Nimble Design Jam 3: Subclasses!

Announcing the 3rd Nimble Design Jam! Last time was monsters and adventures and we got a TON of fantastic ones. This time, we’re going for Subclasses!

Rather than having a few overall winners, this Design Jam will have separate bounties and winners in each hero category. You can submit a subclass for a single class, or even one for every class, it’s up to you!

Does it create a new playstyle (Shadowmancer healer, Melee Songweaver)? Lean into an existing class strength or weakness? Fill a missing fantasy (Ranged only hunter)? Add new complexity options (a more complex Cheat, or simpler Mage)?

Subclass Idea Seeds

You don't need to design these exactly, but if you'd looking for ideas to get started, this may be a good place to start!

• Berserker (Throw berserker? Shout Berserker? Magic Berserker??)
• The Cheat (More complex options? Ranged? Psyblade-esque?)
• Commander (a simpler "fighter" style? Can command enemies?)
• Hunter (Ranged only? Dual wielder? Trapper? Artillerist?)
• Mage (Elemental specialist? A simpler mage?)
• Oathsworn (Super Heavy armor, super light armor, Oath of Hatred? Oath of Love?)
• Shadowmancer (Fey patron, celestial patron?)
  
• Shepherd (No pet? More pets? party buff focused?)
• Songweaver (Melee focused, "people" focused?)
• Stormshifter (Bear/wolf/spider specialist? Casting specialist?)
• Zephyr (Ninja? weaponless?)
  
• Hexbinder (???)
• Artificer (this class is still in beta, but if you have access to it you may certainly take a shot at new subclasses!)

Submission Guidelines

Content: A subclass for one of the existing classes in the Nimble system. Writing only, NO layout or art is required. Existing subclasses are roughly 100–250 words each (this is not a strict rule, but do note the typical length, if your submission is MUCH shorter or longer than this; Story-Based Subclasses are typically ~300–450 words, but again, this is not a hard limit but guidance).

What should be included? First, make sure you review the existing subclasses to see what is typically included, as well as the Creator’s Kit's guidance on the Nimble design philosophy (e.g., avoiding fiddliness, maintaining the flow, designing classes).

• A COOL name
• Features for Levels 3, 7, 11, and 15
• Any GM/Player notes for clarity.
• Any needed tables, charts or other material (e.g. chaos table).

*Optional* Flavor. ~100-200 words of flavor explaining what the subclass is, why someone should play it, what itch does it scratch?

Format: Copy/paste your subclass text into the Google Forms link below.

 

Why Participate?

Prizes:

• Winning Subclass. 2 winning subclasses will be selected for each class. Winners will receive a $50 USD for each subclass, a Nimble Design Jam Winner’s Badge, and designer credit if your work is published in a future Nimble product.
• Story-Based Subclasses: Please note that a winner may or may not be chosen for each class, there must be a STORY-BASED reason for this subclass to exist. $100 USD will be awarded for Story-Based subclasses as they are more difficult to design. 

Free Feedback & Grow the Nimble Community: Submissions will receive constructive feedback either in writing or during a live review stream (time-permitting, depending on how many submissions are received!). Share your work with the Nimble community and work on your craft.

Deadline & Judging:

Early Feedback Review: I will be doing an early review stream of submissions for feedback Saturday the 27th at noon eastern (4pm GMT, 9am Pacific), If you’d like to be included please submit it before then.

Final Deadline: 11:59pm PDT, Sunday October 12th.

The judging panel will include myself and a handful of others in the community. We will evaluate entries based on the following Scoring Rubric:

Scoring Rubric

• Features for Levels 3, 7, 11, and 15 (10 points each; 40 total)
• COOL names for the subclass & features (2 each; 10 total).

(Max Score 50 points)

How to Enter. Send in your submission via this Google form link.

Terms and Conditions

• Your work must be your own and may NOT use AI.
• Your submission must be original and not infringe on existing copyrights.
• You retain all rights to your work. you agree to allow publication upon reciept of payment of your work.
• You may be requested to make changes based upon feedback prior to publishing.
• If published, the work will be included under the Nimble Creator’s License for others in the community to build off of.
  

Let’s Create Together!

I’m excited to see your creations and this Design Jam is your chance to shine. Have questions? Drop me a line at evan@nimblerpg.com, or join us on the Design Jam channel on the Nimble Discord server.

Thanks for being part of it, I can’t wait to see your subclasses!