Design and Development: Classes

With the species entries pretty much in the bag with Sean's gnomes coming in later this month or early next, it is time for me to look at the classes and their role in the Bluestone Isles. I'm not planning on rewriting, mechanically changing, or adding new classes like what was done with the species. Instead, these are going to be a few paragraphs spelling out how each class functions in Bluestone.

I've already done some preliminary work with both the clerics and paladins (I always go for divine type stuff first it seems) and am looking to continue it with the others. So, keep an eye out for that soon, but here are some general thoughts:

• Classes are trained: If you really look at a class that a player can choose and compare it to the "regular man" type entries in the monster section, you can see that these classes are a huge step above the common bandit or acolyte or pirate. That means that a fighter, someone who can use all weapons and armor without penalty and (especially as time goes one) has a much better chance successfully do damage with those weapons, is trained to use that stuff. A 1st level fighter (or any class) is just a farmer who just last season decided to be an adventurer after his family was killed by orcs, he was trained, he is lethal, and he is stronger, faster, and better then the average citizen.
• Adventurers are rare! If everyone was an adventurer or had a level or two in a class, then the ideal that the PC is special is gone. The blacksmith is not a 1st level fighter nor is the sage a 2nd level magic-user, they're normal men. If I had to stat them up, they'd use the 0 Level Human attack table and have a paltry amount of HP, someone who would be scared of a small handful of goblins.
• Just because they're all trained, doesn't mean they're all brothers. Like any business there are probably a competing number of guilds that train fighters, each one boasting they offer superior training and graduates from each guild are probably quite proud of their guild and like to show up those from other guilds. Save for paladins, of which I mentioned, are only trained from one Order and are usually quite content to point out that they're better then everyone else.

So, just a few initial thoughts, look for specific classes in the near future.