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It’s perfectly fine for two class options in the same class to share some mechanics, and it’s also appropriate to examine other classes for mechanics you can draw upon for inspiration. Take a look at the class’s existing options and see what they provide, and then use those as examples or building blocks for the features that your class option will provide. Once you have a unique concept for your class option in mind, it’s time to get down to the design process. Figuring out the story behind the class option, and what kinds of characters you want to enable your players to create with it, is the most critical step in the process because it will serve as a guiding example for you. The first thing to do when creating a new class option is to figure out what that option’s unique aspect is, both in terms of the class’s underlying story and the option’s place in the campaign world. As with anything in class design, be prepared to playtest your ideas and then make changes if things aren’t turning out the way you want them to.
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If you want to create a different version of one of these major decision points (such as a new primal path for the barbarian), examine the existing examples to see how they are built. Clerics choose a divine domain, fighters choose a martial archetype, rogues choose a roguish archetype, wizards choose an arcane tradition, and so forth. Once it’s out there, you can expect us to check in with you to see how it’s working out and what we can do to improve it.Įach class contains at least one major decision point, referred to here as a class option. The material presented in Unearthed Arcana will range from mechanics that we expect one day to publish in a supplement to house rules from our home campaigns that we want to share, from core system options to setting-specific material. For these reasons, material in this column is not legal in D&D Organized Play events.
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They are highly volatile and might be unstable if you use them, be ready to rule on any issues that come up. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not fully tempered by playtests and design iterations.
DND 4E CLASS SHAMAN SERIES
You can think of the material presented in this series as similar to the first wave of the fifth edition playtest.
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This article presents methods that will help you to use existing mechanics as a model, while drawing upon features of other classes for inspiration. The two best ways to modify a class are to swap out some class features for different ones, and to add new to an existing class. However, modifying a class is not something that should be undertaken lightly, and the job requires some serious effort, playtesting, and revision to get it right. If you’re in this situation, you might want to modify one or more of the classes in the game in order to provide options for players looking for a unique twist on their characters’ abilities. Sometimes a campaign will have special needs for archetypes or character options not found in the existing official material. Looking for more advice on modifying character classes? Dive into customization with some advice on class design.
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