Rate this: An alternate level system.

[User3]

I've been bashing around a few ideas for an alternate level system that makes multi-classers not cry. Since I might be runnning a game in the near future, it'd be an ideal chance to playtest it. If anyone can see potential flaws, I'd welcome the feedback.

Here are the ideas:

A. Spells will be the basis for class abilities and feats. Only spells that have real scaling will be included. Non-scaling abilities like Jump will convert to spells like Fly at an appropriate level(and fly will need to be altered to give it a scaling more per level like +X move, carrying capacity, maneuvers, etc).

Each new level in any class will give an ability appropriate for that level (so at level 10 you should get a 5th level spell in some form).

B. Each class will have two "themes" that are like a spell list. Each theme will have a method for activating the spells/abilities on that list. There will be Sp for Sorcerer guys, Ex for fighters and Rogues, and regular spells for caster types. Depending on the ease of using your ability, you get a different number or abilities.

Roughly, I was thinking:
1/level:
---Ex ability, constant effect on self(Magic Vestments[self], Jump)
---Ex ability, standard action, used on others(Bard Suggestion, Finger of Death for Assasin Death Attack class ability)
2/level:
---Sp Ability, usable at will
---Prepped spells, picked each day off of entire list, with uses from a pool equal to twice your level
3/level:
---Spells, cast spontaneously and usable a total number of three times/level

Su abilities are just removed from the game entirely, and replaced as Ex abilities.

C. DCs will be based off of level. Spellcasters will get caster level increases for high stats.

D. NPCs must have an average of 10 for their stats. PCs will have an average of 14. Point buy system with no scaling.

E. Feats will be "bonus" class abilities that must be level-appropriate, but can be picked from any class or "theme."

F. Races will get two racial bonus feats(no choice) and a favored class. Humans will get a bonus feat(any feat) and the same flexible favored class.

Monsters will take normal classes, but they must spend x number of feats from a static required list of feats before they can start to choose feats. (So a Giant may take an Ex Enlarge [constant, self] ability at 1st level which scales to eventually become a Wu Jen's Giant Size, then an Ex attack ability at 3rd to replicate Stone Throwing, etc). They will also have prebuilt "item" slots that will take the place of magic treasure, and interfere with its use(so a Griffen)

NPC classes will be pre-built regular classes with no choices(so a Healer NPC will have all the Healing theme abilities, and nothing else, while a Mook Archer will have all the Archer abilities).

G. Skills will only give story abilities. For Jumping, Balance, combat bluffing, etc that were not taken as class or feat abilities will have a static stat-based check.(People who want Xena jumping but don't want to eventually Fly might take the scaling verision of Bull's Strength to get more Str and thus have a better stat to add to jump checks).

Story-based abilities will also only be based on skills. That means that there will be a Leadership skill, magic item creation skill, etc, Planar binding skill, etc.

H. PrCs will be classes where a person picks two themes and writes their own flavor.

J. Shapeshifting magic will let you trade out your feats for the pre-chosen monster feats.

K. Magic treasure will have powers based on the level of their "attuned" user, and off an "item theme" list. PCs will have a limit of number of items that they can attune at one time(though temp Hero points can be spent to UMD items in combat/adventure situations). Some amount of non-adventure time will be needed to switch out attuned items.

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So it still needs work. I have to redesign a bunch of spells for scaling, and build the themes.

It also doesn't take into account synergy. Basically, I think that synergy is impossible to design out of a system and it the DM's duty to take account of. Most broken combos seem to have one poorly designed rule at the root of them, or they blur the Story/combat divide, but I think this system accounts for he worse abuses.