Entering a Class, Does It Stick?

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HappyDaze
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:59 am

If I pay the 100 XP to "enter the class" of a new Career I'm about to buy into, do I stay in this class until I buy into another Class?

Example: I have a Braggart (Protagonist 1) of the Warrior Class. I wish to buy into Thug (Racketeer 1) of the Rogue Class. Beyond the 100 XP or 200 XP for changing Career, I have to pay 100 XP to enter the Rogue Class. This is clear. However, If I choose to later to back to Protagonist (Protagonist 2) of the warrior class, do I have to pay the 100 XP to enter (back) into the Warrior Class?
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Hyarion
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:56 am

Good question. I would say yes, RAW. Personally, I do not charge my players that extra XP penalty for switching classes. I am in the process of a re-imagined career web for 4e, we'll see if anything ever comes of it.
I hold the glaive of Law against the Earth.
HappyDaze
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:59 am

That would also suggest that the former Warrior, now Rogue in my example above would only be eligible for Rogue downtime options (until buying back into the Warrior Career, when he would no longer be eligible for Rogue downtime options).
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Hyarion
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:56 am

My personal take is that a PC is eligible for any downtime option for his current career or any past careers.

Just because you don't do that any more, doesn't mean you can't do it any longer.
I hold the glaive of Law against the Earth.
adambeyoncelowe
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:54 pm

The intent would seem to be that when you move Class, you move Class. So you lose the privileges of that previous Class unless you move back.

Given the way you can only access Talents in your current Career tier, for example, I think there's a strong case for RAW implying that Classes and Careers are rather exclusive.

That said, this is also where GM fiat comes in. Class and Career swaps can be granted by in-game circumstances, so that's where there's leeway to allow a person to switch back for free if it feels appropriate.
SigmariteOrWrong
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:55 am

In the RAW, the XP costs are for every change. Downtime actions are Class specific.

Our home game is a bit different. So far we have played changes in career by storyline opportunity only, in part to save the PC's 100xp, but also to make PC's involved in their careers. To switch career, or even advance requires storyline development. PC's are expected to push their own agendas, make allies, do favours and do whatever to advance their career. I we had a female Horseman/Groom, who couldn't get promoted because of sexism within the officer ranks, and only a political intervention by a powerful ally allowed her to advance in her career... she's got very little chance of making Sergeant because of the same resistance, and the new political enemies she gained by hitching her horse to one political faction. It took a lot of pushing for the PC to get that promotion to Cavalrywoman, and the feeling of achievement that came with the promotion.

Only one of our PC's had changed Class, but we allowed that with a storyline free cost too, as they were forced into a career change by circumstance. Likely they'll switch back when they get the chance too, and we are unlikely to charge for it.

Downtime actions centred around a particular class we sometimes fluff around a bit, as fits the story we are developing. They are guidelines, and sometimes we've done different things with our downtime not really covered by the RAW. The Warrior Class folk often spar with a Duellist and Racketeer PC, and we have allowed them to use Combat Training as a result, Formenting Dissent we think requires you know the locale passably well, so not something you can do just blowing into town, it requires time to get to know a place. Research Endeavours we think need the research skill if in an unfamiliar library... we tweak things a bit.

For your gaming table, use whatever you feel comfortable with in consensus with the group.
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Orin J.
Posts: 514
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:39 pm

RAW you only take into account the current class you're in for XP costs, so you would have to pay the extra hundo again.

But also as-written, using the change career general endeavor waives those costs with only the 100XP cost for an incomplete class change potentially applied. so you have to do it but there's a loophole. such is the way of things.
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