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CHARACTER CLASS ARCHETYPES
Posts
kentona
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CloseIn nearly every RPG since the dawn of time, the playable characters tend to fall into generic character class archetypes, like the Tank or the Nuke. But I am so out of touch with the jargon that I don't recognize the common roles as readily as one who, say, pays attention to that sort of meta-definition of classes. This seems especially apparent in MMORPGs, since roles tend to be clearly defined.
Anywho, I am growing tired of the same ol' same old class structures. There has to be more variation out there than:
The Tank - defined by high HP and high DEF, and generally acts like a meat shield. Often gets to equip the best armor, and usually powerful weapons.
The Nuke a.k.a the Glass Cannon - a devastating spell flinger who dishes out damage like its nobodies business but has (always the same) weakness of dying if a monster coughs on them.
The Buffer - who buffs allies and/or debuffs enemies, making life easier.
The Rogue - who is really really really fast, usually weilds twin daggers, and lock picks and stuff.
The Healer - he heals.
There are probably more, but I'm old and crotchety. Are there any other archetypes? Have you come up with any cool variations or different class types? Or maybe these archetypes ARE the archetypes for a reason, because its so good?
Anywho, I am growing tired of the same ol' same old class structures. There has to be more variation out there than:
The Tank - defined by high HP and high DEF, and generally acts like a meat shield. Often gets to equip the best armor, and usually powerful weapons.
The Nuke a.k.a the Glass Cannon - a devastating spell flinger who dishes out damage like its nobodies business but has (always the same) weakness of dying if a monster coughs on them.
The Buffer - who buffs allies and/or debuffs enemies, making life easier.
The Rogue - who is really really really fast, usually weilds twin daggers, and lock picks and stuff.
The Healer - he heals.
There are probably more, but I'm old and crotchety. Are there any other archetypes? Have you come up with any cool variations or different class types? Or maybe these archetypes ARE the archetypes for a reason, because its so good?
Like a:
Berserker - who kills things quickly using melee attacks, but has low DEF and/or low HP. Usually has some sort of self-inflicting Berserk skill in which he inflicts even more damage, but has even less DEF/control.
Berserker - who kills things quickly using melee attacks, but has low DEF and/or low HP. Usually has some sort of self-inflicting Berserk skill in which he inflicts even more damage, but has even less DEF/control.
Well, The Mezzer comes straight from Everquest. Basically this is a debuff master. Can crowd control. Usually has damage-over-time based abilities, usually some sort of lightly armored mage type, but without direct damage nukes.
But if we're talking about really general archetypes, you pretty much covered every kind of character with the first five. I think this thread will continue to get more and more specific, and turn from Archetypes to Individual Classes.
But if we're talking about really general archetypes, you pretty much covered every kind of character with the first five. I think this thread will continue to get more and more specific, and turn from Archetypes to Individual Classes.
My RS!V project is basically your opening post, kentona. For variety, I have made three-four characters in each of four archetypes. The 'general party' is meant to consist of a Tank, Fighter, Mage and Healer from the fourteen-character pool: here is what that means to me...
Tanks
All three tanks take more hits than anybody else in the party. They equip the best armor and wield big weapons. They are meatshields that naturally attract enemy attacks to themselves (at the peak of attraction--not counting armor/status effects/skills--they take 40-50% of enemy attacks). Tanks have the highest HP and have several methods of increasing HP outside of levels.
Variations:
Knight Awry: A paladin-esque character that eventually turns all his normal attacks into Light (NICE) damage, in addition to his weapon's element(s). He has the ability to heal his friends, though this is much more costly for him then it is for a Healer.
Dark Champion: As a full-on brute, this character is the most offensive Tank. He can enter different rages to deal damage while soaking up enemy attacks. The rest of his skillset revolves around beating up mages. You could say that he is a mage dueler.
Guardian: This character wears a cursed pendant that constantly restores HP but kills his strength. He is a literal meatshield, however, because he gains more benefits from armor as his levels. There is no stopping this guy, but he's not really able to stop anybody else, either.
Fighters
Fighters deal damage multiple times a turn. They are physically weaker than Tanks but their physical damage output is the highest. Fighters tend to be quick and agile, so they evade attacks often but take full damage if they're hit.
Variations:
Seadog: He swings ropes around that deal damage to everything in sight. That is the seadog's purpose.
Focused One: This character is a monk-type. He gains more attacks as his skill increases and eventually is able to wield two weapons. Unlike the other fighters, he has attacks that utilize some of hisMysticalityMysticism stat, allowing him to bypass armor and damage his foe's spiritual weakness.
Hooker: The hooker is the weakest Fighter in melee, but is able to suck up damage to heal herself. Combining her absorbtion policies (heh) with her ability to gift SP to allies--letting them perform more feats (inspiration)--she's a deadly fighter. Beware her fan. Also, she is immune to all degenerative effects (years of resistance training).
Ninja: A master of evasion and stealth, the ninja is capable of hiding herself in the shadows and then launching an all-out shuriken rain. While her skills have prerequisites (such as being blind or having performed an certain move previously), they are deadly accurate.
Mages
Mages are a mix of the nuker archetype and a utility rogue-esque character... think Dragon Quest. Each mage has an elemental focus and a gimmick. Any mage is good to have around, depending on your mood. While not mentioned in the blurbs, Mages have plenty of low-SP skills to demoralize enemies, buff stats, and shift elemental defenses so as to give them something to do when not using up all of their energy casting Thundaja.
Variations:
Pyromaven: She's pretty, she's a red-head, she deals massive fire damage. While this character is a true nuker, her limited SP means that she can only cast a few spells before needing to sit out for a while. She falls under the category of "bosskiller Tellah."
Ice Magus: A mix between a Tank and a Mage. He is very resistant to status effects and has the highest Mage HP. While he can last a while, his Mysticism is lacking... but even that is made up for by every one of his spells hitting all enemies. While not the greatest anti-boss character, he's made to clean up the enemies that the Seadog can't deal with.
Epic Savant: Two elements! TWO! This character utilizes both Light and Dark (NICE and MEAN) spells. He also has a billion + infinity SP, so he can cast all day long. The Epic Savant also happens to be a frail elf dude that dies if a monster coughs on him (thanks for the expression, OP). If your Tanks can protect him, he's the best utility guy.
Coin Wizard: Despite having a terrible class name, a character with this title is able to pump out major shockings. Maybe. You see, gamblers tend to rather... variable. He might kill the final boss outright. He might kill the Epic Savant. His saving grace is that he can make extra money appear and show other characters how to increase their experience gains. Give him a slot and watch the numbers roll!
Healers
Yeah, that's right. Healers. They heal.
Variations:
Medic: This Healer is a precautionary tool. He excells in regeneration and curing status effects (sometimes before they even hit). He's a selfish character, however, and uses up syringes found in the tower to perform attacks that debuff enemies and buff himself.
Acolyte: She heals. She gets extra restoration from items. She will most likely learn all her skills on the first floor of the tower.
Troubador Queen: There is nothing quite as wonderful as when this character buffs the entire party's speed, or when she pulls off a fabulous heal. All of her skills have a slight chance of not working, however... whenever the Troubador Queen succeeds, though, you'll feel the benefits.
One of the neat things about having so many characters is that you can switch them in and out of the party each turn. You can train a select few (~60% EXP is shared with standby members, but AP used to gain skills is only gained as a character fights) or build up everybody somewhat--bosses can be an elite four fighting or a fourteen character rampage. I think that this flexibility really helps balance out the archetypes and their variations... if you need something, it's right there.
@kentona: I hope this is the kind of post you wanted!
Tanks
All three tanks take more hits than anybody else in the party. They equip the best armor and wield big weapons. They are meatshields that naturally attract enemy attacks to themselves (at the peak of attraction--not counting armor/status effects/skills--they take 40-50% of enemy attacks). Tanks have the highest HP and have several methods of increasing HP outside of levels.
Variations:
Knight Awry: A paladin-esque character that eventually turns all his normal attacks into Light (NICE) damage, in addition to his weapon's element(s). He has the ability to heal his friends, though this is much more costly for him then it is for a Healer.
Dark Champion: As a full-on brute, this character is the most offensive Tank. He can enter different rages to deal damage while soaking up enemy attacks. The rest of his skillset revolves around beating up mages. You could say that he is a mage dueler.
Guardian: This character wears a cursed pendant that constantly restores HP but kills his strength. He is a literal meatshield, however, because he gains more benefits from armor as his levels. There is no stopping this guy, but he's not really able to stop anybody else, either.
Fighters
Fighters deal damage multiple times a turn. They are physically weaker than Tanks but their physical damage output is the highest. Fighters tend to be quick and agile, so they evade attacks often but take full damage if they're hit.
Variations:
Seadog: He swings ropes around that deal damage to everything in sight. That is the seadog's purpose.
Focused One: This character is a monk-type. He gains more attacks as his skill increases and eventually is able to wield two weapons. Unlike the other fighters, he has attacks that utilize some of his
Hooker: The hooker is the weakest Fighter in melee, but is able to suck up damage to heal herself. Combining her absorbtion policies (heh) with her ability to gift SP to allies--letting them perform more feats (inspiration)--she's a deadly fighter. Beware her fan. Also, she is immune to all degenerative effects (years of resistance training).
Ninja: A master of evasion and stealth, the ninja is capable of hiding herself in the shadows and then launching an all-out shuriken rain. While her skills have prerequisites (such as being blind or having performed an certain move previously), they are deadly accurate.
Mages
Mages are a mix of the nuker archetype and a utility rogue-esque character... think Dragon Quest. Each mage has an elemental focus and a gimmick. Any mage is good to have around, depending on your mood. While not mentioned in the blurbs, Mages have plenty of low-SP skills to demoralize enemies, buff stats, and shift elemental defenses so as to give them something to do when not using up all of their energy casting Thundaja.
Variations:
Pyromaven: She's pretty, she's a red-head, she deals massive fire damage. While this character is a true nuker, her limited SP means that she can only cast a few spells before needing to sit out for a while. She falls under the category of "bosskiller Tellah."
Ice Magus: A mix between a Tank and a Mage. He is very resistant to status effects and has the highest Mage HP. While he can last a while, his Mysticism is lacking... but even that is made up for by every one of his spells hitting all enemies. While not the greatest anti-boss character, he's made to clean up the enemies that the Seadog can't deal with.
Epic Savant: Two elements! TWO! This character utilizes both Light and Dark (NICE and MEAN) spells. He also has a billion + infinity SP, so he can cast all day long. The Epic Savant also happens to be a frail elf dude that dies if a monster coughs on him (thanks for the expression, OP). If your Tanks can protect him, he's the best utility guy.
Coin Wizard: Despite having a terrible class name, a character with this title is able to pump out major shockings. Maybe. You see, gamblers tend to rather... variable. He might kill the final boss outright. He might kill the Epic Savant. His saving grace is that he can make extra money appear and show other characters how to increase their experience gains. Give him a slot and watch the numbers roll!
Healers
Yeah, that's right. Healers. They heal.
Variations:
Medic: This Healer is a precautionary tool. He excells in regeneration and curing status effects (sometimes before they even hit). He's a selfish character, however, and uses up syringes found in the tower to perform attacks that debuff enemies and buff himself.
Acolyte: She heals. She gets extra restoration from items. She will most likely learn all her skills on the first floor of the tower.
Troubador Queen: There is nothing quite as wonderful as when this character buffs the entire party's speed, or when she pulls off a fabulous heal. All of her skills have a slight chance of not working, however... whenever the Troubador Queen succeeds, though, you'll feel the benefits.
One of the neat things about having so many characters is that you can switch them in and out of the party each turn. You can train a select few (~60% EXP is shared with standby members, but AP used to gain skills is only gained as a character fights) or build up everybody somewhat--bosses can be an elite four fighting or a fourteen character rampage. I think that this flexibility really helps balance out the archetypes and their variations... if you need something, it's right there.
@kentona: I hope this is the kind of post you wanted!
So, you can do all that in RMVX? You'll have to lend me the scipts (once I finally purchase it and get around to it).
Yeah, it all works. Some of it is SCRIPTZLOL but some of it is my own tweaks. I can most assuredly help you out, though, kentona.
Clest: <3 Thanks.
Clest: <3 Thanks.
suzuricho
283
In some of the older games, like Dragon Quest III or Final Fantasy I - you the player make the characters. You name them and give them a chosen class. Based on this class, your characters will get attributes/spells whatnot and it's very simple. You chose a class, they learn what that class learns. It's hard to make anything past that because how were the programmers going to put in speech or actions when you make most or all of your own cast?
Those archtypes remind me so much of Final Fantasy IV, actually.
Sometimes it's hard to bend those archtypes, but like Craze, you can make variations so they aren't so simple. Or you can have a class that just learns a little bit of everything like a Hero in Dragon Quest games.
Those archtypes remind me so much of Final Fantasy IV, actually.
Sometimes it's hard to bend those archtypes, but like Craze, you can make variations so they aren't so simple. Or you can have a class that just learns a little bit of everything like a Hero in Dragon Quest games.
Shinan
4314
The one missing that sticks in my eye like a ten foot pole is probably The Diplomat.
All people skills and little else. Speech, Charm, Intimidate, Diplomacy are the key phrases for the Diplomat. Not exactly the most common of archetype in most dungeon crawler RPGs but a viable option in "the other kind". Often the Diplomat is combined with another archetype, like the healer or rogue. If the Diplomat is also a Fighter he will most probably be party leader at all times.
A Diplomat variant, though not really a diplomat is the Scholar. A scholar is often combined with a mage but can sometimes be a completely stand-alone archetype. The Scholar is the booktype complete with information skills. An ancient tome needs deciphering? The Scholar is there. A type of rock needs to be determined for mining? The Scholar is there. A random tidbit information about a 50s TV-series or a Star Wars quote is needed? The Scholar is there.
This archetype is rare enough in tabletop RPGs and is virtually only an NPC in cRPGs.
I guess you could also have the Ranger which is usually a fighter that focuses on ranged battle (in fantasy. In modern or futuristic a Ranger can be a sniper or similar archetype). I guess it really is a subset of the fighter, but it's often forgotten when talking about fighters, since the image of the fighter is usually the sword, the shield and the plate armour.
Another archetype which is usually a subtype of the other types while still being completely standalone is the always lovely Wildcard. The Wildcard is often dependent on personality rather than skills though. Oftentimes it's that strange and seemingly useless build. The Bard, running around singing songs and reciting poetry for fun and profit, The Specialist, which is specialized in a field so narrow it cannot be anything but useless, The Crazy, who has a mental disorder that severely impacts certain things but will occasionally be struck by moments of brilliance. The Wildcard is usually a noveltycharacter, with little staying power. But in the hands of a brilliant player it can be the greatest adventurer of them all. Or at least the Sidekick.
I've noticed that these archetypes have sort of gone into non-mechanical archetype (Of which there's loads and loads), but I've tried to stay as much to mechanics as possible. (I just remembered another civilian archetype, but it's probably some Diplomat variant. The Merchant. I guess it's a Diplomat-Rogue hybrid. Mostly with people skills like Charm, Persuade and Haggle, combined with the occasionaly pickpocket and those skills.
All people skills and little else. Speech, Charm, Intimidate, Diplomacy are the key phrases for the Diplomat. Not exactly the most common of archetype in most dungeon crawler RPGs but a viable option in "the other kind". Often the Diplomat is combined with another archetype, like the healer or rogue. If the Diplomat is also a Fighter he will most probably be party leader at all times.
A Diplomat variant, though not really a diplomat is the Scholar. A scholar is often combined with a mage but can sometimes be a completely stand-alone archetype. The Scholar is the booktype complete with information skills. An ancient tome needs deciphering? The Scholar is there. A type of rock needs to be determined for mining? The Scholar is there. A random tidbit information about a 50s TV-series or a Star Wars quote is needed? The Scholar is there.
This archetype is rare enough in tabletop RPGs and is virtually only an NPC in cRPGs.
I guess you could also have the Ranger which is usually a fighter that focuses on ranged battle (in fantasy. In modern or futuristic a Ranger can be a sniper or similar archetype). I guess it really is a subset of the fighter, but it's often forgotten when talking about fighters, since the image of the fighter is usually the sword, the shield and the plate armour.
Another archetype which is usually a subtype of the other types while still being completely standalone is the always lovely Wildcard. The Wildcard is often dependent on personality rather than skills though. Oftentimes it's that strange and seemingly useless build. The Bard, running around singing songs and reciting poetry for fun and profit, The Specialist, which is specialized in a field so narrow it cannot be anything but useless, The Crazy, who has a mental disorder that severely impacts certain things but will occasionally be struck by moments of brilliance. The Wildcard is usually a noveltycharacter, with little staying power. But in the hands of a brilliant player it can be the greatest adventurer of them all. Or at least the Sidekick.
I've noticed that these archetypes have sort of gone into non-mechanical archetype (Of which there's loads and loads), but I've tried to stay as much to mechanics as possible. (I just remembered another civilian archetype, but it's probably some Diplomat variant. The Merchant. I guess it's a Diplomat-Rogue hybrid. Mostly with people skills like Charm, Persuade and Haggle, combined with the occasionaly pickpocket and those skills.
Okay I am not fishing for complements but I am actually VERY CURIOUS what people think about how Mage Duel messes with these rolls/archetypes by presenting four complete character classes, each of which falls into the Mage(/Healer) archetype.
It would be funnier if this class had nothing to do with prostitution but was merely a fighter who wielded a hook-pike and/or hooked chain and/or giant hook. A prostitute who wields hooks is also acceptable. Please implement this immediately.
Hooker: The hooker is the weakest Fighter in melee, but is able to suck up damage to heal herself. Combining her absorbtion policies (heh) with her ability to gift SP to allies--letting them perform more feats (inspiration)--she's a deadly fighter. Beware her fan. Also, she is immune to all degenerative effects (years of resistance training).
It would be funnier if this class had nothing to do with prostitution but was merely a fighter who wielded a hook-pike and/or hooked chain and/or giant hook. A prostitute who wields hooks is also acceptable. Please implement this immediately.
############# HIJACK ALERT! #############
I thought the classes in Mage Duel were quite interesting. Obviously a lot of planning would need to go into a game where the primary purpose is to build up an avatar well enough to compete in a tournament.
############# END HIJACK ALERT #############
I thought the classes in Mage Duel were quite interesting. Obviously a lot of planning would need to go into a game where the primary purpose is to build up an avatar well enough to compete in a tournament.
############# END HIJACK ALERT #############
Shadowtext
120
D&D 4th simplified the roles of characters in battle even further, you know. Pretty similar to the ones Craze listed, but anyway:
Striker: Dishes out lots of damage and avoids getting hit. Generally fairly squishy, relying on avoiding being attacked rather than soaking damage--your classic Glass Cannons and Nukes.
Defender: Soaks damage and keeps allies from being killed. Tanks.
Leader: Heals and provides support to allies. Healers / Buffers.
Controllers: Deal with multiple enemies at once and control the battlefield in a tactical sense, by setting up traps or dealing out Debuffs.
It really makes it a lot easier to think of what role a character's going to play in a party, because that basically covers everything you're going to see in battle, and meets the classic D&D party lineup of Rogue, Fighter, Cleric and Wizard besides.
Beyond that, it's all just filling in the details about how they fill their role, and figuring out whether they dabble in any of the other roles. And there's always your out-of-battle stuff, like Item Creation, navigation, survival, what have you to provide even more details. Even though they both fill the same role, there's a lot of difference between a Ranger and a Thief, or a Cleric and a Bard.
Striker: Dishes out lots of damage and avoids getting hit. Generally fairly squishy, relying on avoiding being attacked rather than soaking damage--your classic Glass Cannons and Nukes.
Defender: Soaks damage and keeps allies from being killed. Tanks.
Leader: Heals and provides support to allies. Healers / Buffers.
Controllers: Deal with multiple enemies at once and control the battlefield in a tactical sense, by setting up traps or dealing out Debuffs.
It really makes it a lot easier to think of what role a character's going to play in a party, because that basically covers everything you're going to see in battle, and meets the classic D&D party lineup of Rogue, Fighter, Cleric and Wizard besides.
Beyond that, it's all just filling in the details about how they fill their role, and figuring out whether they dabble in any of the other roles. And there's always your out-of-battle stuff, like Item Creation, navigation, survival, what have you to provide even more details. Even though they both fill the same role, there's a lot of difference between a Ranger and a Thief, or a Cleric and a Bard.
Shadowtext: I've had the 4e Player's Handbook open beside my laptop since I started working on character skills. <3 Right now I'm contemplating giving the Epic Savant a skill identical to Curse of the Twin Princes (Warlock spell, pg. 139), because he is the, as you put it, squishiest striker (well to be SUPERNERD he's a controller multiclassing into striker, but).
MODIFY: Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to reply more in-depth to Shadowtext's post and explain how amazing the classes & paragon paths are in 4e D&D, and why everybody on this forum should buy the 4eD&DPHB(ASAP LOL TTYL).
MODIFY: Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to reply more in-depth to Shadowtext's post and explain how amazing the classes & paragon paths are in 4e D&D, and why everybody on this forum should buy the 4eD&DPHB(ASAP LOL TTYL).
AeroGP
64
I'm leaning more towards Tri-Stat DX than d20, sorry. =P
I think all the major archetypes have been covered. I've rarely found a use for white mages that exclusively heal. I can get by just fine with a stable stock of curative items and just pouring out more damage output than my opponent most of the time. The healers that can also fight decently are most welcome. The ones that can fight and heal equally well, though, present a conflict of interest, such as in Dragon Quest. "So I got this hero character who deals the most damage, but he also heals the best, and I can't do both at the same time... errr...."
I think all the major archetypes have been covered. I've rarely found a use for white mages that exclusively heal. I can get by just fine with a stable stock of curative items and just pouring out more damage output than my opponent most of the time. The healers that can also fight decently are most welcome. The ones that can fight and heal equally well, though, present a conflict of interest, such as in Dragon Quest. "So I got this hero character who deals the most damage, but he also heals the best, and I can't do both at the same time... errr...."
Imagine an archer that can cast some spells...
Or maybe a knight that does long-ranged attacks with sword or something.
I don't believe I have a "Tank" in any of my games. They're all just warriors to me basically. XD
As for healers, I NEVER EVER make them only heal and buff and all that shit. I make them have attack spells, because when they don't need to buff/heal, what CAN they do? A weak physical attack? Hell no. I also may make them have debuff spells or spells that cause poison, sleep etc.
Anyways, this topic somewhat inspired me to make a game where you can equip any equipments, learn any skills, etc.
Or maybe a knight that does long-ranged attacks with sword or something.
I don't believe I have a "Tank" in any of my games. They're all just warriors to me basically. XD
As for healers, I NEVER EVER make them only heal and buff and all that shit. I make them have attack spells, because when they don't need to buff/heal, what CAN they do? A weak physical attack? Hell no. I also may make them have debuff spells or spells that cause poison, sleep etc.
Anyways, this topic somewhat inspired me to make a game where you can equip any equipments, learn any skills, etc.
