Mercurius
Legend
Without having read the thread....
Re-work the ranger, paladin, and bard to be non-spellcasters, but with powers that are spell-like, but distinct from the respective spellcasting classes.
I know that is already true to some extent, and unlikely to happen except through sub-classes, but I think it would make those classes more distinct, rather than "a fighter with a bit of cleric" (paladin) or "a rogue with a bit of wizard" (bard). Those things can be generated through multiclassing - the idea being, to really make the archetype of each class more distinct.
For the ranger, use the Aragorn archetype as the base, then double-down on a nature warrior who eventually becomes a primally-infused champion of the natural world.
For the bard, focus on the idea of "song magic" - that music itself is arcane, and every magical effect a bard can do comes through music. Maybe even incorporate concepts like the music of the spheres, mantra, etc.
For the paladin, obviously the holy warrior - the champion of a god or ethos. But like the others, differentiate it more from cleric.
Re-work the ranger, paladin, and bard to be non-spellcasters, but with powers that are spell-like, but distinct from the respective spellcasting classes.
I know that is already true to some extent, and unlikely to happen except through sub-classes, but I think it would make those classes more distinct, rather than "a fighter with a bit of cleric" (paladin) or "a rogue with a bit of wizard" (bard). Those things can be generated through multiclassing - the idea being, to really make the archetype of each class more distinct.
For the ranger, use the Aragorn archetype as the base, then double-down on a nature warrior who eventually becomes a primally-infused champion of the natural world.
For the bard, focus on the idea of "song magic" - that music itself is arcane, and every magical effect a bard can do comes through music. Maybe even incorporate concepts like the music of the spheres, mantra, etc.
For the paladin, obviously the holy warrior - the champion of a god or ethos. But like the others, differentiate it more from cleric.