Dark Sun Preview: Themes

[I'm A Banana]

I didn't see a thread yet on this, so Here ya go! (Sub required)

For those of you not DDI-lings, "themes" are a lot like "archetypes": things any character could be in the world.

Also

A theme is purely additive—you don’t pay anything to select one for your character, other than the opportunity cost of not choosing a different theme. When you pick your theme, you gain an additional 1st-level encounter power. It’s just a bonus: A character with a theme has one more power than a character without a theme.

but

The power level of most of the starting theme powers isn’t that much higher than an at-will (some of the effects are better than things we would put on at-wills, but they don’t deal the kind of damage you’d normally associate with an encounter power), but it does form the basis of unusual mechanics around which the entire theme revolves.

....personally, I think I love them, and I am already thinking of theme ideas for everything.

 

[Henry]

I like the idea, same as when we first saw it back in January, and I hope it gets transferred to a players-option kind of thing for default D&D. I don't know if I'd like to see it as default D&D, but having themes as a DM's option is a nice idea to me.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I too love the idea of themes. Takes me back to 2e kits too. Whilst many of those became Paragon Paths / Prestige Classes, those that were simply a definition of style of background were lost. Now we have them back

I too am thinking of ideas for themes for my game. I noticed two of the early 4e Dragon articles went to great lengths to describe Gladiators and Assassins as 'roles' not classes. If only they had the idea of themes then Anyway, the articles would be of great benefit for PCs that choose similar themes. I love the idea of a concept being cross-class.
C

 

[mkill]

I would absolutely love themes for other campaigns. There are tons I can think of right at top of my head, such as Spoilt Noble, Scholar, Thug, Merchant, Street Rabble, Mercenary, Arcane Dabbler, ...

PHB4 or a dragon article?

 

[Nikosandros]

I would absolutely love themes for other campaigns. There are tons I can think of right at top of my head, such as Spoilt Noble, Scholar, Thug, Merchant, Street Rabble, Mercenary, Arcane Dabbler, ...

PHB4 or a dragon article?

Add another vote in favor of seeing themes outside of Darksun. They seem like a wonderful idea and could really help in customizing the flavor of a character.

 

[erf_beto]

I like what I hear.

I'm wondering if they could be used as another (maybe simpler) multiclassing option.

An at-will as an encounter doesn't sound all too different than Arcane Initiate (wizard multiclass?)... or the half-elf racial power, for that matter.

 

[Danzauker]

I like the concept.

Paragon Paths and Prestige Classes are good tools to implement specialized classes, knightly orders and other kinds of advanced characters.

But some kind of specialization at first level is always welcome. Backgrounds are not enough. Themes could be great also to represent affiliation to one of the Planescape sects.

 

[White Tornado]

I'm wondering if they could be used as another (maybe simpler) multiclassing option.

It appears the extra power is not related to a specific class. Multiclassing gives your character an extra bit from another class, themes give a character an extra bit from outside the class system.

I could totally use this for various organizations that consist of various classes and races. It would add to the flavor of a villain's organization if every rogue, fighter and warlock from the organization uses the same dirty trick, and the idea of "free cool power" would stimulate PC's to associate themselves with interesting groups.

 

[I'm A Banana]

This bit also really excites me:

Notice how the power allows the templar to provide an incentive for the next person who hits the target. This is one of the mechanical concepts present throughout the templar. The templar provides incentives for her allies and then rewards the first one to succeed. This reflects the templar’s ability to command others with the authority of the sorcerer-kings, their penchant for encouraging fierce competition between their servants, and their ability to reward those who follow the decrees of the sorcerer-kings. That’s the kind of flavor that went into figuring out what the mechanical concepts were going to be in each theme.

The wall between rules and story has come down here! This isn't "here's some interesting mechanics, you can justify it in story, later," this is, "The Templar encourages competition and rewards those who serve their decrees, and here's a power that reflects their ability to do that in combat."

Swoon.

 

[tuxgeo]

I like what I hear.

I'm wondering if they could be used as another (maybe simpler) multiclassing option.

An at-will as an encounter doesn't sound all too different than Arcane Initiate (wizard multiclass?)... or the half-elf racial power, for that matter.

The first difference is that themes are cheaper than multiclassing: no Feat cost.

A theme is purely additive—you don’t pay anything to select one for your character, . . .

The second difference is that themes appear to be more setting-specific: the Templar theme might not be available in Eberron or the Realms, just as some of the (regional) Background stuff is setting-specific.

When this hits the CB, there may be a growing tendency for existing characters to get retconned into themes that they didn't have at the start -- "growing" because the first spate of themes will be Athas-only, but later ones should be more generally applicable.