How do I provide C++ with a class to spawn an object from the editor?

Of course you can use all advantages of polymorphism to avoid mega classes, but as more you derive as more errors can get into your code if you don’t plan your classes extensively BEFORE you work it out.
I still don’t know why you don’t derive from actor and then derive it logically into those parts you want it as your final object will be…actor!?

here is an old tutorial about templates in UE4 by rama

hope that helps