Descriptors for everything!
Damage types and classes should have descriptors. They already sort of do, but it's hidden. Wizard is a prepared, arcane, Intelligence-based, spellcasting class, but that's only defined indirectly by his spellcasting ability. Why not spell it out specifically. That way, you can also add descriptors where it makes sense without having to tack on another ability. I know 4E did something similar in dividing the classes into power source and role, but it could be made as a way to include things together in categories rather than to segregate them.
Damage can and should work similarly. We already have precision damage, nonlethal damage, spell-based damage, weapon-based damage, energy damage, and a few other things that can be combined in various ways. It would also allow for interesting things like multiple-energy type damage that deals damage as whichever would be better. Weapons already do this (such as morning stars), why not other effects? For instance, something that deals acid and cold damage would be reduced by the lesser of the target's acid and cold resistance. Something that deals piercing and fire damage to a cold-subtype creature would work against the lesser of the creature's fire resistance and DR/not piercing, and deal an 50% extra damage either way due to weakness.
I'd also like to change DR to work like resistance, or rather, have resistance be applicable to physical damage types in some cases. But that's another matter.
Class DescriptorsNote: Effects that list their source only mention their default sources. Certain effects may add the descriptor to other effects that would not normally have it, or remove it from ones that would.
- Arcane, Divine, Incarnum, Psionic, Shadow, Sublime, Truespeech, Vestige
- Binding, Infusing, Initiator, Invoking, Manifesting, Meldshaping, Spellcasting, Vocalizing: For classes that actually grant a progression of their own, not just advance one.
- Base, Bloodline, Paragon, Prestige, Racial, Savage, Template: To describe the various types of classes that already exist. Racial is for racial/savage progression classes and paragon classes, but it could also be applied to racially-limited PrCs and the like. Template is for template classes, similar to Racial and often having that descriptor as well. Savage is for savage progression classes (see also Racial). Paragon is for teh racial paragons that started showing up in Unearthed Arcana (which would also have Racial), but could also be used for other purposes, like a non-racial paragon devoted to an ability score or something, or maybe something half-way between a base class and a prestige class.
- Skillful: For classes that get a lot of skill points. Usually reserved for ones that get 6+ skill points or that get 4+ and are Int-based.
- Martial: For everyone whose shtick is to hit it with a sword.
- Half-caster: For spellcasting progressions that grant half casting, like the Paladin and Ranger.
- Primal: For those fellows with close ties to the wild. Could be renamed Wild or Wilderness or something, but 4E uses Primal already so it's simpler for me this way.
- Caster: For generic spellcasting boost classes that neither limit to arcane nor divine, yet do not grant their own progression.
Damage DescriptorsNote: Effects that list their source only mention their default sources. Certain effects may add the descriptor to other effects that would not normally have it, or remove it from ones that would.
- Point Blank: For things that can only be applied against targets within 30 feet or in melee.
- Precision: For things that follow the usual rules for precision damage (not vs. crit-immune, must reach a vital part, must deal damage appropriately, not multiplied by critical hits, negated by concealment), but the distance restriction side of things has been split off to Point Blank instead.
- Nonlethal: As normal for nonlethal damage. How it's actually treated (shifting into a separate damage pool) is a bit tricky since the general damage rules are too far up and rules for living creatures is too obvious to ever be thought about, while at the same time too obscure to check with for damage rules.
- Physical: Resulting from a weapon (including natural weapons) or extraordinary ability.
- Spell: Resulting from a spell, power, supernatural ability, or similar. Ignores damage reduction, though is still affected by resistance. Can affect incorporeal creatures (which is actually a function of the incorporeal subtype).
- Magical: Resulting from any effect with a +1 or better enhancement bonus to damage. Can affect incorporeal creatures (which is actually a function of the incorporeal subtype).
- Weapon (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing): The three standard weapon damage types. No special effects in and of themselves.
- Energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic): The five standard energy types. No special effects in and of themselves.
- Material (adamantine, cold iron, metal, mithral, silver, wood): The usual materials used in weapons. No special effects in and of themselves. (The ability to bypass hardness is a function of the adamantine material, not the adamantine material damage type.)
- Aligned (chaotic, evil, good, lawful): The four standard alignments.
Aligned (neutral, unaligned): Neutral for druidic-type outsiders and unaligned for Cthulhu-esque horrors that prey on morality and stuff. There aren't anything like this yet, but maybe there should be. Unaligned is a more powerful thing than simply not having any alignment descriptors. It represents something that is specifically severed from the cosmological alignment and morality.
- Arcane, Divine, Psionic, and similar "untyped" damage types: No effects in and of themselves, but few creatures or effects provide resistance to these damage descriptors.
- Force: Ignores damage reduction. Can affect incorporeal creatures without a miss chance (which is actually a function of the incorporeal subtype). Can affect ethereal creatures from the adjacent plane (which is actually a function of the ethereal plane). Few creatures or effects provide resistance to force.
- Ghost Touch: Can affect incorporeal creatures without a miss chance (which is actually a function of the incorporeal subtype). Otherwise has no effects in and of itself.
Some classes and their descriptors:
Barbarian: Martial, Primal
Bard: Arcane, Skillful, Spellcasting, Spontaneous
Cleric: Divine, Martial, Prepared, Spellcasting
Druid: Divine, Prepared, Primal, Spellcasting
Fighter: Martial
Monk: Martial
Paladin: Divine, Half-caster, Martial, Prepared, Spellcasting
Ranger: Divine, Half-caster, Martial, Prepared, Primal, Skillful, Spellcasting
Rogue: Skillful
Wizard: Arcane, Prepared, Spellbook, Spellcasting
Sorcerer: Arcane, Spellcasting, Spontaneous
Arcane Archer: Arcane, Martial, Racial
Arcane Trickster: Arcane, Skillful
Archmage: Arcane
Assassin: Arcane, Skillful, Spellcasting, Spontaneous
Blackguard: Divine, Martial, Prepared, Spellcasting
Dragon Disciple: Arcane, Draconic, Martial
Duelist: Martial, Skillful
Dwarven Defender: Martial, Racial
Eldritch Knight: Arcane, Martial
Hierophant: Divine
Horizon Walker: Skillful
Loremaster: Arcane, Skillful
Mystic Theurge: Arcane, Divine
Shadowdancer: Shadow, Skillful
Thaumaturgist: Caster, Divine
Divine Bard: As Bard, but has Divine instead of Arcane.
Savage Bard: As Bard, but also Primal.
Cloistered Cleric: As Cleric, but has Skillful instead of Martial.
Urban Ranger: As Ranger, but loses Primal.
Wilderness Rogue: As Rogue, but also Primal.
Battle Sorcerer: As Sorcerer, but also Martial.
Drow Paragon: Arcane, Divine, Paragon, Racial
Dwarf Paragon: Martial, Paragon, Racial
Elf Paragon: Arcane, Paragon, Racial
Gnome Paragon: Arcane, Paragon, Racial
Half-Dragon Paragon: Arcane, Martial, Paragon, Racial
Half-Elf Paragon: Caster, Paragon, Racial, Skillful
Half-Orc Paragon: Martial, Paragon, Racial
Halfling Paragon: Martial, Paragon, Racial
Human Paragon: Caster, Paragon, Racial, Skillful
Orc Paragon: Martial, Paragon, Racial
Tiefling Paragon: Paragon, Racial
Psion: Manifesting, Psionic
Psychic Warrior: Manifesting, Martial, Psionic
Soulknife: Martial, Psionic
Wilder: Manifesting, Martial, Psionic
Cerebremancer: Arcane, Psionic
Elocater: Martial, Psionic, Skillful
Metamind: Psionic
Psion Uncarnate: Psionic
Psionic Fist: Martial, Manifester, Psionic
Pyrokineticist: Martial, Psionic
Slayer: Martial, Psionic
Thrallherd: Psionic
War Mind, Martial, Manifester, Psionic
Crusader: Divine, Initiator, Martial, Sublime
Swordsage: Arcane, Initiator, Martial, Skillful, Sublime
Warblade: Initiator, Martial, Skillful, Sublime
Some abilities that change because of this:
Damage Reduction: Applies to physical damage. Unless otherwise stated, is automatically bypassed by spell, force, and energy damage.
Ethereal: A creature on the ethereal plane is unaffected by most effects originating from the overlapping plane. Force effects and force damage from the overlapping plane affect ethereal creatures normally.
Incorporeal: Negates all damage from corporeal sources. Magical and spell damage only have a 50% chance of being negated. Force and ghost touch damage are dealt normally.