3.5 Classes that Broke Your Heart

[CrazyYanmega]

Ever found a class that just didn't do what you wanted it to do, for whatever reason? This thread is so you can pour out your heartbreak and relate to others.

My heartbreak was Monk, of course. So many cool options, no empty levels... But it SUCKS! If only monks got pounce, or had a way of obtaining pounce through a prestige class!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Truenamer. Just... truenamer. So much lovely fluff (Wizard of Earthsea, anyone?), so many interesting powers, such bungled mechanics.

[Jormengand]

Every martial class ever to come to be, including the ToB/PoW ones. I want decent fighting ability without casting a spell to do it, is that so hard? I actually feel less dirty using a truenamer to do it because using a maneuver feels more like casting a spell than using an utterance (even though an utterance is literally a spell-like ability). Maybe it's because I'm actually rolling to use the utterance instead of putting my utterances in slots and spending them and recovering them after enough rest? I dunno, but seriously, c'mon, guys!

[LudicSavant]

Fighter. The world itself bends over backwards to express its arbitrary hatred for you. Wizards don't need to so much as aim their fireballs from 1000 feet away to have pinpoint accuracy, but Fighters can't even use a shield to help stop someone from touching them or block a laser or something without spending rather limited character resources just for that.

[(Un)Inspired]

The Wilder. Why oh why is texts up completely crippled by his headaches? He should be ruling Neo Tokyo

[CrazyYanmega]

What is PoW, and what classes are in it?

[Psyren]

Soulknife. Just, Soulknife. Such a cool concept and so badly executed.

Als0 Truenamer.

My heartbreak was Monk, of course. So many cool options, no empty levels... But it SUCKS! If only monks got pounce, or had a way of obtaining pounce through a prestige class!

Monk broke my heart but PF Unchained Monk and Pummeling Style mended it.

[Jormengand]

What is PoW, and what classes are in it?

Path of War is basically the PF version of the Tome of Battle. From what I've heard, it isn't any better.

[Seerow]

Swashbuckler. Duelist. Soulknife. Monk. Fighter.



These are the ones that stick out the most to me, mostly because they're classes I want to see work, but make me cringe to think about playing as written.

[Pluto!]

For the first character I built, Swashbuckler/Wizard/Bladesinger just looked so cool...

Then I played it.

And I don't want to talk about how much time I spent trying to make Dirgesinger work.

[mabriss lethe]

Truenamer, soulknife, Sohei, monk, and to a lesser extent, Hexblade and shadowcaster. All of them are such flavorful classes with tons of potential, Yet the mechanics for each seem to have been written by late stage syphilitic monkeys.

[Karl Aegis]

Basically anything that didn't give +2 to two skills at first level.

[LoyalPaladin]

Swashbuckler.

Swashbuckler... I just wanted to have a sweet Swashbuckler/Scarlet Corsair. *heartbreak intensifies*

[dextercorvia]

Marshal. I love the aura idea, but not getting better after level 2-3 is inexcusable. I love the idea of building a great captain style character, but this just doesn't do much for that concept except as a dip. Bards should not make better generals than Marshals.

[Blackhawk748]

Since several have been mentioned (Fighter and Swashbuckler, i can make them work but god i shouldnt have to try so hard!!) So i will say CW Samurai. I looked at it after i played an OA Samurai (ie the good one) and it made me so sad, it had such potential. Kia Shout could have been awesome, cool TWF fighting tricks could have been incorporated, a decent skill list even! But it was none of these things and it just made me sad.

[Oddman80]

Pathfinder witch.
It just bored me. Never got to the major hexes, so maybe I'm missing something. The two best/most used hexes are evil eye and slumber. One is underwhelming and the other.. I just feel dirty using over and over again. The class is great against a single powerful enemy that takes many rounds to beat, but I can't see how it would ever be effective against many weaker opponents.
I like the shaman so much more.

[Curmudgeon]

Factotum. I like the idea, but the execution is so atrociously bad that the class ends up being worthless. Like Cunning Surge, an Extraordinary ability you can use to get an extra standard action.

Extraordinary Abilities (Ex)
...
Using an extraordinary ability is usually not an action because most extraordinary abilities automatically happen in a reactive fashion. Those extraordinary abilities that are actions are standard actions unless otherwise noted.

This is worth than useless, because it costs a standard action and 3 Inspiration Points to get a standard action. It would have taken one extra clause to insert "as a swift action" (or whatever), but they dropped the ball (and kicked it hard) here.

[ComaVision]

Ninja.

How many weebs committing seppuku is WotC responsible for?

[Blackhawk748]

Ninja.

How many weebs committing seppuku is WotC responsible for?

To many. I swear REVENGE!! *Draws Katana*

[Extra Anchovies]

Pathfinder witch.
It just bored me. Never got to the major hexes, so maybe I'm missing something. The two best/most used hexes are evil eye and slumber. One is underwhelming and the other.. I just feel dirty using over and over again. The class is great against a single powerful enemy that takes many rounds to beat, but I can't see how it would ever be effective against many weaker opponents.
I like the shaman so much more.

The only change in how the Witch plays post-10 is that Ice Tomb enters your hex rotation and/or replaces Slumber.

[Sheogoroth]

Most of the Savage Progression classes.
Who wouldn't want to play a Mohrg? But you lose so much!

My DM runs a Gestalt campaign every now and again, which redeems most of these issues though.

[Chronos]

Quoth Jormengand:

Every martial class ever to come to be, including the ToB/PoW ones. I want decent fighting ability without casting a spell to do it, is that so hard? I actually feel less dirty using a truenamer to do it because using a maneuver feels more like casting a spell than using an utterance (even though an utterance is literally a spell-like ability). Maybe it's because I'm actually rolling to use the utterance instead of putting my utterances in slots and spending them and recovering them after enough rest? I dunno, but seriously, c'mon, guys!

Amen to that. I wouldn't mind the Tome of Battle classes if they had just fixed the standard martial classes first: Give us a choice between a cool fighter and a cool warblade. But as it is, it's just another insult to the conventional fighters.

And I'll second the vote for the truenamer. Not only is the fluff great, but I like the idea of a skill-based casting system. In the abstract, at least, but the Truenamer's implementation of it is terrible.

Shadowcaster, though, never interested me in the first place, largely because, while there's great fluff potential there, the book never really touches on it. Don't just tell me that their magic is based on shadows and darkness; show me! Just what does being based on shadows mean for them?

[Vizzerdrix]

I have 5 offenders on my list of classes that make me sad. Either from lost potential or not quite pulling off what it was trying for.

Gnome Artificer PrC. Amazing fluff. Crippled crunch. Even the entry is wonky.

Sandshaper makes little sense in form or function. Regular shape sand doesn't have half the limitations its ability has and why the extra buff spells?

Reaping Mauler. Yup.

Spellfire Channeler. Is it for casters? Skill monkeys?

Beastheart Adept. I wish it was a base class so much.

[Psyren]

The class is great against a single powerful enemy that takes many rounds to beat, but I can't see how it would ever be effective against many weaker opponents.

Witches get plenty of AoE control spells. Glitterdust, Web, Sleet Storm, Black Tentacles, Solid Fog, Confusion, Fear... And when you've nothing better to do you can always summon, and even buff your summons with Fortune or Ward to conserve slots.

[Karl Aegis]

Ninja.

How many weebs committing seppuku is WotC responsible for?

Complete Adventurer Ninja is copypasta from Paizo. Not one word was changed from Dragon #318. They even used the same art: some random dude in pajamas. Pure black clothing only works if the enemy can't see you in the first place. It stands out pretty well in moonlight and torchlight. I guess D&D light doesn't work like real light?

[LentilNinja]

Demonbinder. A Drow exclusive demonic themed Warlock supportive class, when Drow & Warlock are my favourite Race & Class? This HAS to be good!

And alas. :(

[Pex]

Truenamer

Terrific flavor text. Awful mechanics that make it not work.

Incarnum classes

Terrific concept and mechanic. Personal opinion you don't get enough Essentia points and the Essentia Feats are weak. Spending your very limited feat resource allocation spot just to get 1 Essentia point is insulting.

Tome of Battle classes

Everything about them is wonderful. Then you get to the stance progressions.

Hexblade

Cool idea. Too weak in abilities to be worth playing over other classes. (Better than Truenamer and Samurai ) The designers would later admit they were still afraid combining arcane magic with warrior fighting was too powerful so they intentionally nerfed the class. They would realize their mistake and give us Duskblade which is a fine class.

[Zaydos]

Truenamer. Just... truenamer. So much lovely fluff (Wizard of Earthsea, anyone?), so many interesting powers, such bungled mechanics.

So much this. I mean there are others which make me sad (Fighter) but truenamer was the one I wanted to love so badly, bought the book primarily because "Ah yeah truename magic, I can be Ged!" And then got home and read it in detail and went 'This just obviously doesn't work right' then I tried it in play and... it obviously didn't work right

[Vhaidara]

Almost everything from 3.5, to be honest. It's easier to name things I am happy with, namely the Dreamscarred Press classes. Their Psionics are great, PoW classes are very complete to the point where I will gladly play them without maneuvers, and akashic is almost everything Incarnum should have been.

But, if we're restricted to 3.5 and not PF, then the closes thing to not disappointing is ToB, Binder, Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Bard, and Warlock for me.
ToB: At least they get to be competent and have more things than just ubercharging. Also, Setting Sun is hilarious.
Binder: It really does blend the fluff and crunch very effectively. However, it is also on the borderline of the crunch being too bad to make the list.
Beguiler: Again, the failing with this class is with the Enchantment/Illusion schools, not the class. The class itself was very well implemented
Dread Necro: Hey, I want to play a necromancer! Let's make a good Necromancer class! Done.
Bard: A personal favorite, just because I have fond memories of Ranborg, the gnome bard who was derailment personified. Like, I actually derailed the entire campaign onto a nonsense sideplot I never intended to take anywhere.
Warlock: Another personal favorite. I acknowledge that they aren't amazing. But I enjoy my rain of eldritch javelins, thank you very much.

[ComaVision]

@ Keledrath

You like the Warlock but not DFA? I'm just curious why that would be.