Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Khaalis" data-source="post: 6397172" data-attributes="member: 2167">As to the Kensai, if you really want to stick to the older D&D visions of the class, it really is likely to need its own class treatment, or should be a true subclass of Fighter rather than Light Fighter. As it stands now, the closest thing to Kensai in the core is a Champion Fighter, where the Critical strike focus is the embodiment of the weapon expert of the Kensai. It just isn't limited to 1 weapon.Now as to the Light Fighter archetypes...Now technically YMMV, and you could trim the subclasses, but each one is different mechanically and has a different mechanical focus.* Brawler = Unarmed light fighter. Basically a Monk dabble MC Subclass.* Corsair = Sea campaign oriented for those who specifically want a Sea oriented fighting class.* Duelist = Disciplined light fighter geared mechanically towards a one-on-one fighting style revolving around mobility, precision attacks and taunts.* Gallant = Geared toward more political or courtly style campaigns. An educated light fighter focusing mechanically on more subtle campaigns.* Musketeer = Specifically designed to fill the niche of sword and gun wielding elite soldier style of light fighters in a renaissance genre.* Swashbuckler = Designed as the "Generic" rapier and buckler, bantering while fencing style of light fighter.Now keep in mind, not all games will use all subclasses, but the point of the experiment was to Provide a class and subclasses to fill all of the possible Light Fighter genres needs. If you don't want Gallants (aka Fops) in your game, don't use them if they don't fit the genre of your campaign. The same can be said of Musketeers which are specifically geared toward Renaissance level campaigns.As to their being RP Background features in the classes, I don't see this. Every subclass in the PHB has an opening paragraph of Fluff about the archetype and the roles they normally fill in the genre of the campaign. Light Fighter Archetypes are no different, though possibly slightly more specific in nature as they were meant to be. However, I don't necessarily agree that there are too many or that they step on the toes of Backgrounds in most cases.As we already know not all backgrounds are really meant for all classes, but could be stretched and forced is necessary such as say an Acolyte Barbarian.Now as to your specific examples:* What separates a Gallant from a Corsair from a Swashbuckler....   As I mentioned above, they have different niches and different campaign focuses. They are mechanically different as well. Different fighting style focuses and different key defining abilities that formulate the fighting style of that particular subclass. Do you need all 3 in the same game? That totally depends on the game you are running, but technically you Can have all three.Now here are some examples of how they can still differ using Backgrounds and the three archetypes you seem to think are redundant.Lets start out with the CRIMINAL:Criminal Corsair - You learned your fighting trade on the seas. Perhaps you were a merchant marine, a sailor in the navy or just an outright pirate. Examples: Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, Captain Hook, Errol Flynn's Captain Blood.Criminal Gallant - You may be of noble birth, but you are not the shining example of the best the nobility can offer. Whether you really are evil or if you are just looking for something more exiting than court life, you've spent more than your share of time in the criminal world. Example: Count Rugen, Count RochefortCriminal Swashbuckler You are trained in the arts of Swashing the Buckle whether from a military stint or through an academy or a personal master. However, you use your skills for ill ends. Example: Amanda (Highlander)You state what can a Gallant take as a background?  Ok...Acolyte Gallant - you are a lesser noble trained in the light fighting arts but spent your early years training in the service of a temple of the war god.Charlatan Gallant - Your a noble gallant but spent your early years reveling in using your intellect and stratagem you learned in fighting school and applying them to swindle your fellow nobles. You may take over the family business some day.Entertainer Gallant - You're a noble and what better class to have access to best of arts and culture. You spent any time not learning the sword performing. Or perhaps you blended the two - Celtic Sword Dance anyone?Folk Hero - Dear gods this one is easy. You are of noble birth but choose to fight for the common folk. Let me just say two names - Robin of Loxley (Robin Hood) and Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro).Guild Artisan Gallant - You are of noble birth and your family business is the Guild. You spent as much time learning guild business as you did swordplay.Hermit Gallant - Little more of a stretch but either you felt a need to go off on a hermitage, or perhaps you were kept as a prisoner (aka a hostage for those of noble birth).Noble Gallant - Yes you are an epitome of what it is to be noble. Perhaps the first son of a noble house, perhaps even royalty. Your entire education has been focused upon what it is to be noble.Outlander - You are of noble birth but your family is very old school and has not lost their roots. Perhaps you were sent off to experience life in another part of the world as part of your education, so that you would bring this knowledge back with you as a lesson when you again return to your noble surroundings, or perhaps you were like Oliver Queen, lost and thought dead until you returned home.Sage Gallant - Knowledge is power. You are not just a student of the light fighting arts but a renaissance man who finds educating the mind is just as important as educating the body.Sailor Gallant - Unlike corsairs, you training in the sailing arts is an education or a short term profession rather than a lifestyle. Perhaps as a noble, you served in the royal navy as a low ranking officer. Perhaps your family are sailor merchants and you had to learn the family business. Or perhaps you were given a letter of marquise making you a privateer allowed to commit piracy on the ships of enemies to the crown.Soldier Gallant - Perhaps you are a lesser son of your house so instead of the family business you were set up with a military commission. Or perhaps your family values military training in its endeavors or has deep military ties or is devoted to a deity of war and conquest.So I hope that answers your question. The "Fluff" in being a gallant (or any other subclass for that matter) doesn't step on the toes of the Backgrounds. It merely adds more flavor and focus to the concepts of the backgrounds. As another example... lets take Dumas's Musketeers...(Assuming Musketeer as the subclass)* Athos = Noble Musketeer* Aramis = Acolyte Musketeer* Porthos = Sailor (or Criminal) Musketeer* d'Artagnan = Folk Hero MusketeerIf you want to be more loose about it and say not are all fitting of the "Musketeer" subclass* Athos = Noble Gallant* Aramis = Acolyte Musketeer* Porthos = Sailor (or Criminal) Swashbuckler* d'Artagnan = Folk Hero Duelist So I hope this goes to show that the minor fluff in the Subclass descriptions does little to hinder the use of the background system. It just makes you think a little more deeply about the character and how you see them and their current and past influences.</blockquote>

Verification