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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ClaytonCross" data-source="post: 7759389" data-attributes="member: 6880599">I think your mistaken your saying designing good narrative and strategy are in ANY WAY mutually exclusive. They can ignore each other or support each other. Their is Zero reason why even choosing to make narrative your starting point or priority would damage your strategic your design. In fact the only real rule here is that both need to be functional and they are only strengthened when they support each other. In other words if I want the story of an epic Fire based sorcerer known for burning his enemies to ache having the ability to build that sorcerer brass dragon an ancestor giving him firebolt and burning hands means at level one I can be a fire based sorcerer, the dragon ancestry origin then informs that story some more allowing placing you on a path for background improvement... for example... I could have also have red dragon ancestry how does that inform my design? Do I have evil tendencies an have to restrain my self or strong desire to burn out corruption from brass dragon ancestry? Also, "Additionally, parts of your skin are covered by a thin sheen of dragon-like scales. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier." I have scales!! Mechanically the AC bonus is nice... story how visible are they if they are red do the look like a rash? Do people who notice think I am sick and avoid me? If they are noticed to they fear my red dragon origins thinking I might call forth a red dragon ancestor to destroy them or perhaps revere me as if royal blood because they serve Bahamut and feel I am some how closer than they are too this great power? I mean look at the entry itself... its not just some bland strategic statement and its not just fluff ether... its both. D&D is at its best when they grow on each other not when people impose personal conflicting beliefs on "how it should be" on each other.Sure some people only like the fluff... and others only like the strategy.... I have never found anything in the fluff you couldn't fixed by adding the right other fluff... and good strategy has only ever served make the fluff stronger while good story gives strategy purpose! Want to be a Nature cleric with a few levels of Arch Demon Warlock.... sure ...IF ... you can tell me why in a great story. Perhaps you lost your way in search of power and now your fighting to suppress the taint of your demonic warlock powers and gain redemption in your order through penance and that is why your questing... you have to perform 10 selfless deeds that protect the creatures of the forest that no one else could do or remain banished forever!!! To that end you have joined a party to actively drive you into harms way, into places of evil where the meek an innocent are tormented because their is no hope for salvation that does not have you coming face to face with evils as dark as the taint you invited into your soul.Actually it is....<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cak3ojSuJaM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cak3ojSuJaM</a> at the 13:21 mark they talk about how it shocked everyone because its now the 3rd most played class in D&D Beyond beating all predictions and and the wizard class in third, the cleric in 4th.</blockquote>

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