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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ConcreteBuddha" data-source="post: 537696" data-attributes="member: 3139">A player came to me with a TWF bastard sword character. The PCs were starting out in a Tech level 5 area and had no access to other parts of the campaign world yet. Bastard swords are Tech level 7. I told him "Sorry, you can't have any bastard swords. The Tech level for this area of the world is too low for you to start off with them." Even though the player had made his character beforehand, and the PHB lists "bastard sword" on page 99, he was able to alter his concept to use short swords instead. If your specific player is not able to alter his character concepts to fit your world, that's because you have a bad player, not a bad rules system.All you have to say is, "Sorry, I don't have godless clerics in my world."...In my specific world, I don't have half-breeds, nor do I have PHB elves. The area of the world where the PCs are located is low-technology (no full plate or greatswords). I also don't have any gods (or more specifically, the evil gods defeated the good gods, and so the only gods that are left to grant spells are the evil ones). I do have philosophy-worshipping clerics, however, they are looked on as outcasts by the rest of society (along the same line as sorcerers in most other worlds.)This means that each time someone makes a character, I need to spend time helping them build their concept to fit in with the rest of the world. (This is not a one-way street. I often use ideas that the players come up with to build my world.) ... Then don't you think that that solution is to put a general disclaimer at the front of character creation, instead of nitpicking things that you don't feel are a valid part of the fantasy genre? Something like this, maybe: So whenever a player asks to play a godless cleric and you are about to cow to their wishes, just have them look on page 4 instead.....Also, godless clerics are only as wishy-washy as you allow them to be. If you let someone play a character with Strength and Destruction as their domains, and they don't give a character concept, that is a bad player. As a DM, if someone wants to play a godless cleric in my world, they either have to make up an order with a specific creed and worldview, or they have to make up a list of personal beliefs that the character draws strength from. Only after that is done do I assign possible domains that the player may select.Examples:1) A character follows the way of Bushido (honesty, justice, heroic courage, compassion, polite courtesy, honor, complete sincerity, duty and loyalty.) From this description, I would allow the player to select Law, Good or War.2) A poor peasant midwife first learned the basics of medicine (the Heal skill) and hearth wisdom, then was utterly surprised when she suddenly was able to channel the divine gift of healing. She now travels the land, protecting the weak and healing the peasants for free. From this description, I'd allow Healing, Travel, Protection and Good.3) A lowly scribe in a merchant house has a love of books and reading, but is bored with the constant copying of endless documents. He dreams of adventure and long lost artifacts and learning the history of the world. This character I'd allow Knowledge, Magic and Chaos.</blockquote>

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