Class Framework

From KJD-IMC Wiki

Over the years I've looked at how character classes are designed. It seems that most of the common class abilities could be reasonably modeled as feats. Using just the Revised System Resource Document, the classes tend to be fairly cohesive and have clearly-defined class abilities -- and stepping on the special abilities of other classes is frowned on because it invades the class niche.

However, looking at the power and scope of many of these abilities, many of them look like they're worth about a feat or could be reasonably modeled as a feat tree. With the number of 'substitution levels' in publications over the last few years, the niche abilities of the classes are being worn away (it's possible for a Rogue to trade off Sneak Attack for a different ability; the Ranger can trade off his combat style access for special abilities, and so on). I think it's time for me to revisit this idea.

Point-Based Class Frameworks

I've seen a few attempts at point-based class frameworks. In my mind they usually fall down because it's easy to minmax things. Trade off things you don't plan to use for things you do ('+0 BAB progression' comes to mind), really crank benefits (exceeding those in RAW), or taking bogus prerequisites (I had a player try to foist off a specialist prestige class that required lots of ranks in Spellcraft, Concentration, Knowledge: Arcana, etc. because 'they limit the characters who can take the class'). Even granting that these things need to be applied with common sense and DM discretion, I think they're a little too flexible.

They can also lead to strange combinations, such as "fighter BAB, wizard HD".

Axis-Based Class Framework

I examined the extant character classes and found some common patterns in their abilities. They generally fall into fairly tidy combinations of ability progressions and related effects. For instance, classes with good BAB (+1/level) have big hit dice, classes with good Fortitude saves *usually* have good armor proficiency, and so on. The model I'm about to present takes advantage of this.

The framework now incorporates the Revised Character Advancement rules.