Dragon Warriors
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The Original Professions
http://www.libraryofhiabuor.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28		 Page 2 of 2
Author:  Cobwebbed Dragon [ Sat Jan 24, 2015 4:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Original Professions
I'm with Kharille in that we don't want loads of NPC professions. Too many professions (be they tailored for NPCs or PCs) just end up restricting player choice and development. Branching professions and\or Skills of the Mighty at lower ranks would address that without introducing more professions to the game.

It is very seductive to want to create new professions to fulfill a perceived gap in a role to be played, but I am a strong proponent of just fixing the basic professions, and that means starting with the question "Why do I have to start my character in this profession?" Hopefully, the answer will be something around the character being born with a social entitlement, blessing or gift, and\or some other cultural\genetic constraint that not only means that they really couldn't be anything else, but also that no-one without the personal history that has led to this character becoming this profession could become.

Any new profession should be reserved for something that represents a fundamental difference from anything, and anyone, else. Take the two main fighting professions as an example:

1) A knight is a fighter of a different social order to other fighters. It's not something a starting fighter character could move into (social mobility being much more difficult than it is in today's Western societies).
2) Barbarians are again fighters of a different social order - invaders, outsiders, or whatever. You're either a barbarian or you're not - it's not something you can change (although there are, of course, as Wodenkrait and Kharille point out, many different types of barbarian, as each culture will spawn its own variant barbarians)

But where are the rank-and-file fighting men - archers, infantry, bandits, hunters, militiaman, guards, mercenaries, etc.? These are hard to represent in Dragon Warriors' original professions, so there's potentially room for a single profession that fits all of these moulds and allows for the player to shape their character development as they advance.

Magicker professions have to answer similar questions - is sorcery so fundamentally different from elementalism that a sorcerer cannot learn elementalism (and vice-versa)? Does a warlock wield a kind of 'simple' sorcery? If so, why can't a sorcerer learn these spells and then also learn to wear armour? Are there cultural or social differences that prevent this from happening? Mystics are, presumably, born with a psychic gift that can neither be suppressed nor cultivated in those without it and so makes for the perfect profession!

This is where it would be great to see source material for the various kingdoms - to outline which professions are appropriate to each region and what variations exist within a particular professions' skills (and skills of the mighty). Are Elleslandic Knights and Algandan Knights the same? Is it appropriate to have Warlocks and Sorcerers (and\or Elementalists) from the same culture, etc.? Legend has a great feel to it, and a little more social context in which to enrobe the professions is just the polish they need.
Author:  hermes421 [ Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Original Professions
I voted for barbarian and elementalist.
The first one need more skills, and I guess his rage must be improved (a risk to fight to death his friends, is not really fun). Maybe he could roll a die every turn to see if he controls himself.

Concerning the elementalist, I think they need more versatility, and i work on a new spellbook with the doubl of spells (it s not easy to balance al the spells, ) :)

When i will finish, I would be happy to have your opinion (if someone already did this, I would be glad to receive his, her version.
Author:  Damian May [ Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Original Professions
WodenKrait wrote:
All the professions could use a little more context and variation, but two stand out.

Barbarians need more variety. It would be nice to see the ability to "fork" the profession (a little like sorcerers fork to demonologists) to reflect the differences between barbarians from different backgrounds. Khanate barbarians would be expert archers and horsemen, while those from mungoda would be jungle survivalists and trappers (or whatever).


Cheers,

-Kyle


Very true. I'll need to wait til the PB is out before I can do more than nod in agreement to this. ;-)
Author:  Jiminy [ Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Original Professions
Damian May wrote:
Very true. I'll need to wait til the PB is out before I can do more than nod in agreement to this. ;-)


Ditto. In the meanitme I will rock back and forth in my chair like a deranged lunatic. Muttering the same words over and over:

"Please publish the PB, please publish the PB, please publish..." :D
Author:  Dreadnought [ Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Original Professions
Jiminy wrote:
"Please publish the PB, please publish the PB, please publish..." :D


Joins the mantra and rocking...
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