[crossfire] Classes

[Mark Wedel]

  Been thinking about classes some.  I'll eventually record all this on the 
wiki, but thought I'd start some discussion first.

  A few general thoughts/questions:

  Should everyone actually get search and disarm skills?  While these are fairly 
important, they are perhaps not critical and in most games, these are reserved 
for thief characters, and by giving them to everyone, it diminishes the value of 
thieves in crossfire.  One thought is to give characters versions of these 
skills which advance really slowly, so at first level they are usable, but as 
character gains levels, they will lag, so if there ever does become a thief 
character, it now becomes somewhat useful for those skills.  I figure at higher 
levels, characters perhaps have other ways to deal with traps - either with 
spells, or fact they just have enough HP to survive.

  For starting skills, should skill tools be done away with (eg, talismans, holy 
symbols?)  My take, which may be wrong, is more often than not they are 
annoying/disliked, and I'm not sure what is really gained by having them vs 
giving the characters the native skills.  Thoughts?

  Related to the skills discussion, maybe sense magic & sense curse skills go 
away, and instead become special bonuses of praying and wizardry skills?

---
As the game stands now, there are more or less 3 main playable types - fighter, 
wizard, cleric.  There are some subtypes, like monk, barbarian, etc.

  But if one takes that main types and combinations (fighter + cleric, fighter + 
wizard, wizard + cleric), there is not a huge number of choices, which is 
probably a good thing.

  However, since there are 4 magic skills, this number multiplies.  I'm thinking 
what would be convenient is some way to give the player the choice of what magic 
skill they get, so that number of classes stays a more reasonable level (instead 
of needing to do cleric + evoker, cleric + pyromancer, etc, one just does cleric 
+ wizard, and player chooses what specific skill).  I'm just not sure how to do 
that.

  I also think that as a general rule, the stat adjustments for classes should 
be in a narrower ranger (±2 or ±3).  In a sense, after the person grows up, 
choosing a class may focus some of the attributes (eg, a wizard focusing on 
arcane arts is likely to get smarter and not be as strong), but race should 
still play a more important roll.

  At the bottom, I note removal of a few classes.  The main focus for the key 
class is what combat skills the character starts with.  Rather than try to add 
more classes for some of the minor skills (like alchemy), I think it might be 
more interesting to add quests to get those skills, and maybe by way things are 
set up, you have only a choice of getting one (eg, you either help out the 
alchemist guild or thieves guild, and depending who you help out determines what 
skill you are taught)

  General note on info below: Every class/race can use potions, so magic items 
is referring to scrolls, wands, rods.  Unless otherwise noted, everyone has 
literacy.

In any case, quick rundown on different classes:

Barbarian:
Armor & weapons: All
Magic items: no
Other notes: No literacy skill, woodsman skill, moutaineering
Description: Hardened warriors from uncivilized areas who don't like magic.
Assessment: Probably needs some other bonus to make this better to play than the 
fighter below.  Note sure woodsman & mountaineering are good enough.

Fighter:
Armor & weapons: All
Magic items: wands/rods/staves
Other notes: None
Description: Skilled warriors trained in civilized lands.
Assessment: Basic fighter

Monk:
Armor & weapons: No armor, maybe allow a limited set of monk weapons
Magic Items: All
Other notes: Gets karate, meditation
Assessment: most useful for races that can not use armor & weapons since that is 
no disadvantage, and you get a nice advantage.  Addition of a limited set of 
monk weapons is to give some more options, and really, who else in the game is 
going to use nunchukas?

Priest:
Armor & Weapons: Light & medium armor, maybe limited set of weapons (but still 
pretty broad)
Magic Items: All
Other notes: gets praying skill
Assessment: Playability really depends on spells - some gods give much better 
low level spells than other gods, likewise for higher levels.

Wizard:
Armor & Weapons: Light armor, limited set of weapons (no bow, maybe only 
small/simple melee weapons)
Magic Items: All
Other Notes: Pure wizard would get 2 of the 4 magic skills.
Assessment: Key for this class is to stay away from enemies, so distance damage 
spell is important.

Paladin (fighter + cleric combo)
Armor & Weapons: All armor, limited weapon (maybe no missile weapon)
Magic Items: All
Other notes: Gets praying skill
Assessment: It might need more differentiation to make this less desirable to 
play - otherwise everyone plays this instead of of either the priest or the 
fighter - if it gets all the same abilities, why not?

Warlock (fighter + mage)
Armor & Weapons: Light & medium armor, limited weapon
Magic Items: All
OTher notes: Gets a magic skill
Assessment: By getting only 1 magic skill, this is less desirable then the 
wizard.  The choice of armor and weapons make it less desirable than a fighter - 
they key here is the combination of abilities that hopefully makes it better to 
play - disadvantage is that exp is split among 2 skills (magic + weapons)

Devotee (cleric + mage)
Armor & Weapons: Light & medium armor, very limited weapon (maybe same as mage)
Magic items: All
Other notes: Gets magic skill + praying skill
Assessment: like warlock above, value is in using both abilities - if one were 
to go pure mage, better of as a wizard, if pure cleric, better of as a priest.

Swashbuckler: Removed - not distinctive enough from a fighter.

Ninja: Use of hiding, sneak attacks & karate may make it interesting, but I 
think more work is needed to make sneak attacks really work.  Removed for now

Thief: Playability of thief needs work - as it is now, it is basically a less 
good fighter with a bonus non combat skill.  As noted at very top, it might be 
more interesting to let fighters do some quest to get this non combat skill.  I 
think making thieves playable is an entire discussion - a discussion worth 
having, but beyond scope of this message.

Sorcerer, Evoker, Summoner: Distinction of magic profession can hopefully be 
removed in some way - instead, character choose what magic skill they want as 
noted at top of message.

Alchemist: Really just an old wizard (single skill) with alchemy skill.  While 
alchemy is interesting, I don't think it warrants and entire class (if so, 
should we add smith, baker, etc?)  I think the item creation skills would be 
good skills to give out as part of quests.