Class conflict: considerations for ease of inclusion
Just because a character class exists in a rule book, it doesn’t necessarily exist in every campaign world. Expanding on a previous post (Guiding player character creation), examples of character classes from 1st edition Pathfinder are categorized here according to their ease of inclusion in any campaign world.
Many campaign worlds (particularly homebrew worlds) are developed from earlier editions of D&D, and while some classes have evolved without significant issue, the introduction of many others may present problems. The inclusion of hybrids also renders many multi-classing and prestige class options obsolete. There are potentially unnecessary rules complexities added to create many additional classes that can be covered by core classes quite adequately with flavor; some of these complexities may even defy the
common sense rules still adhered to by their core counterparts.
Universal character classes (core)
Fighter, rogue, wizard, cleric, bard.
All are classic classes since 1st edition AD&D. If any of these fail to fit into your campaign, you may need to rethink the parameters of your world.
Fighter: Mercenary, soldier, gladiator, knight, outlaw, marksman, weapon master, all-round action hero. Concerns may include availability and maintenance of specialized or exotic weapons, or heavy armor in tropical climes.
Rogue: Thief, investigator, assassin, scout, spy. Usually appropriate for any alignment except lawful good, though an investigator/ troubleshooter role could still arguably fit. Concerns depend on the style of play chosen, potentially including loner or antisocial behaviors and instigating intra-party conflict.
Wizard: Arcane spell-caster, concerns may include availability of spell ingredients and research opportunities, and poor resource management resulting in a five minute adventuring day.
Cleric: Divine spell-caster, concerns may include GM/ player compromise on perceived role regarding chosen alignment and ethos, intolerance of other characters’ behaviors, relations with their own and other religious organizations, and availability of temples if the player rejects initial religion options.
Bard: Not one of the original four from basic edition D&D, but still adaptable enough for almost any world. Concerns may include being overshadowed in abilities by high charisma characters of the basic classes.
Terrain or theme dependent classes (core)
Paladin, ranger, druid, barbarian, sorcerer, monk.
With the exception of the sorcerer, all are classic classes since 1st edition AD&D. However, their more specialized nature means that they’re not guaranteed to be a universal fit for all campaigns.
Paladin: Fighter/ cleric, heavily dependent on party alignment and campaign themes, also terrain dependent if the character chooses a bonded steed.
Ranger: Fighter/ rogue/ druid, heavily dependent on terrain and frequency of specific foe types. May require some metagaming to avoid redundant abilities. Original alignment restrictions (good only) might still be enforced in older campaign worlds.
Druid: A primal cleric focused on animal, plant and weather domains. Terrain dependent, neutrality alignment restrictions may cause goal conflicts.
Barbarian: Fighter, dependent on the existence of cultures in the campaign world seen as savage or primitive compared to other civilizations. The berserker aspect may not be a comfortable fit in some settings. Non-lawful alignment restriction may put them at odds with lawful characters.
Monk: Martial artist that may seem out of place anywhere other than in an Asian-themed setting. Lawful restrictions may cause friction with chaotic characters.
Sorcerer: Introduced in 3rd edition D&D, with new rules of arcane spell-casting which may not fit in worlds created for earlier editions.
Specialized quest dependent classes
Vigilante, inquisitor, investigator.
These classes are dependent on game style and tend to require specific types of adventures and role-playing opportunities, making significant demands on the rest of the party and the GM.
Vigilante: With social skills similar to a bard, and combat skills similar to either a fighter or rogue, this class requires heavy role-playing opportunities within large settlements. Suited only to a localized intrigue or superhero campaign setting.
Inquisitor: Cleric/ rogue with a stricter role than a paladin when dealing with quest choices; has little motivation to agree to any party goals other than their own. May require frequent relocation to pursue their quarry.
Investigator: Rogue with major alchemy skills, ideally suited for quests that involve solving mysteries. Adaptable enough to be of use in other situations, but its alchemy and inspiration mechanics may not have a place in many campaign worlds.
Setting dependent classes
Ninja, samurai, skald.
All have their origins in very specific real-world cultures, which may exclude them from many fantasy settings that don’t contain equivalent realms. Even using the ‘stranger in a strange land’ device can require the GM to open up the campaign world to significant cultural invasion.
Ninja: Rogue that may prove out of place outside of a feudal Japanese setting. Also has balance issues, tempting many players with abilities superior to the core rogue class (few rogues would say no to a level two invisibility ability), with none of the experience point handicaps it suffered in AD&D.
Samurai: Fighter that may prove out of place outside of a feudal Japanese setting. Also suffers from the same terrain dependence as a cavalier due to the mount mechanics.
Skald: Bardbarian that may prove out of place outside of a Norse setting.
Rules dependent classes
Cavalier, witch, arcanist, warpriest, magus, oracle, slayer, swashbuckler, brawler, bloodrager, hunter, shaman, shifter, summoner, occult classes, unchained classes.
As well as other considerations, these classes introduce additional rule mechanics or replace existing ones. This may be problematic in some campaigns, especially if the GM simply doesn’t have the time or resources to familiarize themselves with every sourcebook.
Cavalier: Actually around since 1st edition D&D, terrain dependent due to mounted combat specialization. Adds challenge and order rules.
Witch: Arcane spell-caster with access to some divine magic. Adds hex abilities and non-core spells.
Arcanist: Wizard/ sorcerer, adds complexity with arcane reservoir and arcanist exploit mechanics.
Warpriest: fighter/ cleric, adds the fervor mechanic.
Magus: fighter/ wizard, ignores arcane casting penalty in armor and adds superior abilities that render the eldritch knight prestige class obsolete for all but the most patient long-term planners.
Oracle: Cleric that uses sorcerer mechanics for spell-casting, adds curse, mystery and revelation mechanics.
Slayer: Ranger/ rogue enjoying all the combat power of its parent classes without any of the drawbacks.
Swashbuckler: Fighter with panache abilities, using gunslinger mechanics. Theme dependent (heroic/action rather than horror/mystery).
Brawler: Fighter/ monk which somehow has temporary access to any combat feat, and the ability to knock out foes with a single hit like some kind of Tekken god.
Bloodrager: Barbarian/ sorcerer with bloodline powers, non-core spellcasting (five sourcebooks).
Hunter: Druid/ ranger with animal companion and tracking specializations. Terrain dependent.
Shaman: Oracle/ witch using spirits rather than domains as a source of divine magic, using spirit animal and hex mechanics, non-core spellcasting (four sourcebooks).
Shifter: Fighter/ druid specialized in shapeshifting rather than magic.
Summoner: Arcane conjurer with bonded eidolon companion, adding evolution mechanics and extra summoning abilities.
Occult classes: specialized classes with some interesting flavor, but with some exceptions such as kineticist (highly specialized evoker) and mesmer (enchanter/ illusionist) they may mostly be more suited to exploring Rose Red than the average dungeon. All draw upon psychic power rather than arcane or divine, introducing a whole new category of magic to the world, and the spell-caster repertoires require access to six additional source books beyond the core.
Unchained classes: these replace the barbarian, monk, rogue and summoner with alternate versions, usurping the original martial classes in ability, and adding potential confusion to any world containing both.
Technology dependent classes
Gunslinger, alchemist.
Classes that suggest or require a specific technological age far in advance of the standard range.
Gunslinger: The existence of a landmark technology like gunpowder can define a setting, ruling out most classical and early/ mid-medieval settings unless they are heavily hybridized. The naming conventions (gunslinger, grit mechanic) strongly suggests a wild west theme, narrowing suitability still further.
Alchemist: Dependent on technology more suited to a steampunk setting than a medieval one. Defying previous rules of spell-casting, magic item creation and even action economy, alchemists can concoct and throw bombs in a single round, stretching the internal logic of many campaigns when compared to action rules and crafting mechanics that still apply to other classes. Brewing potion-like extracts that somehow affect only the creator, by infusing their own magical energy into an external liquid which they then consume, makes about as much sense as drinking your own urine.
Class dismissed.