Dark Sun Preview: Themes

[Silverblade The Ench]

Love this!

I've argued for years that gladiator is *NOT* a class, how the heck could it be? It's a proffession: a person who fights in an arena.
Doesn't matter how they do it (though it's almost always melee and to the death or bloodied/surrender, in Dark Sun though, a psion is a sure possibility for a gladiator)

Now that "ranger" is actually "light amrour, fast and hard hitting" character rather than "wilderness survivalist", and rogues aren't gimps in a fight, they are all very good for gladiatorial combat, as you would expect!

Also happy to see the sorceror-kings having warlocks with their pact being with the SK.

Yeah there's a definate need for a book of "themes"!

 

[erf_beto]

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

Exactly!

So I can come up with a theme, like "Court Magician", and take that instead of Arcane Initiate even though my class is rogue or cleric, instead of using a feat slot to account for an ability which is merely there for flavor.

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.

Yes, they are setting specific... for now.

 

[cdrcjsn]

Hmm...I wonder if Themes will just be added to the core rules, much like backgrounds were just added without a cost.

After all, character backgrounds that provide a mechanical benefit are an optional rule, but most people use them now.

So a Theme basically gives you an encounter power (that's about the same power level as an at-will) and the option to swap out other powers later? That seems about on par with the +2 to various skills that character backgrounds give you, except this is useful in combats as well.

So Themes=Backgrounds 2.0?

 

[fba827]

So Themes=Backgrounds 2.0?

From a naming perspective, I can't begin to describe how much the idea of calling it "background 2.0" irks me. But that fact aside ..

Backgrounds are more about what the PC did prior to adventuring in the campaign (learning a bit extra about nature, or whatever). Themes are more about the style for skill advancement (i.e. gladiator maneuvers, etc).

So regardless of how mechanically balanced they are against backgrounds, they fill two different 'fluff' perspectives as I see it.

 

[TheClone]

I don't know how individual the theme powers will be, if they are mainly combat-focused. During combat many people do not notice, I think. Something more like utility powers might be better, because I think it catches more attention and therefore makes more difference in play.

But generally I like the idea of moreindividual and customizable characters very much Again looking forward more to the campaign guide.

 

[Wycen]

Hey Monte, can I get one of these power ups for my character?


I shall report back to my friends about the creep of power...

 

[lin_fusan]

Chad, I think the majority, if not all, of the sample characters have a "theme" attached to them.

Also, some people on the WotC forum has a thread reverse engineering the themes to their base mechanics.

 

[tuxgeo]

Chad, I think the majority, if not all, of the sample characters have a "theme" attached to them.

Also, some people on the WotC forum has a thread reverse engineering the themes to their base mechanics.

Link to specific thread, please? Is that in 4E discussion, or CharOps, or where?

 

[Wycen]

Thanks Monte.