The 3PPs are publishing new classes and this is good for the game but WotC will have to offer something "special" others couldn't.
Somebody miss the classes with special game mechanics, like the psionic, but also the martial maneuvers (3.5 Tome of Battle: Book of the nine Swords), the soulmelds (3.5 Magic of Incarnum) or the vestige pacts, mysteries and utterances (3.5 Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow and Truename). They were interesting ideas but not "expansion-friendly". If only a group of players use psionic powers, for example, a new sourcebook about psionic besides psionic handbook is harder to be sold. I see current strategy by WotC for 5e is psionic powers turned "spirit spells". Could we try this with the other game mechanics?
The martial maneuvers should be easy to be turned into spell format. The difference is they need special actions to be reloaded. And how a "martial maneuver that needs reload" could be used by no-initiator classes? With spells of once-encounter duration. For example a paladin finds and reads a "martial script". Then it is like it was earned a one-use spell slot. When the paladin activates the maneuver she can use this during the encounter. This means isn't spent after the first attack but the end of the encounter. It can be used more times but each time it has to be reloaded. Something like summoning a magic crossbow that needs reload. This disappears after the end of the encounter not after the first shot.
The "incarnum" spells also would work like encounter-duraction spells. For example a druid after reading special scroll or spending a single-use talisman could use a soulmeld by the totemist shaman class. And what about spending essence points and chakras(body slots for magic items) to unlock special upgrades? A no-soulmelder class could enjoy it thanks special magic items.
Why to recover the martial manevuers from 3.5 Tome of Battle? Because they are perfect for characters with a style like the "cultivators" from fantasy Asian fiction. And why to recover the soulmelds? Because some players love the idea of PCs with "mutations" unlocking and upgrading monster traits. The soulmelds also could be used for a monster-trainer class. Maybe the summoner could exchange different summoned monster using a game mechanic like the vestiges pact by the binder class (3.5 Tome of Magic). These "updated binders" could spend spell slots but these would be easily reloaded after each encounter, with only a complete turn or ten minutes to rest and recover energy.
Magic of Incarnum was interesting, but my opinion is the soulborn and incarnate were only paladin clones with a different mechanic, without a righ own identity, and encounters against monters with special powers of more complex game mechanics slowed down combat.
Today the incarnate could be recycled into a paladin subclass and the soulborn would be like the "spiritual godson" of some legendary hero, something like a simbiontic spirit companion, or having a soul-bound spirit partner like in the manga "Shaman King". Other way to try to explain my idea is to remember the characters from manganime "Dandadan" who enjoy supernatural superpowers thanks spirit-bounds with some yokai. Other example of character with a spirit-simbiont would be the superhero "Haunt" by Image Comics.
My idea of the points of essence is like the metamagic feats from 3.5 ed. Let's imagine the player wants to use "energy subtittuion". Then to spend one-higher-level spell slot one essence point is activated. Would it break the power balance? Maybe some soulmelds spend essence points, and these can't be used again until the end of the encounter and a simple rest of ten minutes.
We could start testing some level one martial-maneuver. For example "Bloodwind" from "Savage Species" (a magic ranged attack with a natural weapon, like claws, horns or fangs) could be turned into a first-level maneuver of the school "tiger claw". Maybe the range attack would be a little shorter than the original spell but at least it could be used more times, and the natural weapons by PC species would be more useful.
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The 3PPs are publishing new classes and this is good for the game but WotC will have to offer something "special" others couldn't.
Somebody miss the classes with special game mechanics, like the psionic, but also the martial maneuvers (3.5 Tome of Battle: Book of the nine Swords), the soulmelds (3.5 Magic of Incarnum) or the vestige pacts, mysteries and utterances (3.5 Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow and Truename). They were interesting ideas but not "expansion-friendly". If only a group of players use psionic powers, for example, a new sourcebook about psionic besides psionic handbook is harder to be sold. I see current strategy by WotC for 5e is psionic powers turned "spirit spells". Could we try this with the other game mechanics?
The martial maneuvers should be easy to be turned into spell format. The difference is they need special actions to be reloaded. And how a "martial maneuver that needs reload" could be used by no-initiator classes? With spells of once-encounter duration. For example a paladin finds and reads a "martial script". Then it is like it was earned a one-use spell slot. When the paladin activates the maneuver she can use this during the encounter. This means isn't spent after the first attack but the end of the encounter. It can be used more times but each time it has to be reloaded. Something like summoning a magic crossbow that needs reload. This disappears after the end of the encounter not after the first shot.
The "incarnum" spells also would work like encounter-duraction spells. For example a druid after reading special scroll or spending a single-use talisman could use a soulmeld by the totemist shaman class. And what about spending essence points and chakras(body slots for magic items) to unlock special upgrades? A no-soulmelder class could enjoy it thanks special magic items.
Why to recover the martial manevuers from 3.5 Tome of Battle? Because they are perfect for characters with a style like the "cultivators" from fantasy Asian fiction. And why to recover the soulmelds? Because some players love the idea of PCs with "mutations" unlocking and upgrading monster traits. The soulmelds also could be used for a monster-trainer class. Maybe the summoner could exchange different summoned monster using a game mechanic like the vestiges pact by the binder class (3.5 Tome of Magic). These "updated binders" could spend spell slots but these would be easily reloaded after each encounter, with only a complete turn or ten minutes to rest and recover energy.
I really liked Magic of Incarnum.
Didn't think anyone here these days even knew what that was!
Magic of Incarnum was interesting, but my opinion is the soulborn and incarnate were only paladin clones with a different mechanic, without a righ own identity, and encounters against monters with special powers of more complex game mechanics slowed down combat.
Today the incarnate could be recycled into a paladin subclass and the soulborn would be like the "spiritual godson" of some legendary hero, something like a simbiontic spirit companion, or having a soul-bound spirit partner like in the manga "Shaman King". Other way to try to explain my idea is to remember the characters from manganime "Dandadan" who enjoy supernatural superpowers thanks spirit-bounds with some yokai. Other example of character with a spirit-simbiont would be the superhero "Haunt" by Image Comics.
My idea of the points of essence is like the metamagic feats from 3.5 ed. Let's imagine the player wants to use "energy subtittuion". Then to spend one-higher-level spell slot one essence point is activated. Would it break the power balance? Maybe some soulmelds spend essence points, and these can't be used again until the end of the encounter and a simple rest of ten minutes.
We could start testing some level one martial-maneuver. For example "Bloodwind" from "Savage Species" (a magic ranged attack with a natural weapon, like claws, horns or fangs) could be turned into a first-level maneuver of the school "tiger claw". Maybe the range attack would be a little shorter than the original spell but at least it could be used more times, and the natural weapons by PC species would be more useful.