Archetype Ideas!

[Grimreich]

I can't seem to delete this out of the Lammania thread...

I am very excited for Archetypes and would like to share some things I would like to see.

Paladin - Blackguard. Dark Paladin with Harm spells and undead summons. (With Vanguard and, if left to Wizard - Pale Master, otherwise, the Fighter's Stalwart Defender Tree in place of Sacred Defender.)

Barbarian - Battle Rager. Shield Barbarian with retribution damage. (With Ravager and Vanguard)

Fighter - Swashbuckler. Evasion/Intelligence tree (With Kensai (with only a selector for Swashbuckler Weapons) and the Bard tree that replaces Swashbuckler.

Bard Swashbuckler replaced with a Performance-based physical damage tree about self-buffs themed to thrill-seeking, and dramatic combat maneuvers.

Arcane Archer made into an Archetype and replaced with a physical damage ranged tree. Arcane Archer tree, Ranger ranged damage tree and Kensai (Longbow/Shortbow selectors only.)

Wizard Pale Master and Eldritch Knight trees replaced with something like a school-based version of what Sorcerer has for Elements. Every tree buffs spell power plenty for damage spell progression, but otherwise, it's a tree for each of Conjuration, Transmutation, Divination and Enchantment.
Conjuration tree focused on summoning and obstruction.
Divination is focused on Utility.
Enchantment is focused on... Enchantment? ENCHANTMENT!
Transmutation is based on transmutation... Buffs, really.

I think this would open up Wizards to help with creation of Archetypes and also flavor within those Archetypes while keeping Wizards thematic to what a Wizard is.

Eldritch Knight made into an Archetype for Wizard. Eldritch Knight Tree, New Transmutation Tree, and Stalwart Defender.

Pale Master made into an Archetype for Wizard. With Pale Master (being the Necromancy variant of the other school-themed trees focused on necromancy and defense,) The full selection of other School-themed trees and... I don't know... Vile Chemist?

Rogue - Spell Thief. The Wizard's "missing" Abjuration tree focused on thwarting enemies and debuffs. With the Acrobat tree and the Bard's Performance-based tree.

Rogue Mechanic changed into a Batman tree.

Thief Acrobat changed to just Acrobat (It doesn't have anything that helps with theft) and given multi-selectors for Stick or TWF w/ Kama/Kukri where currently there is only Stick bonuses.

[cru121]

For inspiration, here's a list of variant classes, alternate class features, and racial substitution levels from the PnP DnD 3.5: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/variant/variantList.html.

Since bard, cleric, and pally are already receiving an archetype... here are some ideas adapted from the PnP list.

Urban Ranger + Trap Expert: Ranger that gives up wilderness lore and maybe favored enemy to pick up trap skills + modified spell list.

Thug Fighter that loses some feats and picks up some sneak attack.

Sorcerer has already a melee option and four elemental caster options. Maybe the Witch spell list could be fun.

Domain Druid: Give up animal companion and/or wild shape to pick up a cleric domain.

Shapeshift Druid: Reflavor this to give up Wild Shape to pick up shifting-like abilities. Melee or even ranged druid without the smelly fur.

Chaos Monk: So that I can get a monk past life on my perma-swashbuckler