New Classes Proposal

The idea struck me and I want it off my chest. Hopefully people enjoy the pipe dream. Please note that any numbers used here are purely for sake of example to drive home the idea behind these classes and naturally would require appropriate balancing.

While I'd love to see alt gender versions of every class, I'd much rather they, if they do make new classes some day, give them something thematic and unique in the name of build variation. The basic idea is to give them access to specialized kinds of notables that fundamentally change how they can function and how they would build. The idea is to essentially make them Scion-like in freedom of build access, but still allow them the option to go their "base" route. These notables change fundamentally how different gear and passives would affect them. All classes would be able to use these notables, however, if they chose to build as such, but they would be intentionally somewhat out of the way but of equal distance for the purist and the stat sharing hybrids. The gender of each class should be the opposite of the one they share with.

The three class ideas would be:

Male Druid, DEX
Male Inquisitor, INT
Female Crusader, STR (Brienne of Tarth, anyone?)

Their locations would be farther out but aligned to their stat counterpart. If you think of the current passive tree as the inner part of a wheel, these would be three spokes leading to the outer part of the wheel.

They would very quickly gain access to their notables, choosing a specific direction like the Scion does. Each would have three notable pairs designed to be used together but the freedom to break off after choosing your initial notable. These notables determine the subtype of the class they are. Druids have tribes dedicated to the animal they inspire their skills from, inquisitors have teachings or ways that represent some aspect of their god or of a saint they worhsip, and crusaders have schools of thought or ideal. If you take one notable, you cannot stack it with opposing notables, you can only get the second of the pair. You'll need to take at least one notable, but the second half of the pair would be easy to reach.

So, to help explain the concept and describe it in detail, let's roll a druid. You'll have the choice between the Bear Tribe, Wolf Tribe, and Crow Tribe. The wolf is the dex purist, the notables providing the following:

Tribe of the Wolf - Every third INT or STR applies to DEX instead.
Leader of the Pack - 1/3 armor and 1/2 energy shield applies to EVA instead. Every 4th % point of any +physical damage passive applies instead +0.4% atk speed, every 7th % point applies instead +0.2% movement speed

Bear would be strength. Crow, therefor, intelligence. Both would work in similar ways, but offer a unique aspect to them.

Tribe of the Bear - Every other DEX also applies to STR.
Beast of the Forest - 1/4 of EVA applies to ARM, instead. 1/3 ES applies to ARM instead. Every 3rd % of attack speed or of movement speed applies instead to +phys damage.

Tribe of the Crow - Every other DEX also applies to INT.
Watcher of the Skies - 1/5 EVA applies to ES, instead. 1/3 ARM applies to ES, instead. 1/2 of all +Phys applies to spell damage, instead. 1/2 of all +atk speed applies to cast speed instead. 1/10th of equipped weapon damage (except wands) applies to spell damage, 1/18th of offhand weapon.

The Inquisitor and Crusader would be similar, effectively mirror images of each other only slightly altered as necessary for balance and to thematically match their base stat. Example names of the Inquisitor and Crusader notables:

~~~Inquisitor
STR - Way of the Valiant, Evil's Bane
INT - Way of the Pure, Evil's Malediction
DEX - Way of the Pilgrim, Evil's Dread

~~~Crusader
STR - School of the Stalwart, Dauntless Guardian
INT - School of the Wise, Valorous Keeper
DEX - School of the Worldly, Restless Watcher

There would be some outer connective lines to direct towards hybrids in the appropriate directions, as well as an outer circle for quick travel towards the outer portions of purist classes just beyond, but the overall idea behind their sections of the passive tree would be to provide the notables and then being directed into another class's section much like the Scion.

I hope this was a fun read. I think the basic idea really could do a lot to open up new and funky builds. I rather like the idea of the INT versions applying +phys to spell damage and such potential of variety was the real goal here (You'd create a reverse of this through the Inquisitor for bows or melee). Rather than being forced into daggers or wands with ES shields or using staves, you could wield an axe and traditional shield, but still be a caster. You could be a user of evasion gear, but instead soak hits like a plated knight. The potential for variety would become immense.