Offering some excitement topics for debate

[Scalamoosh]

Thinking of ways to drum up excitement and get some more people playing. The thing that keeps forcing itself to the front of my mind as the best decision is some class changes. I'll preface the discussion by noting that one of the main reasons I logged in and checked things out was that I heard there were new multi-class options for druids and rangers.

Possible options:
1. Remove Tri-classes and allow any dual-class combination
This option allows for many new combinations and ideas. It would likely need some balancing and tweaking along the way but 1/2 the fun is the player-base finding overpowered builds and combinations while they're being assessed. SD4 did this and it was pretty fun.

2. Extend level cap for all races to minimum of 45 for existing classes. I never understood the reasoning behind some of the races having such dismal level caps. Literally nobody uses them because of this. It makes sense for Half Giants to cap HPs but really no other class. Is the only reason they are capped the way they are to match the corresponding AD&D rule set?

3. More new zones to explore - already in progress

4. Re-assess some class specific skills to allow more players to be independent and no require having a cleric character or some other character. I'm looking at you locate item. Maybe make similar skills that don't butcher the rule set but still allow a Wa/Th for example to know if an item is loaded in a zone. Maybe they can pay an NPC 2k to know if an item is loaded, when the last time it loaded was or something along those lines. Maybe an NPC that can give hints on where to find gear that matches their class. more ways to connect characters to gear. This one could be it's own topic.

[Patches]

1. Remove Tri-classes and allow any dual-class combination

Although I rarely play them, I don't have a problem with tri-classes. I prefer dual and single. There are minor penalties for tri-class in skill usage and stuff, plus most have two sets of gear, which is now moot since rent changes. Alternatively, I'd like to see tri-classes nerfed a tad more, and single class given single-class benefits. Currently, the only one I know of is dual wield for thieves.
Example: SC Warrior/Barbarian are counted as 1 size larger for bashing purposes. Wouldn't that change peoples mind about them?

2. Extend level cap for all races to minimum of 45 for existing classes.

This is entirely drawn from the rulebook. It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't make sense now. However, they did effectively remove them with Unearthed Arcana... they just have to pay more. In later editions, they were removed all together. Personally, I'd like to keep class restrictions, but remove level caps. If a race can be a thief, let them be a thief. All races should allow warriors. Stuff like that.

3. More new zones to explore - already in progress

Building should be a constant. However, there does appear to be a need for fixing old content as well. Some of the "bugs" experienced by players are caused by bad or missing flags on mobs/items/rooms, etc.

4. Re-assess some class specific skills to allow more players to be independent and no require having a cleric character or some other character.

Your example is adding the functionality, but not the skill. I have some ideas on new skill ideas for all classes, but each and every one of them would have to be tested for balance as well as flavor. That could be an entire topic of conversation by itself. I wasn't aware I needed a cleric. Never felt like I needed a healer at all. This might be a perspective thing. Each class should do ok by itself, and be able to work in groups as well.

[Maxum]

We did a pretty major update to races and classes about two years ago.
You will notice that all races can reach 45 in some classes, and most can reach 50 in a few.
That mixed with new racial bonuses, and adjustment to old bonuses should make things more even.
Some skills have been updated as well (for example first aid) to be more appropriate for a higher level cap.

I was actually rather worried that the changes may have made half-ogres too powerful and they would need to be dropped a bit.
Still wondering about this, it hasn't come up yet as no one has made a half-ogre.

I am a fan of changing humans to dual class instead of multi, leave multi for the other races.
The way I see it working is you start a human as SC and level them to 50, then re-class to 1/1 and re-level to 50/50.
Your hp/mana/move are locked when you hit level 50, and you only gain skills from the second class.
This would mean a human warrior/mage would have low mana, and a human mage/warrior would have low hp.
BUT a human psi/monk would rip the place in half, and should not be allowed, so this idea is benched for now.

I think removal of str_add would be a good thing, just go straight from 17,18,19,20.
Set most elves to 17.

[Patches]

I agree with removing Str_Add. It was confusing. What was the original purpose of it? (Talking D&D here, not MUD).

It disappeared in later editions, and that was a good thing.

[Maxum]

Garry Gygax was using it as a house rule to differentiate between warriors (all had 18 str so percentile roll made them slightly different.)
It got published as an optional house rule in Dragon, and I think made it's way into Unearthed Arcania?

There is no need for it anymore.

[Patches]

Oh, it was in rules WAY before Unearthed Arcana. That is some 1st edition, possible Original edition stuff there. There are plenty of rules (reach on weapons) that carried over from old editions and were never explained properly in new ones. Original DnD had hit location charts. You need a weapon with a certain length to head shot a giant (using their examples). The game has changed so much over the years.