Fleshing out the "Classless" system

[Viladin]

The classless system allows the player to pick and buy abilities from existing FFd20 Classes. It is intended to bring variety and a sorta uniqueness to building your own job. If a DM allows the player to use this system, he/she cannot multiclass, use archetypes, or get into any prestige classes. This isn't a perfect system. Some classes have more abilities by design, but I think I reached a balancing placement as far as the character points are concerned. Suggestions and criticism would be helpful.

Character creation goes as follows:

At 1st level, a character begins with 60 Character Points to spend. At each level thereafter, you gain 30 Character points to spend.

Base Character Stats:

Hit Dice: d6. Increasing hit dice costs 5 Character Points per die up to a max of d12.

Saving Throws: Bad. Increasing to Good costs 5 Character Points per save.

Skills: 2/level. 4 Starting Class Skills. Increasing skill points costs 2 Character points per 2 skill points, max of 10. Increasing the number of Class Skills costs 2 Character Points per 1 Class Skill (max of 10).

Base Attack Bonus: 1/2. Increasing BAB costs 5 Character Points to increase to 3/4ths, then another 5 Character Points to increase to Full.

Weapon Proficiency: Simple weapons. Improving to include one single martial weapon costs 2 Character Points. Improving to include up to 3 martial weapons cost 4 Character Points. Improving to include all martial weapons costs 6 character points.

Armor Proficiency: No armor. Improving to include light armor costs 2 Character Points. Improving to include medium armor costs 4 Character Points. Improving to include heavy armor costs 6 armor points. Improving to include shields costs 2 Character Points.

The above is a one-time Character Point cost. After 1st level, you cannot change your base character stats. In addition, Limit Breaks can only be bought at 1st level.

And now to the meat. The abilities.  A player can buy abilities from any class (except Prestige) and any archetypes (assuming it fits with what you buy) but the abilities has to be the level you buy it from. For example, at 1st level, a player may buy Sneak Attack, but he/she could not buy Uncanny Dodge until he is of level to buy it. Any abilities and spellcasting that increases by level costs the player half of the character points when he/she reaches a level that improves it. Same example, at 1st level, a player buys Sneak Attack, when he/she reaches 3rd level, Sneak Attack improves and costs him/her half of the cost, which in this case would be 10.

Ability Cost:

Abilities that improve by level costs 20 Character Points.
Full Spellcasting costs 20 Character Points (Astrologian, Black Mage, Blue Mage, Geomancer, Illusionist, Necromancer, Summoner, Time Mage, White Mage). 10 Character Points per spell level gained.
3/4ths Spellcasting costs 15 Character Points (Bard, Red Mage, Scholar). 10 Character Points per spell level gained.
1/2 Spellcasting costs 10 Character Points (Dark Knight, Holy Knight). 10 Character Points per spell level gained.
Abilities that don't improve by level costs 10 Character Points.
Bonus Feats costs 10 Character Points.
Limit Breaks costs 5 Character Points per limit break, max of 4.

These costs are subject to change as I try to balance and test them. Below is an example of what the Fighter class would cost:

Fighter, 1st Level.

Hit Dice: d10. 10 Character Points.
Saving Throws: Fort (Good), Ref (Bad), Will (Bad). 5 Character Points.
Skills: 2/level. No cost.
Base Attack Bonus: Full. 10 Character Points.
Weapon Proficiency: All martial weapons. 6 Character Points.
Armor Proficiency: Heavy armor and shields. 8 Character Points.
Abilities: Chosen Weapon (Ability that improves on level) 20 Character Points.
Limit Break:  Mighty Strikes/OmniStrike. 10 Character Points.

Total Character Point Cost: 69.

By design, pre-built classes are gonna have more points. The trade-off is that you get to customize.

Limitations:

You may only have 1 spellcasting class.
You may only have 1 precision-based attacks (Sneak Attack, Precision Attack, Holy Strike, etc.)
Any abilities with level improvements (including Spellcasting) must be paid at half character point cost each time you would gain improvements.

[Viladin]

Lemme add on that as a player levels, he/she can buy abilities from lower levels as well. So, for example, a 5th level character could buy Sneak Attack as a 1st level ability. Which improves by every 2 levels and would cost the player half the cost as normal.

[Frankto]

It's a neat idea, but I think you should consider giving save a steeper curve -- one save for free, two for 5 and three for 15. With these kinds of system it's also a good idea to go through the class abilities and determine a cost-by-progression. For example, spellcasting is very linear and that's great, but not every character is going to want sneak attack that progresses every two levels. Maybe they'll want 6th-level spellcasting and sneak attack +1d6/3 levels, but wouldn't be able to afford both, for example.

For instance...

Sneak Attack [10 or 20 points; 5 or 10 points/level]
You gain sneak attack as per the rogue ability. At 10 points, you gain sneak attack +1d6 at 3rd level and every 3 levels afterwards. At 20 points, you gain sneak attack +1d6 at 1st level and every odd-numbered level afterwards.

These types of systems are a good opportunity to break out of the mold, if you're into that sort of thing. It is, however, going to be a bit more work. There are a whole lot of ways you could customize this system, depending on how much work you want to put into it and where you want to take this -- skill-based spellcasting and martial proficiencies come to mind.

Game design ramblings below.

[color=#333333]For the sake of getting it out of my head, I'll explain: Create a default spellcasting and martial archetype each with three degrees (call them poor, medium and good for example). At creation, characters can pick up any level in either they want, which determines how good you are at either. Poor spellcasting gives you a 4-level progression, Medium gives you a 6-level progression, and Good gives you a 9-level progression (and of course, you get to specialize with the ability score and particular variety of spellcasting of your choice).

Under this system, each school of magic and weapon group is a skill. To determine your skill as a mage, use your ranks in the respective skills as your caster level in that particular school (which, based on your archetype, determines the maximum level of spell you can cast). For martial characters, determine your skill as a fighter by using your ranks as your character level to determine BAB.

You know. For instance. Any number of ways you could do it.[/color]

[Kordeleski]

Shouldn't the Fighter example cost 6 more points for the class skills?

Not sure if it is a good idea or not, but you could make improving features that grow over time (such as sneak attack) optional to improve at the time.

Also I'd vote as referring to it as the Freelancer class (from Final Fantasy V).

[NeloAngelo]

Shouldn't the Fighter example cost 6 more points for the class skills?

Not sure if it is a good idea or not, but you could make improving features that grow over time (such as sneak attack) optional to improve at the time.

Also I'd vote as referring to it as the Freelancer class (from Final Fantasy V).

Already done mate. http://www.finalfantasyd20.com/ffd20/freelancer.html

Also precision attacks such as sneak attack is an option just like most class features. you can just choose one.

Some things have already been edited to help it grow as you say. As of right now the Freelancers Hit Dice and Bab now come together to help costs at start.

Hit Dice: d6. This increases when your BAB increases. D8 for 3/4ths BAB and d10 for full BAB. Increasing to d12 HD costs 5 extra Character Points.

[Kordeleski]

Yeah I just saw it in the Misc. Classes section my bad XD