RPG Design: Balancing Classes

Last year, I discussed the important overlooked issue for tabletop RPGs of Balancing Skills.  This week, I wanted to discuss another important issue for tabletop RPGs involving game balance: Balancing Classes.

Not many RPG players would choose to be a sidekick!

For purposes of this post, by "Balancing Classes " I'm referring to classes being balanced in terms of power/utility compared to each other as they level up.  In addition, this discussion focuses on RPGs with character classes.  By contrast, in a Point Buy character creation/advancement system, the balance issues presumably have already been addressed in the design of the Point Buy system.

Most class-based RPGs try to balance classes using some sort of niche protection (e.g., fighters will be better at (surprise) fighting).  Of course, poorly designed niche protection raises its own issues, but that's a discussion for another time.

Why are balanced classes important for an RPG?  Because, ideally, we want to keep players interested and involved in the game.  This obviously can be a problem when one class is notably more powerful than another, since every player should have a turn in the spotlight and a chance to Be Awesome.

...I'm quite good at my BMX...

Of course, the most glaring case of unbalanced classes is Linear Fighters, Quadratic Wizards, where one class can outshine another in its purported area of speciality at a lower investment of resources (i.e., spell slots).

Is it possible to have fun playing a game with unbalanced classes?  Yes, for example, classes in Rifts (1990) are hugely unbalanced in terms of power, where an adventuring party can be a dragon, a demigod, a lord magi... and a hobo!  Yet, according to stories, apparently author Kevin Siembieda is able to make it fun at his table by exercising GM fiat narrative control to give each player their time in the spotlight.

So, who wants to play a hobo?

This is the crux of why designing balanced classes in a game is helpful.  With unbalanced classes, a GM has to wrestle with the rules (and possibly the players) to reach a good result, whereas in a game with balanced classes, a GM can spend precious time and bandwidth on other issues.