Making new RPG classes

First, I'm not sure if it counts as worldbuilding, but, unless you could redirect me to, like, a "gaming-system-building" thread, I'm talking about it here.

I was trying to make a selection of classes for an RPG. I probably wouldn't actually use those classes, but it's easier for me to compare and balance equipment and skills by imagining what classes would use them.

In my latest attempt, I'm conceptualizing classes by combining the recurring types of Three Approach System that have appeared in RPGs:

• Fighter, Mage, Thief (interpreting "Fight" as specializing in armor and weapons, "Magic" as specializing in supernatural abilities, and "Theft" as specializing in dodging and sabotaging the opponent);
• Damager, Healer, Tank (interpreting "Damage" as specializing in DPS, "Healing" as specializing in healing or buffing themselves and their teammates, "Tanking" as specializing in Draw Aggro, nullifying opponent attacks and defending teammates);
• Combat, Diplomacy, Stealth (interpreting "Combat" as specializing in exchanging blows with opponents, "Stealth" as specializing in avoiding fights, and "Diplomacy" as specializing in interacting with the NPCs).

The resulting classes I have so far are:

1. Fight+Damage+Combat= "Warrior" (The Berserker, unmatched in fighting, very bad at Diplomacy, gets stronger when aggroed, which is a double-edge skill);
2. Fight+Damage+Stealth= "kommando" (anachronistic name, but would be an elite soldier sent for special missions);
3. Fight+Damage+Diplomacy= "general" (or "samurai" if using also non-medieval European class names, good at fighting and convincing people, maybe even a Warrior Poet);
4. Fight+Healing+Combat= "hospitaller" (currently refercing The Knights Hospitallers, a soldier whose supporting skills increase after beating opponents, may be a full-on Magic Knight);
5. Fight+Healing+Stealth= "ranger" (the Forest Ranger, something of a Jack of All Stats trying to combine three very different playstyles, does have access to decent equipment, herbs and stealth?);
6. Fight+Healing+Diplomacy= "Flagbearer" (a soldier specializing in using spears with flags, their presence raises the morale of their teammates, but being beaten will severely weaken the team);
7. Fight+Tanking+Combat= "guardian" (meant to be the main Stone Wall of the classes, is very good at stalling opponents and chipping them away);
8. Fight+Tanking+Stealth= "Skirmisher" (mobile soldiers that try to weaken the opponents by distracting them and running away, they can Draw Aggro as easily as take away aggro?);
9. Fight+Tanking+Diplomacy= "knight" (the true Knight in Shining Armor, a cavalier that takes hits for their weaker teammates, and is very popular with NPCs);
10. Magic+Damage+Combat= "Wizard" (or "sorcerer", the Black Mage and archetypal "nuker", uses spells either directly or indirectly, like Deflector Shields, meant for combat, but isn't good at buffing and horrendous at healing);
11. Magic+Damage+Stealth= "nightblade" (or the "Ninja" in Japan, they cast illusions to avoid being seen and obliterate opponents);
12. Magic+Damage+Diplomacy= "warlock?" ("warlock" originally meant "liar" or "conman", but I can make a pun on "war"?);
13. Magic+Healing+Combat= "sage?" (this might get the name "wizard" instead, The Red Mage, is proficient at both Combat and Support, but a very Squishy Wizard?);
14. Magic+Healing+Stealth= ???
15. Magic+Healing+Diplomacy= "Curate" (the White Mage, the Priest/Cleric/whatever, The Medic, the one with Healing Hands, the Support Party Member, I'm using "curate" for the pun on "cure");
16. Magic+Tanking+Combat= "warden" (the premier Barrier Warrior... can't think of anything else);
17. Magic+Tanking+Stealth= "magician" (a trickster and "blink tank" that employs Confusion Fu on opponents?);
18. Magic+Tanking+Diplomacy= ???
19. Theft+Damage+Combat= "Pirate" (a simple marauder, a bandit, a rogue, the main Fragile Speedster);
20. Theft+Damage+Stealth= "Assassin" (like the "nightblade" but without the magic part, a true Glass Cannon);
21. Theft+Damage+Diplomacy= "intimidator" (this would be the minion tasked with placing the horse heads as warnings, all NPCs shiver with fear in their presence);
22. Theft+Healing+Combat= ???
23. Theft+Healing+Stealth= "burglar?" (can open up new passages for their teammates and shares the stuff they've pickpocketed with them, like hamburgers?);
24. Theft+Healing+Diplomacy= "bard" (or whatever singer figure from history you want to name them after, when not interacting with NPCs they use songs to make their teammates believe they're stronger than they actually are);
25. Theft+Tanking+Combat= "monk" (the martial artitst, a "blink tank" that draws aggro and trolls by dodging, before counterattacking);
26. Theft+Tanking+Stealth= "acrobat?" (also blink tanks? They are good at platforming?);
27. Theft+Tanking+Diplomacy= ???

I do need some help for a few of the classes, what do you suggest?

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 16th 2024 at 2:44:31 PM

...Bumping?

I think the size of your list made my brain explode.

Sorry about that.

A few suggestions:

• Magic + Damage + Diplomacy = Archmage
  • i.e. A powerful mage who also deals with the politics of mage organisations
• Magic + Healing + Stealth = A little out there, but perhaps Vampire?
  • i.e. They use vampiric powers to stealth around the field, and in draining foes restore their own health
• Theft + Healing + Combat = Buff/Debuff class (Enchanter?)
• Thief + Tanking + Diplomacy = I'm imagining a class that uses clone-forms extensively to soak up damage and to distract foes

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Apr 16th 2024 at 7:17:12 PM

Here is a rather unorthodox one:

Thief + Tank + Healing = "The Equal" (They have one job. Steal the health of the enemy and use it to "heal weapons", keeping them from breaking. Good luck killing the Equals while the rest of their party is attacking you at the same time, before it kills you.)

(Also, they are classed as "Thief" due to practically "stealing" the blacksmith's repair-jobs from them.)

It's a bit weird seeing "Vampire" as a 'class'; sure it a job in Miitopia, but Miitopia is, well, Miitopia; it's also a bit ironic because I actually dislike vampires, and would serve mostly as opponents in my setting, but you didn't know that, so no worries.

I'm actually still on the fence on if implementing Breakable Weapons, and how to do it. But if I do, I might have a gimmick like that.

I mean, you can re-skin the class as something else.

A dark mage who steals life-essence, maybe—you could call them a Nightwitch, or a Hemourge.

Or perhaps this is your version of a Warlock: the word has been said to mean "oathbreaker", so you could have the lore hold that they broke some great and binding oath of magecraft, and for it have become a dark and twisted version of what a mage is expected to be.

Maybe I could use "warlock" or some other name for Magic+Healing+Stealth: they use illusions to mask themselves and their teammates, while also buffing them up.

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 17th 2024 at 8:27:01 PM

What do you think of this concept for Theft+Healing+Combat?
"Courier": a Fragile Speedster that moves quickly around the battlefield to offer healing or supporting consummables to their teammates, with the occasional fighting.

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 17th 2024 at 8:26:36 PM

Bump?

Sorry, this is too complicated. It would work with a video game if you had hours to play with and slowly figure out which playstyle you like but frontloading this on a player with limited time to grind and experiment is too much.

Oh... I'm sorry.

Does anyone have new ideas for RPG classes or jobs they wanna share?

Regarding the Three Approach System, I prefer Balance, Speed, Strength Trio. Speed and strength present a more natural dichotomy; nobody expects sprinters to be strong or weightlifters to be fast. I don't like the other examples of this trope because they don't have a rationale for their dichtomies; why must a fighter have no magic, or a tank be weak at damaging?

What sort of attributes, abilities, and skills will be featured in your RPG? Make a list of them. Then form class distinctions based on which of them would be naturally difficult to develop or have simultaneously. Don't separate any two into separate classes if there is no reason why a character can't have both.

Here's a short sample of skills, moves, spells and some equipment, and what class would each one be associated with (at least the ones I did think of), names might not be definitive.

• "Wounded Honor" (passive skill): the user's Strength, Intelligence, Defense and Speed slightly increase if they are afflicted with the "Aggressive" condition (associated with the "warrior");
• "Ambush Arrow" (projectile weapon, 1-handed, Blade): a shortish, stout arrow, whose damage increases greatly every 10 seconds the user is not detected by opponents, but it automatically reveals the archer, compatible with smaller bows (associated with the "kommando");
• "Dreadful mask" (facewear): a face mask with an intimidating visage used by the samurai of Japan, offers decent Defense and makes it easier to intimidate NPCs in dialogues, to be worn directly on the face (associated with the "general");
• "Twin Dogs Spear" (melee weapon, battle effect, spell device, 2-handed, Blade): a magical spear decorated with a hunting hound's and a docile dog's heads, a slow and cumbersome weapon but very powerful, can be used to channel healing spells, spells that affect the stats, spells that interact with conditions, and spells that interacts with the Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors (associated with the "hospitaller");
• "Large Crossbow" (projectile launcher, 2-handed): a larger, more powerful crossbow, not as strong as the arcuballista models, but those either take 1 minute to load or consume significant energy, compatible with crossbow bolts (associated with the "ranger");
• "Flagbearing Spear" (melee weapon, battle effect, 1-handed, Blade): a glaive with a box containing a retractable flag, a decent weapon, the flag can be exposed to increase the teammates' morale, which allows to cure and prevent mental Status Effects like Aggressive (associated with the "flagbearer");
• "Counterstrike" (martial art, attack blocker, 2-handed): if the user performs this skill while struck with a melee attack, they will turn the opponent's strength against them and inflicts the same damage they originally dished out to them, can be applied to shields (associated with the "guardian");
• "Stink Grenade" (battle effect, 1-handed): a fragile clay jar filled with putrescent insects and sulfur, throwing it against an opponent will inflict the Aggresive condition (which makes NPCs in battles chase the attacker and gives InterfaceScrew to players, until they get revenge on their attacker) and lowers their Intelligence (associated with the "skirmisher");
• "Still Standing" (passive skill): it becomes easier for the user to convince NPCs in dialogues with less than 100% health (associated with the "knight");
• "Flare" (projectile weapon, magic spell, 0-handed, Wind and Fire): the user magically ignites a rapidly expanding flame, fairly costly to cast, but is very strong, covers a wide area and attacks very quickly, and temporarily prevents the target from getting healed, compatible with many spell devices (associated with the "sorcerer");
• "Cloak Dagger" (melee weapon, spell device, 1-handed, Blade): a magical long dagger, aside from attacking it can be used to channel a variety of spells (associated with the "nightblade");
• "Temperance" (passive skill): the user is immune to receveing the Aggressive condition, and makes it slightly easier to convince NPCs in dialogues (associated with the "archmage");
• "Torrent" (projectile weapon, battle effect, magic spell, 0-handed, Water): the user magically manipulates water and water currents, when used as an attack, it shoots a high-pressure jet of water at an opponent, when used as an effect, it improves the user or a teammates' circulation and heals various conditions, compatible with almost all spell devices (associated with the "wizard");
• "Phantom Zone" (battle effect, magic spell, 0-handed, Water): the user casts to mantain an enchanted area of effect, on the outside the zone camouflages itself with the enviroment and makes it easier to avoid detection, on the inside the teammates receive increases to Strength, Intelligence and Defense, compatible with some spell devices (associated with the "warlock");
• "Resurgence" (battle effect, magic spell, 0-handed, Herbal): the user magically restores a teammate' consciousness and promotes some wound-healing if they have just lost all their Hit Points, the target receives a moderately long cooldown afterwards which prevent further healing, cannot be used on already healthy NPCs or themselves, attempting to use it on an opponent will leave them confused (NPCs will briefly stay in place while players will receive an Interface Screw), but not enough to be considered a Status Effect, and is otherwise not usable in a Solo-Character Run, compatibile with many spell devices (associated with the "curate");
• "Flame" (projectile weapon, attack blocker, magic spell, 0-handed, Fire): the user magically ignites a flame, when used as an attack, it's a straightforward ranged attack, when used as a barrier, offers decent Damage Reduction and any opponent trying to use a melee attack will be damaged by the fire, compatible with almost all spell devices (associated with the "warden");
• "Chasing A Fox" (battle effect, magic spell, 0-handed): the user magically irritates the oponents and at the same time makes themselves more active, while boasting and comparing themselves to a mythical fox that couldn't be caught, it increases the user's Speed and turns opponents Aggresive, compatible with almost all spell devices (associated with the "magician");
• "Saif" (melee weapon, 1-handed, Blade): a single-edge, curved sword from the Ottoman Empire, packs a decent punch and is rapid-fire, meaning the user can deliver a flurry of cuts to the opponents, as long as the Sprint Meter has some energy left (associated with the "pirate");
• "Stealth Reaping" (martial art, 1-handed): the user makes a surpire attack on an unaware opponent, it decently increases in power for every 10 seconds the user isn't detected and doesn't automatically reveal the user after attacking, compatible with many small and medium melee weapons (associated with the "assassin");
• "Khukuri" (melee weapon, battle effect, 1-handed, Blade): a single-edged knife with a forward curve and a small notch above the handle, and national weapok of Nepal, very short range compensanting for packing a lot of power, can be used as an effect by showing it to NPCs and intimidating them, against oppononents it slightly lowers their Speed, before a dialogue it makes them easier to convince (associated with the "intimidator");
• "Tinkering" (passive skill): the user turns non-spell support items more effective, for examples potions replenish slightly more Hit Points, while caltrops inflict slightly more damage (associated with the "courier");
• "Pickpocketing" (battle effect, 2-handed): the user investigates an NPC's inventory if they haven't detected them, if "consummable" items are currently selected by the targert (for example, ammunition for ranged weapons or potions), they can be pilfered (associated with the "burglar");
• "Song Of Tragedy" (battle effect, 0-handed): the user sings about some of the tragedies of life and what to learn from them, in battle it increases the teammates' Defense, and before talking to NPCs it makes them much easier to convince, can be applied to musical instrument to increase its effects (associated with the "bard");
• "Khakkara" (melee weapon, battle effect, 1-handed, Blade): a long stick with dangling rings used by Buddhist monks, as a weapon it increases in power if the user has just successfully performed a dodge, as an effect it can be shaken to make sounds and turn opponents Aggressive (associated with the "monk");
• "Vaulting Pole" (melee weapon, battle effect, 2-handed): a plain, long wooden staff, aside from being a weapon, it can be used to increase the range of the user's jumps and leaps (associated with the "acrobat").

But I also wanna hear your ideas for RPG classes now.

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 19th 2024 at 2:57:16 PM

Alright, Bet.

So we start off with a simple 3 class. Guard, Hunter, and Mage.

Guard is focused on sustain, being tough and having a lot of resources.

Hunter is focused on burst damage, taking down foes as fast as possible.

Mage is focused on control, buffing it'self and allies while debuffing enemies.

After that we have the improved classes. You can choose to hybridize your class with another or just improve it linearly.

The Pure classes are

Bastion Being a super Guard, focused on being as immovable and unstoppable as possible.

Assassin Being a super Hunter, focused on taking down Anything with a single blow

Wizard Being a super Mage, distorting reality to it's favor.

The Hybrid classes are

Duelist Being a Guard/Hunter hybrid, focused on one-on-one fights.

Warden Being a Guard/Mage hybrid, focused on long lasting crowd control abilities

Trickster Being a Hunter/Mage hybrid, focused on debuffing opponents to set them up for massive damage.

After that, you can find a Fount of Power, a kind of source of magic to fuel your abilities. Founts of Power subtly flavor your abilities, adding additional effects.

Order makes your abilities more predictable.

Chaos makes your abilites more random.

Life trades damage for improved healing

Death Weakens healing but improves damage.

Shadow Makes it easier to hide but hurts defense

Nature Alters your abilities to apply over time or over a longer period of time.

And so on and so forth. Founts are more sidegrades than improvements and you don't have to take one. On the other hand, you can only have one Fount working at a time.

Professions or your out of combat abilities don't interact with your Class. You can make things with Professions that can be used in combat but Profession abilities can't be used in combat and Class abilities instantly trigger combat. On the other hand, Professions are subject to Fount effects.

It's not perfect but it's designed to be easy to work with and very adaptable. If you didn't like the Class you started with you can then pivot into a hybrid class you do like and if you just want to make a minor adjustment to your character you can add a Fount.

Edit: Switched Font for Fount as per valid criticism. Too much confusion with Font=Typeface.

Edited by Belisaurius on Apr 19th 2024 at 12:18:14 PM

Here is one:

Rabbit Cultist: Wizard + Chaos + Animorphism

A mage that by dedicating themselves to a specific Outside-God, gain almost unlimited mana to channel but in exchange reduced to only one type/kind of spell to use it with.

However, depending on how high the Insight STAT is on the user, they can come up with some seriously creative ways to use their one specific spell that compensate for their lack of quantity in their spellbooks.

The reason for them being called "Rabbit Cultists" despite most of them not having the "Rabbit Spell" in their books is due to the founder of the profession was given the "Rabbit Spell" and the first thing they did with it was giving themselves rabbit-ears for giggles.

"Fonts" Of Power? Is your RPG writing-themed?

Anyway, I would pick Duelist, Order, and... Gorilla?

I supposed I should have gone with Fount of Power. I've always seen it spelled Font as in a Font of Knowledge.

To be fair, I don't see "fount" in English texts very often as well.

"Font" can indeed mean either a fountain, or more specifically the sink with the Holy Water in churches, coming from Latin "fons/spring"; although, people are more familiar today with "font" as in "typeface", which instead derives from an Old French word meaning "to melt". So maybe "Fount" Of Power would be less ambiguous, if you intend a literal or metaphorical fountain.

I feel like I've seen such usage of "font" reasonably often, and without explanation, so I imagine that it would be fine for the most part.

(And in this context I suspect that—speaking for myself—I would be unlikely to read it as referring to a set of characters.)

"Fount" sounds a little more awkward, to me.

It does but it's also unique and that makes it memorable.

Does the player play only one character, or a party? Or does it allow multiplayer?

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 19th 2024 at 7:58:49 PM

It's designed for multiplayer but fundamentally it's just an extention of Mass Effect's system.

I have yet to play Mass Effect. It's currently on my Steam Wishlist, I just have to replenish my account's money, wait for a low price, and I'll buy it. And if I can found the time, play it.

On an unrelated note, I did find a sheet ot improbable RPG classes I made with my sister a couple years ago as a joke.
Do any of you wanna see them?

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Apr 19th 2024 at 8:40:42 PM