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<blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 6008563" data-attributes="member: 1465"><p>Kudos for your bravery! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I haven't thought of this, and I think it's a great idea!</p><p></p><p>It will kind of defies the original purpose of background and specialty to relief a player from choices tho, therefore I think it should be done in a "sensitive" way...</p><p></p><p>How would you like something like the following rules/guidelines:</p><p></p><p>SKILLS & BACKGROUNDS</p><p>- each Background lists a <em>small</em> bunch of skills (e.g. max 5-6) and a trait</p><p>- the PHB suggests three possible methods (the DM may restrict some of them)</p><p>a) do not use skills at all</p><p>b) use backgrounds only (PCs must pick a background), pick 3 skills from its list</p><p>c) instead of picking a background, freely choose any three skills from the whole list + one of the background traits*</p><p></p><p>*this includes choosing a background as a starting point, but swap skills freely</p><p></p><p>FEATS & SPECIALTIES</p><p>- each Specialty lists a number of feats, and <em>also </em>suggests a ready-made default choice/sublist of them by level [or alternatively, first present the ready-made list like now, then mention a <em>small </em>list of possible additional feats]</p><p>- the PHB suggests four possible methods (the DM may restrict some of them)</p><p>a) do not use feats at all</p><p>b) pick a specialty and use default feat sublist</p><p>c) pick a specialty and also pick feats freely from all of which belong to your chosen specialty</p><p>d) pick feats freely from anywhere*</p><p></p><p>*this includes choosing a specialty as a starting point, but swap feats freely</p><p></p><p>I am also especially interested how Specialties can be used to enhanced the game. As a DM I would like to be able to use Specialties to define the equivalent of 3ed prestige classes, or membership to groups with restricted knowledge, but without imposing a fixed progression. Instead the PC entering the Order of the Screaming Wands or the Academy of Grim Clairvoyants will have an array of feats to choose from, representing what she can learn from her group (and isn't available to anyone else who isn't part of the group); then of couse each feat might have a level prerequisite if needed. I think this could be something good for the designers to exploit in campaign settings books and supplements, because it can represent elite groups without using classes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Li Shenron, post: 6008563, member: 1465"] Kudos for your bravery! :cool: I haven't thought of this, and I think it's a great idea! It will kind of defies the original purpose of background and specialty to relief a player from choices tho, therefore I think it should be done in a "sensitive" way... How would you like something like the following rules/guidelines: SKILLS & BACKGROUNDS - each Background lists a [I]small[/I] bunch of skills (e.g. max 5-6) and a trait - the PHB suggests three possible methods (the DM may restrict some of them) a) do not use skills at all b) use backgrounds only (PCs must pick a background), pick 3 skills from its list c) instead of picking a background, freely choose any three skills from the whole list + one of the background traits* *this includes choosing a background as a starting point, but swap skills freely FEATS & SPECIALTIES - each Specialty lists a number of feats, and [I]also [/I]suggests a ready-made default choice/sublist of them by level [or alternatively, first present the ready-made list like now, then mention a [I]small [/I]list of possible additional feats] - the PHB suggests four possible methods (the DM may restrict some of them) a) do not use feats at all b) pick a specialty and use default feat sublist c) pick a specialty and also pick feats freely from all of which belong to your chosen specialty d) pick feats freely from anywhere* *this includes choosing a specialty as a starting point, but swap feats freely I am also especially interested how Specialties can be used to enhanced the game. As a DM I would like to be able to use Specialties to define the equivalent of 3ed prestige classes, or membership to groups with restricted knowledge, but without imposing a fixed progression. Instead the PC entering the Order of the Screaming Wands or the Academy of Grim Clairvoyants will have an array of feats to choose from, representing what she can learn from her group (and isn't available to anyone else who isn't part of the group); then of couse each feat might have a level prerequisite if needed. I think this could be something good for the designers to exploit in campaign settings books and supplements, because it can represent elite groups without using classes. [/QUOTE]
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