Proposal: PH2 and SORCERER

[TwoHeadsBarking]

I think the PHB2 backgrounds are a little more powerful, actually. Not because of the numbers, but because of the flexibility. The Kingdom of Jade bonus of +1 Insight, +2 social Bluff measures very well against a PHB2 +2 Bluff, but what if you don't care about Bluff? What if you wanted Stealth, or Perception? Then clearly the PHB2 is the way to go, especially since instead of getting +2 to a skill you can add it to your class list. This is huge. I'd love to get Stealth or Perception as class skills, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm less than impressed with the option to learn another language, though.

Regardless, I'm not against the PHB2 backgrounds because of balance. I'm against them because, as you said, they're generic. Also, right now any Dauntonian has a little something in common with all Dauntonians. If we replaced our current backgrounds with choose-your-own PHB2 ones, that's not going to remain the case.

That being said, I like the idea of characters from non-defined Far Lands having +2 to an appropriate skill (maybe not requiring a proposal, either). I just don't think any character from a currently defined area should have a PHB2-esque background, and I worry that if we give Far-Landers a choice of where they get their +2, we're going to see a disproportionately large amount of them. But perhaps that's not a bad thing.

Edit: I take back that last part about the worrying. I now doubt it would be anything resembling a problem.

 

[renau1g]

I think the PHB2 backgrounds are a little more powerful, actually. Not because of the numbers, but because of the flexibility. The Kingdom of Jade bonus of +1 Insight, +2 social Bluff measures very well against a PHB2 +2 Bluff, but what if you don't care about Bluff? What if you wanted Stealth, or Perception? Then clearly the PHB2 is the way to go, especially since instead of getting +2 to a skill you can add it to your class list. This is huge. I'd love to get Stealth or Perception as class skills, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm less than impressed with the option to learn another language, though.

Regardless, I'm not against the PHB2 backgrounds because of balance. I'm against them because, as you said, they're generic. Also, right now any Dauntonian has a little something in common with all Dauntonians. If we replaced our current backgrounds with choose-your-own PHB2 ones, that's not going to remain the case.

That being said, I like the idea of characters from non-defined Far Lands having +2 to an appropriate skill (maybe not requiring a proposal, either). I just don't think any character from a currently defined area should have a PHB2-esque background, and I worry that if we give Far-Landers a choice of where they get their +2, we're going to see a dissproportionately large amount of them. But perhaps that's not a bad thing.

The farlanders are coming, the farlanders are coming....

like I said (in a roundabout way) before if letting them the PHB2 bg's in play it's allowing power creep to come into he game. Sure I'd love to take the +2 perception bg vs the +1 bonus and circumstantial bonus. Why not? I still say you can propose any background you want from the PHB2, but it should follow the rest of the L4W standards, a +1 static bonus and a +1 circumstantial bonus. It's not fair to allow a better bonus for no reason at all. I can't think of a rationale that would make sense for it.

 

[Ozymandias79]

remember that adding a skill to your class list doesn't mean you are trained in it, only that you can choose to be trained in it when you chooses your trained skills

Ozy79

 

[covaithe]

I propose giving a free Expertise feat at Level 5 rather than a blanket +1 bonus - I like the flavour of concentrating on a particular type of weapon or implement.

Hmm... I do prefer this, and am inclined to vote yes. Question: can the character ever change their expertise type? E.g. can this free feat be retrained as with other feats?

I hereby propose the entirety of PH2, as well as the feat Reaper's Strike.

I'd like to vote yes on PHB2, with the caveat that it won't come into effect until the 17th. But I don't really want to lump it in with Reaper's strike. Can you please propose them separately?

 

[Atanatotatos]

Like Oni said, Echoes of Thunder feat should give a typed bonus. I'd suggest power.
Also, I don't like the idea of introducing generic background. The ones we have here add a little bit of local identification to characters. What we should do, if we want, is add more of them IMO.

 

[fireinthedust]

Reproposal:

I (re)propose the entirety of PHB2. (no mention of reaper's strike, I'll do that later).

I need to research the Expertise feats before commenting on them.

Backgrounds: I want to be able to make up a special one for a special circumstance. I live in a multicultural city, various groups occupying different social strata, all in very close proximity to one another. All of them having only the Daunton option... well, it isn't the only way to go.
I wouldn't mind having more than one Background, actually. A Daunton orphan raised in the slums, picking up streetwise, then discovering a vocation to the Priesthood? That's classic. Heck, real-world examples of, say, saints or historical famous people (Captain Hook played the pipe organ, or Mother Theresa knowing streetwise (or stealth) to get around Calcutta) show some seemingly bizarre skill choices.
Granted, one background per PC is a good rule. However, having the option of them in the character sheets as Roleplay elements would be good: a Daunton Gnome who was captured by Fomorians then became a prophet of Destiny (clergy, gnome, regional). In these situations it'd be good to have more options to point the GM to for possibly situational bonuses.

I say this as I see my sorcerer as wanting the option of picking up a class skill, despite having come from Daunton (or that Pirate city, which could also be fun).

Althought, perhaps the boards should come up with some more proposals for more precise rather than generic backgrounds? Specific ones being juicy is good. Other names for PHB2 could also be good. Maybe something to reflect that fire that I heard aobut from one of the games... or "your character was raised in a campaign run by Kenhood; you have only half your listed Sanity, but are now totally immune to logic-based attacks: nothing seems too far-fetched or implausible, and everything can be justified".

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Hmm... I do prefer this, and am inclined to vote yes. Question: can the character ever change their expertise type? E.g. can this free feat be retrained as with other feats?

Hmm... I would say yes, but only to another Expertise feat, and it counts as your one feat retraining. (ie. you can't retrain this and a feat that you paid for.)

 

[renau1g]

Hmm... I would say yes, but only to another Expertise feat, and it counts as your one feat retraining. (ie. you can't retrain this and a feat that you paid for.)

Agreed. Seems fair.

 

[KenHood]

"your character was raised in a campaign run by Kenhood; you have only half your listed Sanity, but are now totally immune to logic-based attacks: nothing seems too far-fetched or implausible, and everything can be justified".

Ha-ha-ha-ha! *Choke* *Gasp* *Thump*

 

[fireinthedust]

Ha-ha-ha-ha! *Choke* *Gasp* *Thump*

Oh God. Oh no. Oh God. I, I didn't mean... *riffles through pockets looking for change, condoms, a rolex...* Quick, somebody get a doctor. Ooo, bubble gum!