From R&C: Pargon Paths & Epic Destinies

[Derren]

>sigh<

My favorite PrClasses were the 5-level ones that you could take at 5th level. In 20 years of D&D, the highest level one of my games reached was 12th.

As 4E D&D will have 30 levels they will now last till about lvl 18. Enough to get a Heroic.

 

[Green Knight]

These were in the other classes chapter under the Swordmages heading. Since they were mostly Prcs, I figured they were up for consideration as paths or destinies. Or they may be classes that might take the place of the swordmage, some were attached to a race;
Elf Bladesinger
Dwarf Runic Warrior
Tiefling Dervish
Wandering Seeker and Eldritch Knight were not connected to a race.

Hmm. Or maybe the Swordmage is known by different names among different races? To Eladrin they're Bladesingers, to Dwarves they're Runic Warriors, etc.

 

[Belorin]

Does it mention if you have to take a paragon path or not? Seems kinda constraining if you're going to be forced into one. Presumably you can just carry on playing whatever heroic tier class you started with?

Pinotage

No, it sounds like the paths are something that open up for characters once they reach paragon tier, but are optional. Same with destinies, if you want to take your Warlord to 30th level without sidetrcking to a path or destiny, you can. More than likely you may be more powerful because you can pick feats/powers/talents tied to your class. YMMV

Bel

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

No, it sounds like the paths are something that open up for characters once they reach paragon tier, but are optional. Same with destinies, if you want to take your Warlord to 30th level without sidetrcking to a path or destiny, you can. More than likely you may be more powerful because you can pick feats/powers/talents tied to your class. YMMV

Bel

On the other hand, the impression I got was that since you didn't lose anything at all by taking one of these that there was no reason not to. Your class doesn't change from taking a Paragon Path or Epic Destiny.

I got the impression that instead you were a Fighter who was on the Paragon Path of Weapon Master. You got all the fighter powers with no changes, but that at whatever levels you'd also gain Weapon Master abilities.

And choosing at least one Epic Destiny seemed required from what I read. Just the way it was worded saying that your Epic Destiny determined how you left the campaign when you became 31st level. It wasn't worded in a way that implies there was any way NOT to leave at 31st level or that you might not have an Epic Destiny.

It might be possible that there is an alternate list of fighter powers that you'd get instead of a Paragon Path ability if you choose not to take one, but nothing like that was suggested in what was written so far.

 

[Sitara]

From SAGA we can infer that PATHS, while can be taken while leveling up the base class, replace the base class feat slots that all classes get every even level.

(all classes get a talent at odd levels, and feats at even levels)

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

From SAGA we can infer that PATHS, while can be taken while leveling up the base class, replace the base class feat slots that all classes get every even level.

(all classes get a talent at odd levels, and feats at even levels)

Except that Races and Classes specifically says that isn't the case. It says that you lose nothing from your class and gain new abilities.

 

[Lackhand]

Might be that they augment your choice: rather than replacing the list of feats from which you can draw (say), they add a few feats to whichever list you already had available?

 

[Cadfan]

They could be exactly what he seems to say they are.

Lists of extra abilities you gain in addition to what you normally gain from your class.

This won't necessarily mess with people's ability to play the character they want. If there's at least one "generic" paragon path per class, you won't feel pushed to be a cavalier or something. A generic one would be something like "Weapon Master," that's pretty much flavorless and just makes you really good with a chosen weapon.

The fact that you're getting extra abilities won't necessarily bog down the game if these abilities go into the same pool that your current abilities reside within.

 

[Stormtalon]

From the art gallery in the back, you can add: "Primal Blaster" (p.94). If I hadda guess, it's a Paragon Path.

 

[Sitara]

Except that Races and Classes specifically says that isn't the case. It says that you lose nothing from your class and gain new abilities.

RnC was written a long time ago; things have changed since then, and this may be one of them. Or it may not.

But see, it would really suck being forced to take one of those paths, because they, like prc's seem very focused, forcing you into a role.

So I dunno, I cannot believe we will have no choice but to take a pth. And for those that do, they may have to give up something....hmm or MAYBE they grant additional talent tree's, such as factional and force talent trees in SAGA!!!! So, you can either select from a paragon talent tree's alent choices or simply sleect from your classes!!