Excerpt: Paragon paths (merged)

[OchreJelly]

I dunno the game has always had class terms steeped in RL culture that weren't asian:

Druid, Barbarian, Dervish, Skald, Ur-Priest, Templar, Hospitaler, Mountebank, Ollam, Berzerker, Paladin, Gladiator, and of course cleric.

I don't understand why the RL names from the east can't coexist with the names above.

 

[tresson]

Oh no! Please don't start using Adjective-noun Noun-noun combination of names

One word, English (british, canadian or american?), Paragon Paths

Warrior (fighter)
Mage (wizard)
Killer (Rogue)
Archer (Ranger)
Champion (Paladin)
WArlock (Warlock, though I'm sure capitalizing two letters is wrong too)
Tactician (Warlord)
Priest (Cleric)

There we go. [ / endhumor]

Champion is orginally french....

 

[RefinedBean]

So we're supposed to have pages and pages of reflavoring text that we pass out to our players? How is this any better than pages and pages of house rules?

Well, here's how I see it going:

Player: I'd like to play a Kensai.
DM: That doesn't really fit my setting. How about instead of the name Kensai, we call it Weaponmaster? And the "mystical bond" with your sword is actually long-forgotten memories of you training with the very same weapon with (insert relevant person here)?
Player: Okay, cool. But instead...
(discussion of player character follows)

Basically, instead of handing out pages and pages of reflavoring text, just talk to the player about how they see they're character presented, and go with that. The rules will stay the same, so no big deal!

So Kensai = Fighter who's specialized in a weapon. What's in a name, eh?

 

[AllisterH]

Er, I think ninjas have become sufficiently westernized that few people are going to blink an eye seeing an asian name in the D&D book.

Seriously, on many geek boards, the question is "Ninjas vs pirates, which is cooler?"

Go NINJA!!!

 

[Lizard]

To paraphrase Wolfgang Paulli: That isn't even wrong.

Not really, no. It is, in fact, right.

Dictionaries do not define language. They *describe* it. A word means what most people use it to mean, no more, no less. Language is fluid, and English? English is a superheated gas.

Me has BA in englush. Me noes this stuph.

 

[Wormwood]

Basically, instead of handing out pages and pages of reflavoring text, just talk to the player about how they see they're character presented, and go with that. The rules will stay the same, so no big deal!

Wisdom.

 

[Voss]

Well, here's how I see it going:

Player: I'd like to play a Kensai.
DM: That doesn't really fit my setting. How about instead of the name Kensai, we call it Weaponmaster? And the "mystical bond" with your sword is actually long-forgotten memories of you training with the very same weapon with (insert relevant person here)?
Player: Okay, cool. But instead...
(discussion of player character follows)

Basically, instead of handing out pages and pages of reflavoring text, just talk to the player about how they see they're character presented, and go with that. The rules will stay the same, so no big deal!

So Kensai = Fighter who's specialized in a weapon. What's in a name, eh?

I've played with enough gamers to know you're glossing over a major detail-
by the fifth time he complains that he can't find the 'weapon master' in the book, you're going to be annoyed enough that you're going to snap and say fine, write 'Kensai' down on your rastafraggling character sheet.


@Ochrejelly- if its appropriate to the setting, it can. But if it isn't, it stands out like a sore thumb, just like many of those names do if they're tacked onto a setting without thought. Or how robot halfling dinosaur riders stand out whereever they are.

 

[Wormwood]

. . . by the fifth time he complains that he can't find the 'weapon master' in the book, you're going to be annoyed enough that you're going to snap and say fine, write 'Kensai' down on your rastafraggling character sheet.

Proving it wasn't that big a deal in the first place.

 

[AllisterH]

Ok, if we didn't use Kensai and given the hatred of noun-noun (WeaponMaster is right out), what the hell do we call it?

 

[Stalker0]

Ok, if we didn't use Kensai and given the hatred of noun-noun (WeaponMaster is right out), what the hell do we call it?

Awesome.