Right, so first things first - its been unofficially true for a while now, but "Class" has been switched over to "Calling" for lots of reasons, all of them small and marginally interesting. There was nothing wrong with Class at all - but the latter just works for the game on various levels. A couple I'm about to go into!
I've gone into the significance of Callings before, but one thing I didn't mention is that each one has a sort of built in play-style beyond the obvious. This isn't to say that there is only one way to play them - or even a cosmically optimal way. Rather, that there is an over-arching philosophy behind the majority of their given abilities, that you are free to embrace or warp as desired. Certain players gravitate towards particular character types because they find them easier to play. Just as many have a lot of fun breaking the mold, so I figure this is a good way to go.
Below are my current paradigms for the Callings that are included in Break!! - please note that they may change here and there, but it is likely they will show up in some way in the finished product.
Warrior - Those who live by the sword (or axe, pole-arm, gun, bow, fist, etc) are generally lateral thinkers and ruthlessly pragmatic. This carries over even when they aren't solving a problem with force; when faced with a situation they don't like, Warriors are likely to knock the game board over and make their own rules.
Specialist - Being dependent on various skills requires one to be adaptive and fluid in their thinking. Generally, Specialists solve a problem by studying it carefully and either figuring out the best tool (figuratively or literally) for the job or a way to avoid it entirely.
Caster - In some ways, dedicated magic users have the opposite philosophy of the the Specialist. Instead of trying to eyeball the inner workings of a given situation, they instead try to decide how their particular purview can put them on top of it.
Battle-Casters - Its tempting to assume that this Calling's philosophy falls between the Warrior and the Caster. However, Battle-Casters are generally good for people who like to "play it safe" and be able to guarantee some way to contribute in any given situation.
All of which leave me (and by proxy, whoever else uses this game) a lot of wiggle room for each. My hope is to be surprised how people end up playing each of them.
Also included in the game are "Advanced Callings" which is something of a working title. These are intended to be far more focused and specific in terms of theme and mechanics. This also (kinda) extends to play style.
Note: Callings with two names separated by a slash means that allegiance to Light or Darkness is important enough for this particular purview that it effects it's moniker.
Warriods (AKA Battle Bot, Mecha-Knight, Psycho-Armor...We're working on it) - Intended for the power-minded gamer. I think it would be a mistake to make a Calling that's explicitly more potent then the others, so Warriods are simple but hard to stop. This means players can generally focus on their objective without as much consideration for the return trip.
As they advance in Rank, Warriods have options that either expand their existence as weapons or help them become something more. Influences include Talus from "The Faerie Queene", the many androids and cyborgs from Phantasy Star, and this guy.
Battle/Murder Princess - This one was a bit harder for me. When I wrote them up for D&D/Labyrinth Lord, they were intended as a Fighter Sub-Class. Such things are already covered under the Warrior, so I wanted to alter things a bit.
Retaining their combat presence and several key abilities, this Calling is intended for people who like to focus on their character's relationships with others and possible inner turmoil. While these things can come up for any player who desires them, here they can become sources of various class abilities and boons. It sounds odd, but I think it fits if you consider Break!!'s source material.
The class ends up somewhere in-between Sailor Moon, Elric, and a protagonist from the Persona series of games.
Fairy - This one is still in the prototype stages, but its design is very different from any other Calling. These characters are often not noticed by NPC's and have many strange but useful abilities. The intent here is that a players using them can enact a passive but still involved presence in the game. Its perfect for someone who can't make every session or simply enjoys that style of play.
Influences include Navi from the Legend of Zelda, mascot animals from various magical girl anime, and a ton of old stories with fairies in them. Admittedly, I should likely do more research.
Immortal/Forsaken - My catch-all undead character option. These folks are a weird combination of Specialist and Caster; as they have a number of strange and arcane tools at their disposal. This should appease the players who like coming out of nowhere with an odd but potent solution, or those who want a stranger brand of magic user. Also still mostly in the planning stage, so this might get shaken up quite a bit by the time things are done.
Sticking with the spirit of the game, this Calling draws inspiration from Dracula, biblical Immortals, D&D's Lich and Skeletor, among other things.
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