Non-casters Should Be Specialists

I don't like the Martial as a label, largely because I am not as excited about combat as I used to be. Today I went through a lengthy conversation log in one of the discords I'm on, and came to the realization that this could solve two of my problems with D&D on one fell swoop.

Let people be Specialists instead of Martials. People will laugh about a Fighter having skills that are not fighting, but I find it so utterly bizarre that only the typical Rogue would get to be a specialist. Everyone needs to be useful both in combat, but also out of combat. And what better thing could balance that out than skills? If you don't waste time learning spells, you waste it learning skills.

But how could one make several different types of specialists without putting them into very specific niches? Let's see if I can succeed at that. (Bear in mind there can be overlaps in these categories)

Self Specialization

Your body is the only thing you need to resolve most problems you meet. Whether it's fighting, fixing things, getting places, or anything else. Sure a body is limited in some ways, but you've exercised it enough to be excellent in all the things that really matter to you. This doesn't mean that you have to be strong, or sneaky, or anything else. You still pick your specialization for yourself, but it's your body that you do this with.

Tools Specialization

You get things done with the right tools. Hammers, saws, and such are just one aspect of this, don't get fooled by a label of a 'tool', what the label actually represents are things. Physical objects separate from your body. Picking a lock is hardly doable with your fingers, you'll need a set of lockpicks. Fighting a hoard of enemies is easier if you have a long stick with a pointy rock at its end, or a spear if you're more advanced than that. You won't get hurt that easily if you wear an armor, and you won't lose your way if you have a compass. You're gonna be fine as long as you are not empty-handed.

Environment Specialization

Upon entering a room, you can tell immediately what you could use in what ways, conventional or not. That pan would make for an awesome improvised weapon, or you could make a gnarly omelet with it. This table could be climbed under, jumped over, or maneuvered around to get distance between you and a pursuer. Use chairs to reach high places, use a spoon or a knife or a ladle to reach a distant thing. How is this different from using the tools is improvisation and thinking out of the box. A tools specialist has their set of items that they'd like to carry around, which they too could use in unconventional ways. You look around and see what's around you that could be used. It doesn't have to be an item either - a tree could have many different purposes, same for a hole in a ground or another lack of a distinct thing.

Others Specialization

No, this isn't a catchall "everything else" category. This category stands for other agents, other living (and possibly unliving) things. Whether it's your own servants, or other people. You are a manager type of person, who gets other people to do things for you. This doesn't mean that you sit around doing nothing, you coordinate the group so that it works efficiently.

Neeeeeeeeeeeerd!
Art by o.sporin

In Practice

Let's say you are trying to find which way is North. What do you do?

• Self: You think about which way did you see the Sun rise or set last. Maybe you look for the North star or its equivalent for the world. Or maybe you mentally keep track of this all along.
• Tools: You pull out your trusty compass, of course!
• Environment: You check for moss on the trees and other typical environmental signs of which way the North is.
• Others: You ask people, observe the migration of the birds, or otherwise find it out from other people/animal/living/unliving beings.

Maybe you're trying to fight. How do you do that?

• Self: Kicking, punching, headbutts, and so on.
• Tools: Knives and blades, staves and hammers, whatever you feel like wielding this time.
• Environment: That branch over there, this door, that window is perfectly positioned for tactical defenestration, and so on.
• Others: You give out commands and coordinate multiple people for a nasty combo.

Still not convinced? How about they try to convince you instead?

• Self: Draws from their deep knowledge resources within.
• Tools: Books, maps, letters, measuring tools, plenty of ways to show the evidence.
• Environment: Drives a point by making comparisons to people and things that are present. Or, maybe contrary, seeks to understand what's going on in your mind by observing you and the social situation.
• Others: Structures others' arguments into a more coherent whole.

What classes would these correspond to? Well, let's start by dropping Rogue, since that one influenced all four to some extent. I'd say Monk is the closest to being a Self Specialist, with a dash of a non-magical Wizard. For the Tools, Fighter is without a doubt the best, although a non-magical Artificer also would suit quite well. The Environment is a difficult one, I want to say Ranger or Druid if we were to ignore magic. As for Others, Bard most probably, yet again without magic. I don't know if Barbarian fits into any of these neatly without being forced into the role, but that's the beauty of working on my own things - it doesn't have to fit.

Is this a perfect way to do this? Probably not. But it sure seems like a start of an interesting one. I've been thinking about this for months, but never before in a "non-casters should be Specialists, not Martials" way. This could be quite interesting. The truth is, I was saving the Self/Tools/Env/Others as stats for another small game I've been pondering for a long,, long time... and this I think provided me with a push that I needed. Now I think it clicks a lot better.

That's it, the third article! Personal record broken once again. Time for me to finish the Review of 2024, and prepare myself. My 2025 will be quite... productive. Thank you for reading, and have an awesome rest of the year!