Here is some more unsolicited news for you. At this point in time, the next window they are accepting submissions is between October 1st and November 30th. Read
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Thanks, I know this. Since I am not sure exactly how they are implementing this new approach to submission, I submitted anyway and did get a normal automated response. If I do not hear anything else, I will re-submit the concept between Oct 1 and Nov 30th.
There will be at least 2 waves of errata before then. I already mentioned basic attacks are in the update team's radar. And every wave of errata has a chance of affecting the balance of a game mechanic. So we could tell you right now, yeah, it's cool for the monks to get some options for a basic attack, but that may not be true 4 months from now, when they start accepting submissions, and 4-6 months from then, when those articles start getting published.
I agree that this whole effort may become moot, but, until then, there is no reason to stop working on it.
And for the record, I think +2 damage on a theme is currently uncalled for, regardless of if you think monk unarmed attacks are weak. You're taking away other theme options from the monk by providing too strong of a benefit in a theme. Even the +2 to a defense is a mechanic I'm not fond of for the Order Adept. I would prefer to see some skill related benefits, rather than combat benefits, especially for a monk theme because I see them as skill oriented strikers.
Duly noted. I'll think about it. I could see maybe swapping out the movement-related utilities for something skill-related, but the current ones allow a non-monk taking this theme to have some monk flavor in terms of movement. I could see doing something more related to "typical" monk-like skill-based abilities.
For themes in general, I would not use Order Adept as a guide for anything because of the level 5 and 10 features, or Guardian because of the level 1 encounter power. I think these are above the power level of everything else that is currently out there for a theme.
Again, duly noted. I'll continue to think about the right way to structure the theme - but I am not sure WotC even knows exactly how they want these themes to work.
Since the actual article submission is not likely to happen until very late in the year (if at all), I have lots of time to think about this and reconsider the mechanics.
Meantime, I can't see any good reason to not work on this. If some WotC employee sees this discussion and gets inspired to do something that makes this whole effort moot, I will be very happy indeed.