d8 Sneak Attack: Hear me out

Greg K said:

If that was in response to me, possibly. As DM, I build the setting and cosmology, therefore, I determine

• the available races
• the available cultures which includes such things are their subsistence patterns, political organization, the social stratification, Residence patterns, technology, religious beliefs and practices, methods of exchange/distribution, views on property ownership, views on crime and punishment, body adornment, naming customs)
• based on the above and other factors, I decide which official backgrounds, classes, class variants (e.g. the spell-less Ranger), and/or subclasses if any are available in each culture. I also includes certain third party material as additions or in place of official version material that may fit the campaign thematically, but does not work for me mechanically). This may change the starting equipment of a character.
• For clerics, I determine the deities, their domain(s), what the priesthoods are like (tenets, strictures, holy symbols, vestments, tailored spell lists)
  [* ] For magic, I may remove or alter spells from the PHB and include some spells from the PHB and third party sources. bits of current events,
• and I determine the major NPCs, organizations (guilds, colleges, orders), etc as well as bits of history and current events for each culture. In some settings, this will include people (if any) that can teach magic to wizards.

Now, it is not my job to change things to include a player's favorite race, class, subclass, or spell, or any concept that they may come up with. It is the player's job to work within the above guidelines and others that I set (e.g. no evil characters, no-pre-planned multi-classing build unless another character can train you in a new class and is willing to do so). The characters may choose to have alternate beliefs about how society is organized, ownership of property, how laws are enforced, rules on marriage. That is fine, maybe they were exiled for their beliefs depending upon the culture or left on their own.
The characters can have goals (that work within the nature of the setting and cosmology) including: becoming the greatest hero of their culture, overthrowing a tyrant, starting a revolution (for good ends), becoming the leader of their tribe, clan, collecting food recipes from different cultures and then establishing an inn, finding a lost relative or love, killing some monster terrorizing the homeland (such creatures will noted in the culture notes), becoming the head of a thieve's guild, start a magic school or guild. You can even switch character goals as the campaign progresses. As long as it is possible within the setting and does not involve being evil, I will work the players. However, as a player you need to have your player convince the others to go with you which may require you helping them first.

Click to expand...

Blue said:

Compared to other ASI/feats this doesn't cover the opportunity cost of not taking one of them. Looking primary in the tier 1 & 2 where most games are played - at quite high levels with more SA and less things to spend it on it could work.

Click to expand...

doctorbadwolf said:

Bards in your campaign, because you see in world bards a certain way, can only be the kind of bards you see as supporting what you envision. A player that wants to play a concept that mixes bard training with martial prowess is out of luck if you don’t like including the colleges of swords or valour in the campaign, regardless of how the player views the thematics or those subclasses.

Click to expand...

Greg K said:

However, I need to work out a class variant at first level for the bard, because by Mearls's own admission, waiting for the benefits of the first level of Valor bard breaks a class design assumption of the game that was finalized after the class was created.

Click to expand...

Greg K said:

Yep, it is my vision of thematics and how subclasses (and even class) work mechanically that decides- not the players vision. This is why several of the subclasses from the PHB and nearly every one published to date after will not see use in any campaign that I run. This includes the college of the swords. On the other hand, the valour bard does get used, but it is a skald type character from a certain region. However, I need to work out a class variant at first level for the bard, because by Mearls's own admission, waiting for the benefits of the first level of Valor bard breaks a class design assumption of the game that was finalized after the class was created.

Click to expand...

Xeviat said:

Where is this from? What specifically? Gaining armor and weapons proficiencies that are needed for their play style?

Click to expand...

Elfcrusher said:

Just what we need: even more rogues using rapiers.

I have a better idea: your sneak attack damage die is equal to 12 minus your weapon die. So rapiers get d4's, short swords get d6's, and daggers get d8's.

There we go.

Click to expand...

doctorbadwolf said:

For me, that is a totally alien point of view on how the game functions on a fundamental level.

Click to expand...

Krachek said:

This feat will help a underdog dpr class to be a better underdog dpr.
In a game without or nerfed SS and GWM it could be enough.
Otherwise if you want rogue to be equals in dpr you will have to redesign the entire class. Exchanging social and exploration capacities to do more dpr.

Click to expand...