I’m curious, do you guys use compendium classes a lot?
I think they’re really cool, but maybe full-blown alternative classes are more preferred?
I’m curious, do you guys use compendium classes a lot?
I’m curious, do you guys use compendium classes a lot?
I don’t really see compendium classes and “full blown” classes as competing in at all the same space.
You only get a full blown class ONCE – when you pick your playbook at the beginning. That’s it. Maybe you can mooch a couple of moves from elsewhere, depending. Maybe.
Compendium classes allow you to expand the options available for a PC after character creation, based on what happens to them in play.
They’re not really related at all.
That said, compendium classes tend to be more specific in application. If I make a compendium class for “When you perform the ritual that removes your soul and conceals it in a bone shard.” that’s only going to be relevant in certain very specific games, whereas if I create a “Dorklemancer” playbook, anyone who wants to use it (and who can persuade their GM that my terrible playbook is legit) can utilize that content.
I agree with Mike Pureka. When I make a compendium class, it’s really only a few extra options that are very specific. It isn’t meant to replace a class.
In some ways, I think of it more like a magic item. A CC is something cool to stumble into during play that changes the way a player can interact with the world.
Compendium Classes are awards for doing cool things in the fiction. PC dives in to the Cursed Waters of the Fountain of Time to save an NPC? Awesome, GM says “yo here’s a Compendium class you can take to get like time powers, because that ruled”
I like compendium classes because they help add much needed variety (after playing a class over and over, it’s harder to make a unique build. I pretty choosy, but i really love whatever ones I choose.
I have been considering adding archetypes to my playbooks. With like alternate moves and abilities to support beyond 10th level. Example my First Knight playbook I am working on. I am considering doing a archetype to go down Death Knight or Templar. Do you think I should just make a series of compendium classes to the same effect.
I’ve only used them once in my first game but it was awesome because it was the landed gentry one because one of my players became leader of the town. So yeah agree with most that say its like an awesome reward for a very specific choice the player has made so yeah won’t come up all the time.
RidersOfRohan I feel like the compendium class approach is better because it comes from the fiction. I don’t see anything wrong with having archetypes that you could plug in if it makes sense but I wouldn’t want to have a class tree replace that magical feeling that comes from discovering some strange new option that completely fits the narrative.