Why cut out when you can FOLD! - Condensing classes

[ImperatorK]

I had an idea about consolidating classes a while back. Now I have a different, maybe better, idea. Why not condense  classes? 20 level ones into 10 level ones, 10 level into 5 level, 5 level into 3 level?
I'd probably leave T1-2 as they are, but shorten T3 and below.
BaB, hp, saves, skills and spellcasting would progress normally, but the classes would gain their class features faster, ending with abilities of a 20th level class on 10th level.

[Stratovarius]

I don't know if you've seen, but I've been going about that a slightly different way - folding two or more classes together into a single base class instead of shrinking a single class in terms of the number of levels it grants.

I think my big question with squashing the classes like this is what happens to the spellcasting of the Tier 3 casters, especially the full 9th ones like Warmage, Dread Necro, Beguiler etc. Does the casting get squashed, or just cut off around 5th level spells? Because a Healer is a crappy class, but a Healer with Gate at 10th level is just a tad abusive. If it's only class features being squashed, some of the classes are still going to be terrible, because they have unredeemable class features and only spells to grant them any power at all. Paladin springs to mind, since it's so front-loaded already. As does Samurai.

[ImperatorK]

I don't know if you've seen, but I've been going about that a slightly different way - folding two or more classes together into a single base class instead of shrinking a single class in terms of the number of levels it grants.

Don't know if you've seen, but I suggested something similar on the boards years ago. It got no interest.

I think my big question with squashing the classes like this is what happens to the spellcasting of the Tier 3 casters, especially the full 9th ones like Warmage, Dread Necro, Beguiler etc. Does the casting get squashed, or just cut off around 5th level spells?

As said in the OP, spellcasting progresses normally, meaning that, yes, it will be cut off, but there are prcs to continue the progression.

If it's only class features being squashed, some of the classes are still going to be terrible, because they have unredeemable class features and only spells to grant them any power at all. Paladin springs to mind, since it's so front-loaded already. As does Samurai.

I'm doing this more with PF in mind where the Pally or Samurai are much better off.

[Stratovarius]

Don't know if you've seen, but I suggested something similar on the boards years ago. It got no interest.

That's a pity, because I tend to like the mix and match options better than the normal base classes. I think they do a better job and allow for more specialization of role. And they're dead quick to whip together.

As said in the OP, spellcasting progresses normally, meaning that, yes, it will be cut off, but there are prcs to continue the progression.

Yeah, I missed that somehow. If it's Pathfinder, though, I can't help too much - just never had much interest in the material, so I don't know the classes.