As I’ve watched the Paizo messageboards and the daily web traffic on the site, it’s easy to see that the content that gets players really excited and generates the most discussion are new classes or updates of published classes. This is a component of the game that has expanded greatly since my days playing 2nd Edition D&D and arguably one of the most difficult. To aid new authors, I thought I'd take a stab at five guidelines for making great classes for a variety of game styles.

1. Refine the concept.

People play a variety of different styles of settings and this aspect of class creation really helps define the tone of the world. Many players love new classes because it gives them new insight into the lands and people they're creating. Others like new classes because they like to explore new abilities. If you take the time to write out how the new class fits into a game world and how its abilities reflect that world, you’re halfway to making the class a success. Allow this concept to become your defining mission statement when considering other aspects of building the class.

2. Choose the right combination of core abilities.

Before you charge headlong into the "fun" class abilities, take the time to consider each aspect of the core abilities. A deep examination of existing classes will also quickly illustrate why some classes are good at some things and why they have flaws in other abilities.

Base Attack Bonus: If the class is primarily a fighting class, they should have a fast Base Attack Bonus (BAB) progression. In like manner, if the class has the fast BAB progression, according to Pathfinder RPG standards, it should also have d10 hit points per level. If the class has some combat training, but is not primarily focused on fighting, it should have the medium BAB progression and d8 hit points per level. If a person of the class considers melee or ranged fighting as incidental to adventuring and not required for their regular role, it should have the slow BAB progression and d6 hit points per level. In every case, if a class has a hit die that doesn’t match their BAB, that should be a specific feature or flaw of the class.

Saving Throws: Lately it has become almost a fashion to give every class two good saving throws. Let me be absolutely clear, this is not always necessary or proper. A fighter has only one good save because the other class abilities outweigh the requirement of having a second good save. A monk has three good saves because that is a core feature of the class. Remember that the number and kind of saving throws are a class feature just as much as BAB.

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: The primary choice to make here is whether or not to give the class access to martial weapons. Again, if the class is primarily a fighting class, it will probably have access to some martial weapons and light or better armor. Whether or not it has this access to these proficiencies should also depend on the concept or flavor of the class and not solely on the BAB. For example, a class may be very experienced in melee combat, but only with simple weapons without the need for armor.

Skills: Some classes rely heavily on their selection of skills as a major class feature and as part of the concept of the class. Rogues and bards gain a lot of skills because they’re meant to be an adventurer who picks up learned abilities along the way rather than gained through extraordinary or supernatural means. The particular class skills you select also mean a lot to the concept. If you’re choosing skills such as perception, sense motive, and other key skills simply because you want the class to have access to really important adventuring skills, you’re likely doing it for the wrong reasons. A broad selection of good skills should be an important feature of a class while a narrow selection is an intentional limitation on the class.

Class Abilities: If you’ve gotten to this point and given your class fast BAB progression, all good saves, lots of skills, and all weapons and armor, you should not give the class any other abilities. If however, you’ve held back a little bit in certain areas, thinking about other class abilities makes sense. Be sure to look to other classes for inspiration and ideas as to what kinds of things class abilities can do. This is probably the most difficult aspect of class building, but also the most varied and open to new ideas.

Spells: If your class has enough limitations in other areas, consider granting the class access to spells with a particular spell list if it fits the class concept. Again, looking to other classes and how they advance their spells per day or spells known will tell you a lot about what to do with your own class. If you're hesitant because of the potential power that spellcasting brings to a class, consider limiting the spell list, number of spells per day, or maximum knowable spells.

3. Make sure your class is relevant at multiple character levels.

As you brainstorm ideas for class abilities, making sure the class has relevant abilities at the proper levels is a key measure of how balanced your class is. For example, the Evasion ability is a great class feature. Rogues receive this ability at 2nd level. Rangers receive this ability at 9th level. Why is there a difference? The reason mainly lies in the different nature of each concept. Rogues are meant to have great reflexes and avoid danger. Rangers, having the higher hit points, are more capable of taking a hit from a spell like fireball and the need to evade area effects may not be forefront in their mind. When you choose a level for a class ability make sure it fits into the overall progression of the class.

Alongside this is to consider what abilities or dangers are likely to be presented at each character level and make sure the class is able to deal with those dangers. If you’re building a class and the class only gains spells after level 10, the character is likely to be unable to use those spells with any meaningful effect. On the other hand, gaining access to spells at class level 6 severely limits the potential power of spells for a class, but it still probably gives the class access to buffs, divinations, or enhancements that aid the character.

4. Inspire the player.

One thing that many new class builders forget about is that a class is a roleplaying concept as well as a rules based construct. To ignore one and focus on the other is to lose sight of what makes great and memorable classes. If you’ve ever played a paladin or played in a gaming group with a paladin, you may not remember all the paladin abilities, but a few core memorable abilities and limitations will stand out. You’re likely to remember the paladin player having to be Lawful Good and disagreeing with illegal activities. You might also remember a paladin’s lay on hands ability and almost certainly their ability to detect evil. What these abilities and limitations have in common is that they all serve to define the class with specific rules, but they really capture the imagination of players as to what the class is all about. Finding class abilities that come alive in roleplaying and game mechanics is an especially difficult but highly rewarding pursuit.

5. Break the mold and be different.

Even after all that I’ve mentioned about how to look to other classes for what abilities are available and what classes should do at different levels, I would also like to encourage class builders to break those molds and look for something new. If you’re unhappy with the way a particular ability works or it doesn’t fit the concept of how an ability should work, going outside the realm of commonly used abilities is perfectly acceptable, as long as you understand the limits of what abilities can do.

On a personal level, one of the changes that the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game has brought to the cleric class is the ability to Channel Energy. I love the concept of this class ability, and I don’t feel it makes the cleric overpowered. Where I did have a strong concern is that the ability creates two separate healing mechanics for the cleric and for the player it’s often difficult to really know how to maximize healing magic when they’re low on uses per day for Channel Energy and only have a few spells left. When it came to building my own priest class, I decided to break away from convention and completely eliminate "cure" spells from the priest's spell list and focus more and varied powers within the Channel Energy class feature. This might seem unthinkable, but this simple change solved a lot of problems I had with clerics overall and improved the focus of my own class definition.

Good luck to all of you building new classes out there, and I hope I’ve helped guide your decision-making with the class building process!