Mind Blown: Removing Classes from 3e via Point Buy

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

http://www.easydamus.com/Custom_Characters.pdf

(click to show/hide)

This is a full point buy, unlike the switching between class containers that is LoD

Are you sad that the 3rd edition writers don't allow your character concept to have Slippery Mind and Greater Flurry of blows on the same character in core, pre-epic just because they were narrow-minded? Free yourself of their limitations with a point-buy system that enforces balance on millions of permutations.

Yesterday I came across this guy who had stripped the rigid and inflexible containers of classes from D&D back in 2010-2011. The complications for 3.5 melted away and the elegance shown through. It simultaneously simplifies and empowers players and DMs alike. It can even fully recreate standard 3e play if need be.

I know understand his system fully. Here's the most important part from the 2010 version's 4th page:

Trait             Cost (XP)       Maximum Value
Base Attack Bonus          300 for +1       +1
Base Save Bonus          100 per +1       +2
Base Hit Points          25 per HP       12 HP
Skill Rank             25 per       Rank 4 Ranks per Skill
Base Feat             100    per      Up to normal for Character level
Armor and Weapon Proficiency    Feats 100 per Feat    --
Bard Spellcasting       150         Up to Character level
Cleric Spellcasting        300      Up to Character level
Druid Spellcasting        200      Up to Character level
Psion Manifesting           500      Up to Character level
Sorcerer Spellcasting        500      Up to Character level
Wizard Spellcasting        500      Up to Character level
Special Ability        100 per Ability      Up to Character level
Class Level              25 per      Up to Character level
Ability Score           150 per +1    Racial Max

Who has questions?

[bhu]

I am intrigued.  Does anyone know how much playtesting this has had to determine how the math works out.

[Garryl]

Whee! Yet another system built on the premise that all classes are equal and that massages the numbers until they fit that.

[archon]

This system is really cool. From here, it would be nice to work on putting some better balance into the game, since you can fix abilities(or their pricing) one by one. But I don't know how to go about that - Spell-casting in particular is just very structurally different.

But still, very cool. I'm glad someone got around to doing this.

And let me second the request for play-testing.

 

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

It seems as if this guy has run the variant along with his attempt at simplifying magic (basically he makes it into a complicated skill system so it becomes transparent to the point buy). If anyone wants to email him, I'm curious to see how the balance of his awfully round numbers worked. It seems apparent that the numbers may need tweaked a bit (specifically the casting, saves, and BAB).

Whee! Yet another system built on the premise that all classes are equal and that massages the numbers until they fit that.

There is analysis on the 2011 version's page 54 that goes through and shows how the classes aren't fully equal, but assuming the chassis really matters (a design principal that 3e initially held), they are usually close-ish. As expected Fighters are noticeably weak and druids are noticeably strong. Has anyone else ever point buy chassis and class abilities before better? I'll settle for "fully".

Ugly text dump of the table:

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TABLE 10: EXPERIENCE POINT COSTS FOR BASIC CHARACTER CLASS BUILDS

Level Standard Bbn Brd Clr Drd Ftr Mnk Pal Rgr Rog Sor Wiz
1 0 (-25) (+275) (-225) (-25) (-175) (-225) (-75) (+275) (-275) (-725) (-625)
2 1,000 1,500 1,600 1,800 1,900 1,300 1,900 1,500 1,600 1,400 1,600 1,600
3 3,000 4,500 4,450 4,650 4,900 3,700 4,300 4,500 4,150 4,550 3,950 3,950
4 6,000 8,400 8,550 9,150 9,600 7,200 9,400 8,000 8,250 8,250 8,250 8,250
5 10,000 12,000 10,800 11,600 12,400 9,900 11,800 13,200 12,700 10,400 11,000 11,500
6 15,000 18,900 18,000 18,800 19,900 16,200 19,300 19,500 19,300 17,000 18,600 19,100
7 21,000 24,200 22,950 24,450 25,900 20,100 23,900 25,500 25,650 21,950 22,650 23,150
8 28,000 32,300 32,250 33,750 35,600 27,400 33,600 32,000 34,150 29,650 31,750 32,250
9 36,000 41,800 39,000 40,200 42,600 35,200 39,800 43,400 44,200 37,200 39,800 40,300
10 45,000 50,500 48,200 50,400 53,300 42,900 51,500 51,100 53,400 45,400 49,800 51,300
11 55,000 59,000 56,150 59,450 62,900 49,200 60,000 60,700 63,550 53,350 56,450 57,950
12 66,000 76,100 72,650 75,950 80,000 63,900 78,300 75,400 77,650 68,650 73,950 75,450
13 78,000 86,100 78,500 82,800 87,600 71,400 83,400 86,800 89,700 75,700 81,900 83,400
14 91,000 98,400 92,900 97,200 102,700 82,300 97,100 96,300 101,300 85,900 96,100 97,600
15 105,000 114,600 108,350 112,650 120,400 95,500 111,800 117,000 118,250 102,850 109,850 112,850
16 120,000 132,700 125,650 131,550 140,100 110,400 131,500 130,300 133,950 118,550 128,550 131,550
17 136,000 145,900 133,300 140,600 148,400 120,300 139,900 145,300 149,800 126,100 139,100 142,100
18 153,000 167,200 155,500 162,800 173,300 139,800 161,200 164,800 168,400 146,500 162,900 165,900
19 171,000 182,100 169,450 178,650 188,200 150,900 174,200 181,600 184,250 162,350 174,750 177,750
20 190,000 204,800 193,150 202,350 214,900 169,600 202,900 200,300 205,950 180,050 198,250 203,250