spark my creativity. My turn to GM is not for a year or so, thus I have time to get things right.
I want options but options that I can use. As it stands so far each class has archetypes each race has archetypes as well. I just want to solidify things down to something new, something that is understandable, something that is full of flavor and mechanics that match the flavor.
When I look at something like the Arcane Archer, and the Flavor for that class is Elven Ranger/Wizards. I think this sounds really neat. However when I start to build it, the mechanics start to destroy the flavor.
So I want classes that provide Flavor and mechanics.
I also don't want any level dipping. Once a player says I want to play this concept in the setting then it is done. So often does charcter creation require several days if not more of research on rules, and combinations. I would prefer that it was just smoother.
SO No multi-classing into other classes.
1 Prestige class (that is designed to add the fluff and mechanic to fit the players concept.
In other words, less but more. Less option but better choices. With the idea of balance kept in mind. That balance being reducing the Exp from monsters by a +1 CR.
The Premise for the Game is as follows:
1. The PC's are from a remote kingdom that has no trade with the outside world. The character classes, religions, and belief systems held by the society in which the PC's are from are slightly similar to those of the out side world but also very different. The PC's wield weapons that would be considered exotic by the outside world, and the outside world wields weapons that are considered exotic to the PC's.
The Character classes are different depending on where in the setting one is. Where the PC's come from there are a choices. But other strage classes exist out side of there home.
that's about it for now..
Are the outside world's weapons considered exotic, or would your secluded kingdom see them as simple and crude. A long sword, no matter how finely crafted, is certainly not as elegant or impressive as perhaps a scimtar or katana. Compared to the latter two a long sword is little more than a sharp club.
Are the outside world's weapons considered exotic, or would your secluded kingdom see them as simple and crude. A long sword, no matter how finely crafted, is certainly not as elegant or impressive as perhaps a scimtar or katana. Compared to the latter two a long sword is little more than a sharp club.
For Weapons in the the Game I was thinking about using the Following:
Two Handed Weapon: Damage 1d10 Crit 18 x2
One Handed Weapon: Damage 1d8 Crit 18 x2
Light Weapon: Damage 1d6 Crit 18 x2
Dagger Like : 1d4 Crit 18 x2
All the weapons have Fragile (1/2 HP) and suffer a -2 on sunder attempts.
All the weapons will be Finessable,
Composite Short Bows, and Longbows. Now Crossbows
Spears for ranged. No pole arms or pole-arms like items no whips, nets or other stuff.
So in short yes Long-swords would be considered exotic! As these weapons are really light, and really sharp.
Think Elven Curve Blade and smaller version of it. I'm still working on ideas for Mace like weapons and Axe like weapons. Besides Bows & Spears I don't have any piercing weapons for this culture.
However I don't I figure if I'm going to mess with the characters ability to have gear might as well provides some good gear
My premise is expanding
Around 150 years ago a great war was ravening the land. Powerful magic were destroying cites, earthquakes, and literally waves of earth crushing foes of a BBEG. A group of people were faced with a difficult delima.
Face the BBEG armies (which meant certain death) or
Face a unknown haunted land that meant almost certain death.
So this group of peoples (16,000) or so fled into the unknown land. After many months of travel and thousands of deaths due to the hostile enviroment they found an ancient elven like city.
They moved in, and have lived ever sense. The land it's self protects them for scrying and location spells, but at the same time they can't scry or astral travel out of it.
So they have been lost for 8 Generations. Living in a ancient city useing tools of a long dead race.
They could not replicate the Elven Weapons but they sure came close, and thus the style of weapons and armor are light, and sharp relying on agility vs. strength.
Just a rough draft. I will flesh it out more. If its worth it.
Are your players onboard with this? Because if they aren't (if they are expecting a normal Pathfinder game), you are in for a hard time, my man. I know it is gestalt, but this elmination wholesale of every weapon but your four (all of which are fragile and finessable would give me pause as a player.
You are putting so many restrictions on things, I really just hope they are on board. Because if walked in and you were running this with no advance word, I'd turn right around and walk back out.
Master Arminas
Are your players onboard with this? Because if they aren't (if they are expecting a normal Pathfinder game), you are in for a hard time, my man. I know it is gestalt, but this elmination wholesale of every weapon but your four (all of which are fragile and finessable would give me pause as a player.
You are putting so many restrictions on things, I really just hope they are on board. Because if walked in and you were running this with no advance word, I'd turn right around and walk back out.
Master Arminas
For the players in the group I'm in most enjoy story over mechanics. Currently we are all in a AP and playing a game straight by RAW.
Personally I like to Run in Hero Systems. It allows me a level of creativity and balance that I like.
But right now as for this, it is just an Idea. I literary started thinking about it today. So it's really a rough draft of sorts.
Logically at some point I will probaly break down and use far more weapons from the book. But for now, I want the get the fluff out of the way and then see what works out and does not.
Things that need to be worked upon are:
A better premise or focus. What unique features of the setting will the character look at and say wow that's new. Story and Story arch. I also have to develop history, Gods, a understand of how magic works in the setting and why.
Like the post says, its and idea. It might be a bad one, or a good one.
I want know until a little more fleshing is done with in.
So you think the fragile thing is too much, or the -2 on sunder attempts. Hmm I could have all the weapons made of obsidian or sum such.
In games like this I will be planning out everything. Much like an adventure path. So I will know what will exist, what will not exist.
I'm currently thinking that there are only 9 planes of existence in the setting
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Positive, Negative, Ethereal, Astral and of course prime.
I also plan on the gods actually living on the prime, hiding among there follower, watching life unfold with little interaction with mortals.
I like the idea of a god working as a village blacksmith. Just a guy working steel. Occasionally moving from one location to another so the mortals don't catch on.
But that removes a lot of planes. I also plan on removing alignment and replacing it with a Simple, GOOD, EVIL or NEUTRAL system.
So classes will have no alignments. The character can tell me in the beginning that they are Good, Evil or neutral, if they don't I assume Neutral. Actions will dictate if one is Evil or Good.
But it has a long way to go.
However for this discussion I'm trying to find Class flavor with Gestalt that works well both mechanically and flavor wise.
You're building a setting, in flavor terms, while also making character-build decisions. The restrictions you're writing are going to force players into character types that YOU like, but it might not be the character types that THEY like.
Fortunately, you have a year to plan!
I suggest pitching a very rough draft of your idea to the players, and asking them what they might be interested in playing and what elements of a game world they would like to explore. Then, with that knowledge in hand, design a setting and campaign that will appeal to them.