3 Character Types: Fighter, Wizard, Mixed (Bard, Cleric, Monk)

[flankspeed]

I don’t know where the experience rules are at right now, but TFT has always distinguished two character types: Fighters and Wizards. After reading Guy’s article about Clerics, I wondered if there would be room for an officially designated “Mixed” character type to accommodate such concepts as bards, clerics, monks, paladins, arcane tricksters, and eldritch knights.

For example, the following experience rules could be used.

Fighters: Pay normal cost to learn Talents, pay triple cost to learn Spells.

Wizards: Pay triple cost to learn Talents, pay normal cost to learn Spells.

Mixed: Pay double cost to learn Talents, pay double cost to learn Spells.

TFT doesn’t need such a third distinction, since characters can simply decide whether they want to focus on Talents or Spells and then pay the appropriate experience point costs. But officially recognizing a “Mixed” character type might make it easier to create characters who focus equally on both Talents and Spells (or spell-like effects), such as your stereotypical bards, clerics, and monks. I don’t think the official rules would ever implement this idea, so here it is as food for thought under “house rules.”

[Chris Rice]

I'd rather there was no distinction at all, but I think we're sticking with Hero/Wizard.

[flankspeed]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

I'd rather there was no distinction at all, but I think we're sticking with Hero/Wizard.

Thank you for reminding me that I always felt a bit uncomfortable about artificially classifying people as Hero or Wizard. I think that was subconsciously driving my desire to have a “Mixed” classification.

My personal preference in RPGs is for a class-less system that allows characters to become anything they want to be. I can enjoy playing D&D or some such, but my heart yearns for the complete freedom that I think best reflects reality.

There’s no reason that Dr. Strange couldn’t also become a crack-shot sniper or a master swordsman if he wanted to put in the time to master the equipment and techniques. Come to think of it, I thought he was actually skilled in martial arts in addition to sorcery, but I may be mistaken.

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by flankspeed

Thank you for reminding me that I always felt a bit uncomfortable about artificially classifying people as Hero or Wizard. I think that was subconsciously driving my desire to have a “Mixed” classification.

My personal preference in RPGs is for a class-less system that allows characters to become anything they want to be. I can enjoy playing D&D or some such, but my heart yearns for the complete freedom that I think best reflects reality.

There’s no reason that Dr. Strange couldn’t also become a crack-shot sniper or a master swordsman if he wanted to put in the time to master the equipment and techniques. Come to think of it, I thought he was actually skilled in martial arts in addition to sorcery, but I may be mistaken.

Hi Flankspeed. I always saw TFT as essentially a "classless" system. So the artificial distinction between Hero and Wizard seemed like a holdover from D&D and other "primitive" systems. I think "Wizard" would be better as a Talent, just like Mechanician or Alchemist.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

Hi Flankspeed. I always saw TFT as essentially a "classless" system. So the artificial distinction between Hero and Wizard seemed like a holdover from D&D and other "primitive" systems. I think "Wizard" would be better as a Talent, just like Mechanician or Alchemist.

Hi Chris,
I agree. The class division between heroes and wizards felt like a D&D holdover.

Warm regards, Rick.

[JLV]

I actually think the original distinction between Wizards and everyone else came about because Wizards were supposed to be "rare" in terms of the general population, not just to enforce some arbitrary "class" system on the players.

Wizards got some special powers (magic) and paid a price (increased expense for everything else) to partially compensate. That was pretty much it.

And because magic use was supposed to be rare, it made sense to make it hard for non-Wizard characters to gain any of those powers.

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by flankspeed

There’s no reason that Dr. Strange couldn’t also become a crack-shot sniper or a master swordsman if he wanted to put in the time to master the equipment and techniques.

Or even a physicker / master physicker!
;)

[flankspeed]

Originally Posted by Wayne

Or even a physicker / master physicker!
;)

Touche! Well said! :)

[Shostak]

What makes those “best” characters?

[David Bofinger]

Does nobody know the history of TFT any more? We know what caused the wizard-hero distinction, it's driven by Melee and Wizard being different and independent games, not by D&D. And by a key decision when ITL came out, that skilled people would be grouped with warriors and not with wizards.