Overview

I love themed character systems, but the question is how generic and how particular should the implementation be?

There are three main types of themed character systems in RPGs:

<aside> 💡

Some systems could be considered hybrids, but so far each RPG I’ve examined usually has a primary system type it aligns with.

</aside>

Class-based

Name	Description
Thematic	How well the system supports stylized groupings of skills
Planning	How well the system supports the player planning ahead what skills to acquire
World integration	To what degree skill acquisition ties into the environment
Adaptability	How much the player is challenged to adapt their skill selection to circumstances
Mutability	How easy it is for the player to adjust their character configuration during a playthrough. (For this metric I’m not considering respecing, which I consider a meta-game band-aid.)