What's in a Class Name?

There are a couple of non-rules things I'm going to be adding or changing along with all the other stuff I mentioned last time. The first of them I want to mention are names, specifically the names of the Ubermensch and Gestalt class types. Not the classes themselves, but the types/categories of them.

Here's the problem: The Rider and Summoner class types are descriptive and to the point. The names tell you what they're about in a fairly obvious fashion. Gestalt and Ubermensch, on the other hand, are more thematic than descriptive. They only allude to what it is they're about and, outside of Monsterpunk's own context, could be used to mean any number of things entirely different from what they mean in it.

This is because both class types draw from the same well of inspiration that led me to use Orgone as the name of magic in the game instead of using mana, prana, ki, chakra or any of the other more well known names for life energy: German Fetishization Science. Gestalts are named like that because they are an integration of two different and separate things into more than the sum of their parts, this is in reference to Gestalt therapy of psychology. Ubermensch are normal humans in a game where all other PCs feed otherwordly beings with their life force in exchange for power, making the Ubermensch the closest to a superman as written in Nietzsche's work.

So you have two names that are simple and self-explanatory, if a little bit prosaic and not particularly inspiring. Then the other two names are fancy, erudite and possibly a tad bit pretentious. Of these four, two were going to have to change, but which two?

The answer didn't take long. Ubermensch is a loaded term that is often associated with, let's say, problematic ideologies. At least two people pointed out to me that the name made them uncomfortable, where the only complaint I've ever received about the other classes was a joke about how the Riders aren't tokusatsu enough. The choice was clear.

As for their new names, Gestalts are going to be called Hybrids. That one is easy enough. It's a functional, descriptive word that lets you know these are the guys and gals that are half-human half-monster. Ez pz. Also I should note that I'm not changing the name of Gestalts in-universe to Hybrids, the lore is still going to call them Gestalts, this change is just on the rules side of things. Ubermensch, meanwhile, were harder to pin down. The options were:

• Techie - all four of them rely on super science or alchemy to gain an edge over the pactmakers. 
• Solo - their single most defining trait is that they don't have a pactmate, after all.
• Boffin - like Techie, but less supersciency and more British and dorky.
• Paragon - it is Ubermensch with slightly less baggage but also only slightly more descriptive.

None of them were super convincing, so I figured I'd pick the one that was least bad. First out was Boffin, because I could not possibly take a class labeled "Boffin Tank" seriously. Second to be struck out was Paragon, because the uncomfortable implications of being superior just because you happen to be privileged are still there. Third up for deletion was Techie, because while it fits the Raptor, Mentalist and Gravranger, it doesn't make a lot of sense for the Alchemist who is more like a middle-ages scientist. That means we're going to call them Solo Classes, which if nothing else definitely gets across that they don't make pacts with monsters at all and their powerset has a different origin.

Next: Probably another small changes post like this.

Gimmick Out.