There are times when you are running a campaign when one of your players asks to play a non-standard character class. This may be a prestige class (3.x only…) or some class that they have found on the web or in a supplement or just created themselves. This has happened in a few of the campaigns that I have played in and run and it has shown on numerous occasions to be slightly problematic. Often it is a sign of boredom (if you have been playing a game for 12 years, it is bound to get a little dry). Sometimes it comes from a player who wants to experiment with the rules a bit. Occasionally it just appeals to the player (they have ALWAYS wanted to be a ninja pirate chef who specialises in cooking deadly pancakes while sailing the seven seas…).
What follows is a brief list of steps you can take when you are running a game to make sure the custom character fits in.
Is it really necessary/does it fit?
This is the first question to ask. More often than not the character class will fit (and even if it doesn’t immediately, with some tweaking, it should). If it doesn’t, the player should be asked to make the changes necessary to make sure that it does. More importantly, you should make sure that it is not an unnecessary addition to the game. You could ask if customising some feats or skills would be sufficient, or if adding one or two features to an existing class would be enough.
Openness
You need to make sure all players know the basics of the character and what it does. Nearly all players after they have been playing a game for long enough know what each character class does and how. It allows them to follow the game and participate in the actions of their party. At the very least, players can often look up each other’s classes in the rule books when they are curious or have a question. When a player uses a character class that his/her fellow players don’t know or understand it often ostracises them from the group. It starts to be seen as secret gaming business that only the initiated know or understand. This makes it hard to include that character in plans for the group. A simple solution for this is to have the player explain each of the features of their character’s class and what they can and can’t do. Every non-standard action that the character takes should be explained to the group – not just announced to the GM – until the group is familiar with it (I am using my “Godly Flip” feat – this allows me to flip a pancake at my enemies for 2d10 damage – extra if it has lemon juice on it).
Avoid players getting jealous
If you allow a character to choose a customised class you need to be very careful that the other players do not get jealous of a perceived favouritism. If you have used the custom class as a reward, make sure that this is clearly understood by the other players. If it is a matter of keeping the player interested in the game, you can explain that this is something that all players are welcome to do, and if they are interested in taking the time to develop and research a new class, it is available to them too.
Make sure you know the rules
You need to also understand the rules for three reasons. One – you don’t want to get duped, two – you don’t want to take time out of the game to look things up and check things and three – you want to make sure that you are developing resources for the game that are appropriate for all your players. Its this last point that is perhaps the most important. If you are not aware of the abilities of your group it is hard to set appropriate challenge levels for them. Either too strong or too weak will both be very unrewarding experiences for your players.
Make sure it doesn’t take over the campaign
There is nothing worse than an entire campaign being taken over by a character that is too strong. This is sort of a culmination of all the other points. If you know the rules for the class and everyone else know them as well; if you have made sure that the class fits your campaign and you have made sure that the rules are to your liking, it should fit without any trouble. If it doesnt’, then there are always anvils…
At the end of the day it is everyone’s game and it is important that everyone has a good time. As long as a customised character class is introduced carefully it should enhance the game for all the players and provide a rewarding experience for the GM as well.
Thursday, 14. August 2008
Excellent piece, Rupert, well written with some great pointers for DMs out there.
On a related note, I’m really looking forward to seeing what other classes 4E comes out with.
Thursday, 14. August 2008
Hear, hear. I would expand your “Make sure you know the rules” section a bit – one of the main reasons for knowing your players well is so that you can provide appropriate challenges to them. If you don’t know the Pirate Ninja Chef can cook mighty deadly pancakes, you might just dish up an enemy who just happens to be allergic to pancakes. Or totally resistant to them. Both equally inappropriate levels of challenge.
Thursday, 14. August 2008
I modified the section you referred to to make it more clear. Thank you for pointing it out.
Thursday, 14. August 2008
I agree with… almost all of this.
The main bit I disagree with is:
“Every non-standard action that the character takes should be explained to the group – not just announced to the GM”
The problem with this is it’s just information overload. We don’t explain how Sneak Attack or Rapid Shot works just for everyone’s sake: if you’re not playing a Rogue or an archer it is not necessary, and can be overwhelming for new players. There is no reason non-core classes should be different. If someone WANTS to know, sure, but for most of the time, “I teleport over there and deal 6d6 damage with strawberry muffins” is enough.
Eek. Especially for Duskblades. They can use like all their class abilities in a single round; despite knowing the whole class, I was sometimes getting confused as to what he was doing.
Oh, and, as to jealousy: it can’t be avoided. I mean, even with core classes, the fact is, the fighter is going to get jealous. Honestly, spellcasting rocks \m/(>_<)\m/
Thursday, 14. August 2008
Well, if you had finished the section you would have noticed that I said until the other players are familiar with it. The point you raise about the core classes is moot as I also say that core classes are more familiar with most players and certainly (usually) easier to find or research. Simply put it’s a matter of being curteous and educating your fellow players.
Friday, 15. August 2008
Yeah… but… even in the core game there’s, what… *counts* um… 10? classes? In particular for new players, learning the game really has to be a step-by-step process: we don’t expect someone to read the whole spells chapter, so we shouldn’t expect them to read the whole classes chapter. Telling a wizard how sorcerers cast spells, or vice versa, is going to confuse just about anyone (I remember getting reasonably confused myself). If wizards can say, “uh, a wizard did it”, then there’s no reason other classes shouldn’t be able to do the same. Saves time, too.
Friday, 15. August 2008
Firstly, I think that you may have completely missed the point here… What I am talking about is introducing a new character class to a group of experienced players. I am not talking about groups with people who are still learning the game. That would be a completely different case.
And secondly, how is the one sentence example that I give above overkill? Damn, if every player did that we’d all understand the game a lot better (probably) and be more involved in what we are all doing. I fail to see how saying “I am using this which does this” is too much information…
Please keep in mind, Ellisthion, that I am not writing this blog just for our gaming group, but for everyone.
Saturday, 16. August 2008
Even considering an experience group, no one knows everything. If someone has to explain the details every time they cast some obscure spell with half a page of description, it slows down the game. If someone wants to know, sure, they can ask, but by default it’s faster to smooth things over.
I presume you’re referring to the pancake description example. The problem is, how do you define “Every non-standard action”? And how much detail do you need, if things are complex? We aren’t expected to explain that the reason we hit is, oh feat + feat + magic weapon + spell, but where does the line get drawn? Do we have to explain one feat or spell, and not another, simply because of how they are applied? Do we have to explain Power Attack, but not Weapon Specialisation, even though both ultimately just add damage to an attack? Is a non-standard action simply an action that everyone is not familiar with? Does a Wizard have to explain every new spell the cast, whilst a Fighter is off the hook because nearly all his class abilities are passive?
A sometimes things aren’t “I am using this which does this”, they’re “I’m using this which does… uh… he’s the half-page summary.”
“I think that you may have completely missed the point here… What I am talking about is introducing a new character class to a group of experienced players.”
Considering this wasn’t specified at all, it is quite difficult for me to get or miss the point.
Saturday, 16. August 2008
OK… you have successfully proven that you have missed the point of this post spectacularly…
Saturday, 16. August 2008
All I was trying to do was discuss a differing opinion on one small part of your post.
Okay, then… what is the point?
Saturday, 16. August 2008
Alternate opinions are, of course, welcome. As for not specifying the whole “new character class” thing, try re-reading the post title. I believe the inclusion of the word “custom” makes it pretty clear.
On a separate note, some people might enjoy the swiftness that comes with
player:”I’m using my Cheese 01 ability.”
GM:”Okay. You succeed. Next.”
But there’s no story, no plot, no atmosphere. It’s just number crunching. Might as well make the whole combat hinge on 1 roll, the likelihood of success indicated by an insanely complicated set of variables. Break out the calculator, work it out, roll once, success or failure.
The alternative is to have the group understand what each player is doing, so they can be immersed in the scene. Imagine a novelist writing a book based in a D&D setting. What happens when combat occurs? Each little move is described poetically, each trick a new scintilating delight. In contrast, the non-descriptive D&D encounter: “I use my cheese ability. I rolled a 24. 12 damage. Next.”
We’ve all been guilty of it. But some GM’s can make combat seem exciting, narratively entertaining. Admittedly, D&D doesn’t lend itself to this.
Back to the point – when a custom class has abilities which no-one else in the group understands, and no trouble is taken to let them know what’s going on, then the game suffers.
You could, of course, make a thing of it IC. What is that strange ability Mr. Fighter has? How come he can sing the Brown Note? Later on, another PC finds out about the Brown Note Ninjas and their dastardly plan…