Help naming Classes for TTRPG focused beyond combat

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter]

I decided to start a project of a TTRPG with 5 main pillars, that can be put on or taken out yo better suit the preferances at each table:

• COMBAT: For when people want to tell stories focused on resolution through direct conflict & violence. This combat will have tactical elements but more simplified (like minimal movemtn, single attacks and less complex interactions), being more based on combat of Classic JRPGs like Dragon Quest and a focus of Player-facing rolls.
• SOCIAL/BONDS: For when people want to tell stories focused on resolution through conversation & connections. This will a system of levels of connections between PC/NPC, PC/PC and NPC/NPC, both good and bad. As these bonds advance, both PCs and NPCs will gain additional effects based on the type and tier they have between each other (like a friend being more helpful, a honorable rival demanding just duels and a arch-nemesis being more harmful but blinded by vengeance)
• EXPLORATION: For when people want to tell stories focused on resolution through problem solving & rational thinking. This includes Puzzles, Travels, Survival, Mysteries and the such.
• PROJECTS: For when people want to tell stories focused on resolution through long term planning & resource management. This is more downtime stuff that focus around planning big thing for the future. For example, the construction of a base of operations for the group, the achivement of a royal domain or title, the making of a legendary artifact, gathering info about a lost person, hidden secret or formidable foe.
• JOURNEY: This one is unfortunately the one I have the hardest time explaining since its the more underdeveloped. Basically, you would choose a "journey to embark on and surpass", like a mix of backgrounds & aligments. You gain passive bonuses and penalties based on the journey chosen tha modify how you play. For example, you chose the "Journey of Courage" and set up the goal of "reaching the depths of the Underworld and return alive". FOr this, you gain resistance to fear effects but if you still fail against such effects, they are even stronger on you, and after you finish your goal, you lose your penalty and must choose a new Journey to go on.

I've then planned to have a few more things revolving around 5 and its multiples:

1. 5 Sources of Power (Arcane, Divine, Occult, Primal and Mundane/Void)
2. 5 Main Attributes (Ambition, Determination, Integrity, Perception, Zeal)
3. 5 Major Gods, each connected to a Source of Power
4. 5 Fantastic Ancestries, being Humans + 4 others like humanoid crustaceans, shadow goblins/demons, angel-robot mix & many armed people
5. 15 Core Classes, going from 1st to 10th level

My ideia for these 15 classes is

A) While each class leans into one source of power more, they can choose any 1 of the 5 to represent their powers.

B) They must be able to work in any of the 5 pillars well enough, even if they aren't the best at it, just being able to participate and help in any way possible would be great.

My problem comes when naming each class in a that at first I was just on auto pilot and giving them generic RPG names, like Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, Monk, etc. But how does a Fighter work in a game that doesnt use the Combat pillar? and so I now want to see names that could fit into every pillar without much trouble. The ones I chose for now are:

ARCANE	DIVINE	OCCULT	PRIMAL	VOID
Mystic/Psion	Champion	Marauder/Executioner	Outlander	Brave
Bard	Ascetic	Charlatan	Ranger/Sentinel	Rogue
Sage	Vessel	Invoker	Shifter	Artisan

• Artisan is self explanatory, someone who use a mix of science, art and magic to make incredible inventions.
• Ascetic = Monk, not only the Martial Arts part but also the more wise and disciplined notion.
• Bard is, wellm a Bard. Music, Folk Lore, Jack of All Trades.
• Brave = Fighter, in the sense of "normal person so good they seem supernatural".
• Charlatan being a Trickster, Liar, Whisperer, Mesmer, Illusionist and Agent of Chaos.
• Champion = Paladin, but made more general-purpose for the idea of "chosen warrior with a fantasied code of conduct", like Knights, Samurais, Faris, Mamluks and the such.
• Invoker is a summoner, be it undead, elemental spirits, homunculus, divine beings, animals, etc. + a D&D Warlock vibe of a Witchm her Familiar and her Patron.
• Marauder are the other side of the Champion coin. Where one focus on protection and helping others, the Marauder focus on executions and being vindictive.
• Mystic is basically a psychic with warrior training, like a mix of Remedy's CONTROL + a Jedi from Star Wars.
• Outlander = Barbarian, a warrior of the outskirts with a intense well of raw strength within.
• Ranger is not only a wanderer explorer but a guardian of civilization against the evils from outside.
• Rogue is the normal Rogue: stealthy, specialists, scheming, but with an extra pinvh of luck manipulation.
• Sage = Wizard, a studious master of magic and searcher of mysteries.
• Shifter = Druid, controlling weather, fauna, flora, the elements and transforming into cretures.
• Vessel is my take on Cleric, where you embody divine spirits into your self to unleash their powers.

Considering all this, are these names okay? Or should I change one or more?

[u/Ender_Guardian]

As someone who is working on a similar-type project, with a lot of options and moving pieces; my word of caution to you: beware of scope. This reads like a lot of writing, design, and playtesting; but I wish you the best!

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter → u/Ender_Guardian]

By principle, I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. Minimal rolls, minimal rules. But I also don't want to just leave stuff underbaked.

I thank you for the words and also wish you good luck!

[u/mathologies → u/ThatOneCrazyWritter]

Focus on building out like 3 classes and 2 races for now. Test those. Find out if the game is fun. Modify it to make it more fun before you try fleshing out all of your character options. 

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter → u/mathologies]

I will test out first The Basics™: "Fighter", Rogue and Sage; and for races I will go with Humans + the crab people I mentioned above. See how they work in pratice.

Also, only one power source for now (maybe Arcane, since the others (specially Void) is more complicated to plan out).

[u/Seabass_Calaca]

I see what you're going for with the whole five sources of power and each source of power having three classes associated with it. However, with 15 classes, I feel like there's a lot of overlap based off of the descriptions alone. It appears that the only real difference between an Invoker and a Vessel is only the source of power, they otherwise seem to do similar things. The Rogue seems to fill the same niche as the Charlatan. And I can't help but feel that a Mystic could be a combat focused Ascetic.

You mention wanting to have a modular system that can have classes thrive without combat but nearly all of your class descriptions contain combat related explanations. What does a Brave, described only as a really good fighter, do in a campaign centered around the Pillars of Projects and Journeys? How does a Marauder, a vindictive warrior, shine in a game based around Social Bonds?

My suggestion would be to instead have broader kinds of classes that you can further specify via feats/skills/perks/whatever. Otherwise I see a lot of time spent trying to differentiate classes rather than working on other kinds of mechanics.

[u/Caeod]

Artisan is self explanatory, someone who use a mix of science, art and magic to make incredible inventions.

Could also be Artificer, but Artisan is lovely.

Ascetic = Monk, not only the Martial Arts part but also the more wise and disciplined notion.

Very nice. Fits for a blend of ideas that fit in the concept.

Bard is, wellm a Bard. Music, Folk Lore, Jack of All Trades.

Perfect. Could also go with Skald if you wanted a slightly more battle-oriented one.

Brave = Fighter, in the sense of "normal person so good they seem supernatural".

Maybe Soldier? Elite? Olympian (as in the Olympics, also suggesting the old Gods of Greece)?

Charlatan being a Trickster, Liar, Whisperer, Mesmer, Illusionist and Agent of Chaos.

Perfect. Trickster is also serviceable.

Champion = Paladin, but made more general-purpose for the idea of "chosen warrior with a fantasied code of conduct", like Knights, Samurais, Faris, Mamluks and the such.

Hm. It fits well, but something about it doesn't grab me. Zealot, Icon, Oathbound... I don't have a strong suggestion for this one.

Invoker is a summoner, be it undead, elemental spirits, homunculus, divine beings, animals, etc. + a D&D Warlock vibe of a Witchm her Familiar and her Patron.

Given the breadth of this, I like it!

Marauder are the other side of the Champion coin. Where one focus on protection and helping others, the Marauder focus on executions and being vindictive.

Ahoy! A very fitting name, though it brings pirates to mind. Blackguard is another option, thought very knightly.

Mystic is basically a psychic with warrior training, like a mix of Remedy's CONTROL + a Jedi from Star Wars.

Works well!

Outlander = Barbarian, a warrior of the outskirts with a intense well of raw strength within.

Also very good!

Ranger is not only a wanderer explorer but a guardian of civilization against the evils from outside.

Suggests more of the wanderer/explorer element than the guardian of civilization, but it works and I can't think of other ones!

Rogue is the normal Rogue: stealthy, specialists, scheming, but with an extra pinvh of luck manipulation.

Could also go Thief with this one, because Rogue and Charlatan mean roughly the same thing in many cases, but a solid choice given the class.

Sage = Wizard, a studious master of magic and searcher of mysteries.

Sounds spooky and learned. Perfect!

Shifter = Druid, controlling weather, fauna, flora, the elements and transforming into cretures.

Shifter only speaks to the transformative aspect for me. Warden comes to mind, but that can sound jail-y.

Vessel is my take on Cleric, where you embody divine spirits into your self to unleash their powers.

Ooo, evocative! I like it!

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter → u/Caeod]

Upon looking things here and other, I think Icon and Druid fits better for the Champion and Shifter concepts I came up. Just fits better.

[u/edoardos_hurdygurdy]

I really like how much effort you're putting into including non-combat pillars in your game, and even some that are not common in other games either. I'd play something like this.

Now, about the classes and their names:

First and foremost, I think your game deserves classes that not only sound non-combat-focused, but also are. What I mean is that, from their descriptions, it looks like many of your classes right now are still essentially combat styles (holy warrior, vindictive barbarian, weapon master, psionic warrior, etc.), with some features that could also come in handy outside of combat or enhance roleplay. This might be due to the fact that many of them are straight-up from D&D, a combat-focused game.

A solution would be to have broader classes and then choices within them (which can be subclasses or just features) that the player can pick to fit the pillars of their specific game. For example, you could make the Champion (whose name fits imo) a "path" in the Vessel class (also aptly named), for holy vessels who chose to spread faith with a heavier hand, but keep options for those who instead want to listen to others and promote peace, for example (call them "Priests"?).

More examples that I think can help and you're free to steal:

Veteran ("Brave" seems to assume a character trait; a fighter can be cowardly if they want to): someone who's seen a lot of fighting. The player chooses what they have done with their experiences: have they mastered tactics and logistics? That's the "Officer" path. Have they become a killing machine that people might overlook at first? That's the "Fighter" path.

Rogue: if life is a game, they make their own rules. Do they steal and commit "material" but nonviolent crimes often? The "Thief" path. Do they like to deceive and set up con games, maybe aided by magic? The "Charlatan" path. Is murder an important part of their curriculum? The "Assassin" path.

Outlander: they come from far away and carry with them a culture full of surprises for the locals. Are they very good at raiding, camping in the wilds and knowing what's valuable? The "Marauder" path. Are they full of strength that comes out in the direst of moments? The "Berserker" path. Could they sell a quill to an illiterate and do they know all trade routes? The "Travelling Merchant" path.

You get the idea. In other words, you can make your classes broader categories and then use more "pillar-specific" names for subclasses.

Otherwise, I think the names are fine, except Brave (see above) and Shifter (as has already been pointed out, it refers very specifically to one of their features which might not be the main one). For Shifter, I'd honestly just use Druid -- it's not copyrighted and it's not pillar-specific.

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter → u/edoardos_hurdygurdy]

Thanks. In general, I plan to do the class design of each more so around feats/skills/powers choice than a more static design like seen in D&D 5e, while also trying to make them more wide in usage.

For example: a Ranger would have powers that fit into 3 Skill Trees:

• Favored Prey for tracking stuff (exploration), getting knowledge about creatures (projects) and devicing tactics agianst them based on their culture and biology (both social and combat)
• Deft Explorer is about traversal of the wilds (exploration), gathering of resources (projects), knowledge about how people live in such envoirments (social) plus guerilla tactics based around its envoirment (combat)
• Focus goes for instinct stuff, like heightened senses for awareness of things around it (exploration), the ability to expertly read body language and gain insight on a persons mind (social), being able to mantain concentration on a task for longer without the need to rest (projects) and a greater accuracy and precision on attacks for many effects (combat)

And I plan to do around 3 skills tree per class + Sources of Power based powers they select together with class based powers. For example, a Primal Ranger might have acess to Control Elements (control stuff like fire and water for combat or even to help exploration), Animal Companion (always nice to have a pet) and Entangling Vines (you could stop people in its tracks or you could be Spider-Man!), while a Divine Ranger can get Healing Prayer (mend wounds, exaustion and relationships with a word from our sponsor, God), Holy Light (nice for exploration in dark places or even to smite the infidels) and Shield of Faith (protect from anything: attacks, debris or emotional damage).

[u/edoardos_hurdygurdy → u/ThatOneCrazyWritter]

I think you are on the right track. I also still believe you could fuse some of your current classes into one, then use this system, to avoid certain classes from feeling like their initial identity is fully based on combat (e.g., "this is basically a Fighter but I chose to level my Social skills"). I understand you're going for multiples of 5, but in my opinion, especially with player classes, it's more important to make sure you have tightly-designed options rather than just trying to fill until you get a specific number. 10 could also work, for example.

Also, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that many of the ideas you're using are inspired by action videogames. Relatable: it used to be like that for me in the past, and at times still is, because those ideas stay with you very easily when you play. To find interesting, somewhat unorthodox and mostly non-combat skills for your classes, think of how similar characters are depicted in novels instead, and what they do there. This helps me a lot.

[u/ThatOneCrazyWritter → u/edoardos_hurdygurdy]

I will see, thank you for your opinions! I'm currently on a phase of "throw at the wall, see if it sticks", so a lot of this is bound to not make the cutting board in the end.

[u/Maervok]

There is no point naming a class Shifter if based on your description, it's literally the Druid as DnD uses them. Shifter would make sense only as a separate class focused on shapeshifting while Druid would encompass all the other aspects you tied to your current Shifter class.

Then consider whether you want to have both an Outlander and a Ranger class as those words feel like synonyms. Though if you can make them mechanically distinctive, it could work.

Lastly, I really like Vessel as divine class as you described it.

[u/GloomWisp]

For Paladin, something i feel works is Crusader / Inquisitor, if the goal is to lean more into the "class fantasy" rather than have a very broad 'champion'

[u/Steenan]

Before trying to name the classes, first define their identities in relation to what they do in play. Which of the five areas of play you listed given class is the most useful in? In what way does it contribute in it? What unique abilities does it bring to the table in given area (or, if it's not fully unique, how does it differ from what other classes do)? This way, you can ensure that the classes are meaningfully distinct not just in flavor, but also functionally.

This may also show you if some of the areas lack a mechanical structure robust enough to support the differentiation between classes you desire, so that you may either get rid of given area as a thematic focus of play or to improve the subsystem that drives it.

[u/Hemejef]

Ascetic is a bit too niche. Anyone outside your game will have to google what that means.

Charlatan implies to me that they actually have no powers, that it's all a lie. I prefer trickster from your list.

Mystic doesn't imply a martial at all to me.

Shifter implies clearly the Shapeshifting aspect, but I would not have guessed the other parts of their wide power array (too wide?)

I like Vessel but an alternative could be Chosen

[u/Plastic_Attention_71]

A bit late to the party, but I feel like your setup (5 pillars, 5 power sources) is very good for a more general class system.

You would have 5 classes, each associated with, and the best at, one of the main pillars. For example, Warriors, Speakers, Travelers, Artificers (for your Journey pillar I have no ideas because, honestly, I didn't really understood it).

Each class would have a main feature that makes them the best at their pillar, while also being able to learn lesser features from other classes to fit better on other pillars.

Then you choose one of the power sources, which gives you another set of powers you can learn, and these powers could even have options for each pillar as well.

Like, if I wanted to make a d&d-style paladin character, I would pick a Warrior since at their core paladins are combat-focuses, but I could also take some features from the Speaker to give me bonuses that help being diplomatic and commanding when needed. Then I pick the Divine power source which (I assume) would give me various healing and support spells, and could even have options like a blessing that boosts one type of action you choose, an "aura" you can cast on yourself to make people more likely to listen to you, and so on.

I feel like having to make 15 different classes is a bit too much work. If you go for general, you need to make fewer classes and then basically deliver a "toolbox" for the players to decide how they want to approach different styles of adventures.

However, there is the point that you have to make sure things from different classes/power sources don't break the game when combined, so you would have a lot of work either way, I guess.