Does anyone take a class for flavour anymore?

[lord_banus]

I have been noticing a distrubing trend on these lists and elsewhere. It seems to me that a lot of people are taking a class or prestige class strictly for the abilities they offer. Has power gaming become so ingrained. I love the idea of prestige classes as a sort of flavour template to build on, not as a ability package. I have seen people not take on a class because some ability is not optimised even though its a perfect fit for the concept.

For example, I was building a Verrick Unfettered Tomb Raider type character for Arcana Unearthed and took a very low wisdom score. Now for those people who don't know. Verrick actually get a wisdom bonus. Now most players I know would never have done that even though it fits well with the character concept, many just don't understand not fully optomising for the wis bonus.

Anyway, enough ranting. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just unlucky with the players I meet.

 

[Liolel]

Yes my lastest character was a paladin, because the whole knight in shining armor, out righting wrongs and fighting evil archetype just apeals to the goodness inside me.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, people still do. It depends on the players and how they play.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I take classes for flavor all the time. Who could resist the rich, creamy flavor of a dwarven defender? Or perhaps the chocolaty (with just a hint of mint) flavor of an archmage?

People who know how to mix-and-match classes can come up with a symphony of flavor that is a feast to the taste buds.

 

[Epametheus]

Yeah, I've seen it done before; I've even done it myself (had my rather devout bard with a 12 wisdom take a few cleric levels).

It's generally a mistake to do it; every character I've ever seen take levels in a sub-par choice has suffered for it.

 

[Macbeth]

I have a character that took a level of psychic warrior and a suboptimal feat just to fit the character concept.

 

[nimisgod]

Flavor and Efficiency need not be mutually exclusive, y'know.

But long ago, I made a Dwarf Sorcerer who specialized in Polymorphing. There was a long backstory to him that included a Curse and the subsequent blossoming of his powers whist in a semi-permanent alternate form. He was not completely optimized, mind you, and race was just the most visible part. However, he did pull his "weight" in our party.

It's a pity that he died without hope of any sort of ressurection a few sessions after he came in.

 

[Malk]

I mean you have to take a few points into consideration. First, this is something of an extremists hangout. The only people who post here are going to be the people who are really into the game. I think also that rules and abilities make for a much easier language when talking about new classes in a forum like this one. I mean when you come right down to it, most every class will have cool flavor to someone its all so subjective. Rules are more objective, it really is a shared language for the people here.

That being said, i know more players than not who base their char's on concepts and stories, rather than numbers and rules. Like someone said earlier, the two are not mutualy exclusive. Often times i will see a class whose abilities set off the creative spark of storybuilding.

 

[Chroma]

There's a PC in my campaign, a 5th level rogue with Wis 9, that has been so helped by the party members from a LG church that she's changing her alignment from CG to LG and taking a level of cleric because of their (and the diety's) good example! How's that for flavour!

She was this orphaned, directionless girl, raised in the temple, though rebellious against it, but the love, care, and concern showed her over the course of play tempered her anger and transformed her. It shocked a lot of the players and was really cool.

They're pitching in to get her a pearl of wisdom +2 so she can have a spell. *laugh*

 

[TracerBullet42]

I took Skill Focus: Cooking.

'nough said.

I think my gaming group is pretty good about it. Lots of flavorful characters. One of the guys plays a halfling cleric who took improved disarm.

As said a million times before, I think it varies. The groups that are combat focused and just like to fight a lot are going to twink things out. Other groups may go for more "flavor" and not try to necessarily optimize things.

It's just two different styles of play, and they're both fun.