Hi, guys. I am running a SW Saga game this weekend, and after creating some pre-gens a doubt arose in my mind: why can't archtypes be more versatile? That gave me the idea to just open up the archtypes like the Talents from SW Saga. Basically, instead of committing to an archtype "for life", players can choose to replace the class features they want for any equivalent archtype class feature.
I know some of you may hate this because of the "concepts" behind the archtypes, but I believe that such stiff characters are not necessary.
So, my question to you is purely mechanical: do you think this could affect the game balance in any way? Are some class features supposed to suck, for balance's sake? Or will this have no big effect on balance as long as specific broken combos are looked out for?
My GM is letting me play a monk with fuse style from MoMS and reaping winds kick from monk of the peerless mountain from the Expanded Monk and Ninja in our secondary campaign. It doesn't break anything.
You should check out the super genius games talented line. Its precisely this.
They have done the fighter, monk, rogue, and now cavalier. I've used them a bit, and what they have done (due to some clever work by SGG) is made it so the weakest versions of each class are on par with the strongest versions. For instance, in terms of combat, with the talented monk, you can make just about any kind of monk as effective as a zen archer.
So, my question to you is purely mechanical: do you think this could affect the game balance in any way?
My knee-jerk reaction is "yes."
That being said, I believe there is no law or limitation in d20 mechanics that prevents something like this from being balanced. However, the likelihood of such mechanics existing while simultaneously meeting the needs and expectations of a majority of players is highly unlikely.
Usually, archetypes seek to balance mechanical elements with thematic elements and roleplaying fluff. If you were to somehow tie each element that provided a mechanical benefit to a thematic or roleplaying benefit, I see no harm in developing a system based on exchanging abilities on a case by case basis to build an ideal character. However, if characters have the option to load up on mechanical benefits OR roleplaying benefits to the extent it significantly affects character balance, you will start running into issues… fast.
I believe for what they try to do, most archetypes provide mechanical benefits and roleplaying benefits that fit the needs of a majority of players. Yet, I look forward to seeing how you and others develope these alternative systems because a true d20 enthusiast understands the best systems are organic; they learn, adapt, and grow.