A lot of these are, from what I can tell, needing to add pizzazz to modules / settings by adding character class variant, combined with D&D's commercial crunchiness. So you can't have some druid spells that are extensible to arctic settings — you have to have a completely unique Arctic Druid class. You can't have a fighter who's a mine slaver as background, you have to have the brand-new _Mine Rowdy_ class. Keen!
(h/t Stan)
The 24 Most Embarrassing Dungeons & Dragons Character Classes
Fighters. Mages. Priests. Rogues. These are the primary four
character classes in Dungeons & Dragons, and they have served the
role-playing game well for over 30 years. But there are many others in addition
to these — some awesome, some weird, and some just ridiculous. Here are 24 real
D&D specialty classes that should force any player to make a saving throw
against shame.
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I had a DM who was always encouraging someone to play a "Commoner".
I'm not sure why, I guess they just liked the idea of the class.
With the exception of Anchorite, I think you could tell a great story with any of these.
Heck, I could even think of some cool stuff you could do to make an Anchorite an interesting individual.
That said, I think for the most part I'd rather house-rule a lot of these as having certain trade-offs, within the context of a more major character class, rather than the publicity / commercial / writer credit stunts of a lot of these ("Buy this issue! New character class!" "Buy this module! New character class!"), which remind me more of KODT "Hackmaster" classes than anything else.
Wow, good thing that when I played these characters didn't exist. I wonder how one might play a multi class, like a archonite-pacifist.
Eh, back in the day … crap wasn't all about numbers and what bad ass special abilities you got.
It was about role-playing , and alot of those "absurd classes" or "obscure classes" were just knowledge for players and DMs to use to be creative, … but of course had mechanics if some player wanted to play something "different".
I can't say all choices like that, would have been good for playing, given how most adventures go.
But the Author is just plain snarky, and his opinions seem vastly misplaced.
First of all, I'd like to point out , you didn't gain XP for "murdering everything" as it was so eloquently put. In DnD , ADND, and the 2nd Ed , you got experience points for DEFEATING monsters, "bad-guys" , and collecting treasures of value.
"Killing" monsters, though usually the way it wound up , wasn't the only way to defeat monsters.
If say, you had 3 bugbears, and you beat one up enough, the missed a morale check, and ran off … technically you defeated them all in that encounter.
That wasn't the bread and butter of XP awarded either. Completing a quest, saving the day …, being creative, good roleplay , those were DM handed out "bonuses" , that usually would be the rewarding "trump" to most combat oriented gained XP.
Go back, and read the rules printed.
Secondly, busting on DarkSun defiler class??? Defiles life to power magic selfishly.
The whole world of DarkSun was different than what else was out at the time, and I can say the core box set , could have been fleshed out way more … but what it did present was pure awesome!
The only thing that messed it up was Psionics.
Now, yeah … TSR made Darksun specifically to push the Psionics handbook, and give it a purpose. That's a no brainer.
And there were quite a few people, that happened to like the Psionics class and powers.
I really didn't think, it truly fit the world.
I even read the novels , which by comparison to the ADnD 2ed mechanics … didn't match up exactly. It was a good story, but it'd never actually play out like any of that.
But, Defilers … fit that world. In fact, they kind of made the world what it was, and it offered in a "checks and balance" to magic in a great many ways , as opposed to say Forgotten Realms , where magic users rule, and everyone else drooled.
It added depth, and character , to an already stale mechanic of other realms and RPGs.
Besides the Psionics, I found DarkSun to be one of the most interesting and fun DnD realm worlds , to play in and DM over.
I can see how the spoiled MMORPG crowd, just wouldn't "get it" , but it was what it was regardless.
All in all though, there was never ever any "perfect role-playing" genre or system out there.
Most of us , adapted what we liked, desired, and used information presented, or made up something we liked better anyways.
We took what information that worked for our worlds or play styles, and canned the rest.
I even stopped playing DnD , when 3rd edition came out.
I switched over to playing Earthdawn ( far more interesting mechanics and lore ) , but even with the information presented … wound up taking what I needed and liked, and still created my own way through it all for the rest.
That's when you know, no matter the mechanics, or information provided … you are a real gamer, and a true role-player.
When you don't set limits … just because you find a few aspects a bit wonky.
I remember one of the RPG magazines back in the 1st Ed. days featured a Houri class. I added one as an NPC. It worked fairly well.
🙂
off to roll up a unicorn rider 😀
All of this pales in comparison to the disaster that is the 4th Ed Shaman XD
Someone commented on Facebook that there are some inaccuracies here, and specifically called out the anchorite — which was a real badass in Ravenloft, but couldn't leave Ravenloft.
I'd rather have classes than prestige-classes.
+Richard Pilliard Though it's been a while, I actually prefer prestige classes.
"Prestige classes"? We didn't have those in 1st Ed.
One of the things the Author picked on, I can see being a very viable type of class or profession for fantasy settings.
Dwarven Pest Controller ( I forget exactly what the technical name was off hand. )
Think about it, … you have a entire population of dwarven clans , living in deep underground mines and caverns , complexes through the subterranean realms, of such happen to spill over into goblin, orc, and kobold regions.
Still, everyone "down under" needs a "job" , a way to make money…
Now, while pest could be some innocuous things , regular ants, bugs, spiders, mice, rats , snakes, ect …
It's a fantasy setting as well … and it could be somewhat a dangerous profession:
Common pest, giant rats of course, giant ants, large scorpions, giant snakes, carrion crawlers, molds, slimes, and jellies.
In the more "civilized" races that dwell underground or work underground, I could see almost any race having such a active profession.
A creative DM, could start a party of such characters out.
Maybe , there isn't a lot of treasure to be found, or magic items laying around to plunder?
Perhaps , there are famous "pest controllers" in the societies, respected for work they do, and they earn honest coin doing it.
I'm just saying, the author really didn't give a lot of his "complaints" and snide remarks, a great deal of thought.
+Anthony Frailey I agree it's a great profession and backstory — but to actually craft it as a character class is kind of goofy.
Yeah, I never used kits much. If it was me, I would have stuck it on a base class, and it would have just been role-played.