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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 5953269" data-attributes="member: 1465">Definitely, but not exclusively...I think themes (but probably not backgrounds) can also be used by the DM to describe special groups and make their schticks restricted.Meaning that while many themes can be freely available (because they are made of freely available feats), the DM can also take some feats for example from supplements, and declare them "restricted" to a special group like the Arcane Order of XYZ or the Thief Guild of ZXY. Only members of such groups can take such theme or its feats (e.g. a character joining such group at a high level already probably doesn't pick the whole theme which starts at 1st level, but just gains access to its pool of restricted feats).This could be the way to use themes/feats pools to replace prestige classes. Because after all what usually made prestige classes unique was their special abilities, not the BAB progression or spells per day which could just come from the base class. Also, prestige classes failed in allowing characters of different classes to join in exactly because of their BAB, HD, spell progression etc., while a theme would not have such problem and could be applied to any class more easily.</blockquote>