[Discuss] The Role of "Classes" in BattleMaster

[Anthony Anderson]

With all the discussions flying around currently regarding the role of
Adventurers, rogue Infiltrators, "State" Religions, and Council turnover
rates, I thought it would be good to start a new thread devoted to taking a
closer look at exactly how our "classes" break down in BM.

The first thing that I think needs to be defined is, what purpose do the
classes have in the game, and in medieval society?  In a RPG, we've all
grown accustomed to game features being open exclusively for individual
classes.  And I think Tom's done a good job of that overall.  Where BM loses
its effectiveness, I believe, is in the "multi-class" capabilities of a
character.  A perennial assassin can, at will, drop the mantle of
Infiltrator one day, and pick it right back up a few days later.  The realm
needs an extra bureaucrat for a day or two?  Militaristic knights trade
sword for pen for a few weeks until everything is stable again.  The realism
and interdependency of the medieval era is lost on us largely due to this
fact.

How do we remedy this?  The solution is multi-faceted, but it starts with
changing the perception of what your character's class is.  It is, in fact,
a lifestyle.  A path chosen early on in one's life, and one that very seldom
changes.  It is *not* a means to an end.  Instead, nobles willingly choose a
life of battle, bureaucracy, or any other direction knowing full well that
they are setting the course for the rest of their lives.

Implementation is the obvious next step.  Philosophies are good, but how do
they translate to game mechanics?  Well, first, every character spends its
first month as a generic Noble (N).  At the end of your first month, you are
presented with a few paths to take: Knight (K), Merchant (M), or Infiltrator
(I).  You *must* choose one before continuing.  The first month should have
given you a good feel for how you would like to shape your character- or
perhaps it defined your character for you.  Changing between any of the
above three classes costs a considerable amount of honor/prestige (or
whatever new attributes we may be switching to), nearly as drastic as the
losses suffered for traveling to a new island.  This represents the fact
that a Merchant may be renowned for his work in aiding the administration of
the capital and conducting successful trades with a neighboring realm, but
that does not translate to fame and recognition on the battlefield.  Also, a
character must remain in their current class for at least one full month
before changing again.

The third step is, of course, a redefining of the current classes.
Obviously, I've only proposed three currently.  So what is to be done with
the remaining classes, and what exactly is the description of the three
proposed?

*Knight: *The militaristic career is the most commonplace amongst new
up-and-coming nobles.  It is the path to recognition on a worldwide scale,
as tales of your glorious victories and heroic actions are told often
throughout the common folk.  Knight encompasses the current Knight, Hero,
and Cavalier classes.  Anyone choosing the Knight class willingly recognizes
that they may die in battle.  Such is the life of one destined for
greatness.  In order to be eligible for election/appointment as Ruler or
General of a realm, the character must first be part of the Knight class.  A
Knight suffers small losses to Honor (or other applicable replacement
attributes) every week he does not see battle.

*Merchant:* The administrative career is much less recognized, though it may
be equally important.  Without an effective bureaucracy, the realm will
tumble into an unproductive, chaotic mess.  Merchant encompasses the current
Bureaucrat and Trader classes.  A few new features should be added to
increase draw to this class, but the combination of Bureau/Trader should
help quite a bit.  (One such feature could to wrap the current "Sage"
feature in with the Merchant, and allow highly skilled Merchants the ability
to craft new items for Adventurers in their region.)  In order to be
eligible for election/appointment as Banker of a realm, the character must
first be part of the Merchant class.  A Merchant suffers small losses to
Honor (or other applicable replacement attributes) every week he does not
conduct a successful administration or trade.

*Infiltrator:* The dark, shadowy career.  Little is publicly spoken of these
assassins and saboteurs, but some realms in particular thrive on their
activity and participation.  The best Infiltrators not only are able to
conceal their profession, but also their realm affiliation and even their
very location in a region.  Infiltrator simply includes the current
Infiltrator class.  Any character, who has at any time been labeled as an
Infiltrator, carries that tag for life, and may still be treated as such
while in an enemy prison.

*Mentor:* A state-appointed title for those deserving.  Similar to how
Marshals are appointed by the founder of their army, Mentors are appointed
by Dukes.  Every Duke can appoint up to two Mentors.  This ensures that
larger realms (and thus more players) have the capacity for more Mentors.
But this also puts the power into one's peers.  Anyone could claim to be a
mentor, when in fact, all they really want are the fame points and other
features accessible by the Mentor.  This establishes such features based on
merit, not personal desire.

*Priest:* A member of the clergy and thus, outside of any political domain.
Priests become part of their religion and as such, renounce their oaths and
leave their former realms entirely.  At such point that a Priest desires to
leave the way of the cloth, they must find a lord, swear a new oath, and
then become a new member of the lord's realm.  This helps immensely to
eliminate all attempts at having a state religion, as the game would now
establish them completely outside the sphere of political influence.

Well, thoughts?  Ideas?  Scathing criticisms?
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