d20 Modern Conversion: Advanced Classes - Soldier and Martial Artist
This week, the next installment of the d20 Modern conversion introduces the first two advanced classes for the conversion: the Soldier and the Martial Artist
First off, I wanted to briefly mention my plan for the next few weeks. Each weekly update will ideally include two advanced classes. These advanced classes will still be in a fairly early draft form. I apologise for this, but I just don't have all that much time to work on them right now as I explained in my previous posts.
After I have got through a good chunk of these advanced classes, I will rerelease revised versions of all of them together in a single document. As these advanced classes are still in draft form, feedback for them is really, really helpful, and is appreciated so much.
Regarding the balance of these advanced classes, I am not necessarily bothered about them being on-par with typical 5th Edition subclasses, since they are really designed as a replacement for the base material. What does matter to me is that these advanced classes fill a role, are balanced with eachother, and aren't too complicated to use.
Without further adieu, the document on GM Binder: The Soldier and the Martial Artist
One concern I currently have with these advanced classes is how they handle the resources of classes from the Player's Handbook they are attempting to mimic. My primary concern here is the Martial Artist, though it applies to a lot of the advanced classes I'm looking at. Clearly with the Martial Artist, it's going to be taking a lot of mechanics from the Monk.
My specific issue lies with the whole Ki Resource. No subclass I've seen includes a per-level point resource like Ki Points or Sorcery Points, and for good reason - wording it properly is a nightmare, it introduces another form of progression outside of the subclass feature levels, and it integrates poorly with the base class. These are some of the reasons that when a subclass gets a resource (such as superiority dice) additional uses and advancements of that resource are only granted on subclass levels (with the single exception of spellcasting). I have a couple ideas of dealing with this issue:
First off, I wanted to briefly mention my plan for the next few weeks. Each weekly update will ideally include two advanced classes. These advanced classes will still be in a fairly early draft form. I apologise for this, but I just don't have all that much time to work on them right now as I explained in my previous posts.
After I have got through a good chunk of these advanced classes, I will rerelease revised versions of all of them together in a single document. As these advanced classes are still in draft form, feedback for them is really, really helpful, and is appreciated so much.
Regarding the balance of these advanced classes, I am not necessarily bothered about them being on-par with typical 5th Edition subclasses, since they are really designed as a replacement for the base material. What does matter to me is that these advanced classes fill a role, are balanced with eachother, and aren't too complicated to use.
Without further adieu, the document on GM Binder: The Soldier and the Martial Artist
One concern I currently have with these advanced classes is how they handle the resources of classes from the Player's Handbook they are attempting to mimic. My primary concern here is the Martial Artist, though it applies to a lot of the advanced classes I'm looking at. Clearly with the Martial Artist, it's going to be taking a lot of mechanics from the Monk.
My specific issue lies with the whole Ki Resource. No subclass I've seen includes a per-level point resource like Ki Points or Sorcery Points, and for good reason - wording it properly is a nightmare, it introduces another form of progression outside of the subclass feature levels, and it integrates poorly with the base class. These are some of the reasons that when a subclass gets a resource (such as superiority dice) additional uses and advancements of that resource are only granted on subclass levels (with the single exception of spellcasting). I have a couple ideas of dealing with this issue:
- Just let it be, allow subclasses to have their own point-based resources.
- Change the resource into a different form (such as a dice-type resource), and only grant more uses on subclass levels.
- Remove the resource totally from the subclass. Abilities which previously used the resource are given their own limited number of uses.
- Give the base classes a point-based resource which the subclasses can then use.
I'm not particularly interested in 1 or 3. Option 1 just ignores the issue, and option 3 limits what I can do with the subclass while giving loads of ability uses to track.
Option 2 is quite doable. However, I'm worried if I take this option, a lot of the advanced classes are going to end up with the same resource structure which isn't very fun or unique.
I am particularly interested in option 4. Not only would it solve the issue quite neatly, but it would also neaten up some of the features in the basic classes by having them draw from the same resource. d20 Modern even had a system a little like this in the form of Action Points (although in that system the points were a non-renewable resource which you gained when you levelled up).
I would really like to get some feedback on this point in particular. Which option seems the most appealing to you, and why?
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