| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
After looking at several of the short opinions on the classes, I think I've realized the fundamental problem with the Advanced Class options. In the majority of these cases, the classes are gestalt classes. Sadly, gestalt classes tend to be broken and lack a true identity.
If you look at the examples of classes that work compared to the failures, you'll see a couple key factors: first, the lack of spells (which seem just pasted on), and second a reworking of actual abilities so that the class has unique elements to it.
"Hybrid" classes just don't seem to work. If you consider previous new classes like the Magus, Oracle, Witch, and so forth, you see a complete revamping of what the class is about. Hybrids seem to be about combining cool elements from two classes but weakening them so that the gestalt isn't overpowered. The ended result is a lackluster disinteresting class.
Give these classes character. Give them their own abilities and attributes. Look at elements such as stat requirements and change them so that you don't have a class that needs every stat but instead has specific stats that shine.
And most important of all: give the spellcasting classes their own spell lists that are designed specially for the class and its concept, rather than having them leech off of existing classes. These classes aren't grape vines grafted onto a different grape's root structure. They are an amalgam of classes and thus must be mixed properly to avoid being pot metal.
If this means you need to push back the publication date? Do so! What is more important, getting a book out the door? Or getting a product Paizo can be proud of and that will have Pathfinder players singing the praises of? D&D 3.5 collapsed under the weight of multiple inferior-quality books. It's better to take more time to get this right than to put out something that reminds people why D&D 4 and Next came about.
The points that I disagree with;
Custom spell lists: I've weighed in a lot on what I thought of giving the classes existing spell lists. I favor it mostly because I have a lot of third party material in addition to Player Companions with a ton of spells. If the new classes had their own spell lists, a lot of those spells that they should be able to use are not on their lists. I'd have to make a case-by-case decision, and probably have to record my decisions, for each spell. This is a lot of work I don't want to do, and the alternative is waiting for new content to support the new classes.
The new classes needing their own identity: To some extent I do not agree. Due to the nature of these new classes they aren't exactly new base classes. The design team and I differ on whether or not these needed to be new classes as opposed to archetypes but that ship has sailed since almost day one. I personally could see the game playable with 8 classes, tops, plus archetypes, but at this point, that's not the game being made here. I see these classes as Alternate Classes and I believe that they should be treated as such in design. I believe doing otherwise would negate the reason for them to begin with.
The new classes are not working: Barring 3 or 4 of them the new classes resemble classes I hate without the things that I hate. Investigator, Slayer, Shaman, Hunter and Skalds are things that I always wanted to do but could not. Despite this being personal opinion, in their current forms half or more of the classes 'work' for me and I would play them happily.