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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 7065346" data-attributes="member: 7006">This kind of subclass definitely gives evidence to the idea that for some players, an ability a class gets that they choose not to use is an effective "nerf" to the character (because they are giving up an ability that others of the class do use, but are not getting anything in return.)  I can understand that... but I don't think it's something that really needs to be taken into consideration or "fixed" per se.So if the Redemption paladin choose not to use Divine Smite even though most other paladins do (and instead just uses all their spell slot for casting actual spells), that doesn't mean the subclass isn't worth having.  Or if the Redemption paladin is granted proficiency in heavy armor and martial weapons (due to them being a paladin) but then chooses to not wear armor and wield a simple bludgeoning weapon, that also doesn't mean the subclass isn't worth having.  Too often I think we get stuck in your standard min-max / optimization mindset, wherein the PC (however they are built) gets immediately placed up and compared to other PCs of a similar type and if it comes out as "weaker", then it's not worth having it.But that's the exact issue that leads to bloat-- the idea that any new option must be functionally equivalent power-wise to the very best option currently available.  But what'll end up happening is that if you do that for every single new option in an expansion such as this... through gameplay it'll soon be discovered that several of those options end up going too far accidentally and outclass every other similar option available.  And voila!  The power-level has now shifted in the game.Far better to create options that are not balanced against the best option available, but against the default or middle ground, and instead merely give you variant methods to play and experience, rather than trying to keep pace with the power-level of the game.  Because that way you have a bit more wiggle-room and haven't blown the curve should it be mathed out six months later than New Option X is actually more powerful that originally thought (especially after the optimizers get ahold of it and max it for all its worth.)</blockquote>

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