Deliberation. Deliberation. Also, more deliberation. One of the most basic and common elements to all role-playing games and I am struggling to decide whether to include it in the A Wheel of Time RPG. Paradigms are essentially my version of a class, only more open than a class. The reason I am deliberating over what many would consider a 'no-brainer' is because removing paradigms/classes provides a freedom to players which is lacking in most RPGs.
Experience Paths, or Life-Paths and The Burning Wheel puts it are an open-ended style of play allowing players to form their characters based on their wants not what is restricted and available. In an open ended system you may have a Blademaster who is of Noble beginnings or a Gleeman who is a master of the blade. In this system (while still possible in a paradigm system) it will have more of flowing feel rather than a tagged on the end feel which can happen when your paradigm/class features don't compliment your additional traits.
At this point most are probably wondering, 'Well the open-ended system sounds like a dream come true, why not?'. Well the reason why not is a simple one. If you come in the A Wheel of Time RPG not familiar with RPGs or the world of WoT then you may stumble a bit when it comes to creating a character and you have all these options available. When you have paradigm/classes you can look at them and pick the one you want and there's no fussing around.
The toss up between the two is a difficult one. Personally I'm tending to fall to the side of an open-ended system and have what would have been all the paradigm features as skill perks which can be bought instead.
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