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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Runestar" data-source="post: 4441006" data-attributes="member: 72317">Problem is - I may desire new mechanics exactly because I want my custom character concept to play differently from existing character builds, and not come across as just another retread. I crave not new flavour (or at least, not just new flavour), but a unique gameplay experience which may not be able to be provided by current rules.For example, yes, I could reflavour a shuriken into a blowgun and darts, but what if I had already played a shuriken-throwing rogue previously? The end result is a character build which, while arguably possessing different flavour, plays virtually identical to an earlier PC. Why don't I instead attempt to benefit from the best of both worlds, and instead try to marry both roleplay/flavour and rollplay into one harmonious whole? Optimize a build that offers good, solid play in your DM's campaign, and gives abilities commensurate with his backstory and allows your PC to perform everything expected of him/her, and perhaps even more.To cite a 3e example (because the OP appears to be putting the blame for this phenomenon squarely on 3e mechanics), lets say I want to play a swashbuckler-type PC. Yes, in theory, I could rework the flavour of a fighter and give him feats like spring attack and weapon finesse. While the end result is a character that appears swashbuckling enough, it still does nothing to change the sorry fact that a 3e fighter is mechanically a very poor choice to play a swashbuckler. In light of this, can you blame me if I opt to min/max my own swashbuckler (say I end up with a monk2/swashbuckler3/warblade7/eternal blade8 build) build to ensure that he at least has the hard cold stats and the capability of backing up his backstory and being strong enough to hold his own in combat? My conclusion? Don't settle for second best. The OP's treatise seems common-sensical enough at a glance, but if it is anything 3e has taught me, it is this one simple lesson. You can't roleplay if you are dead.And it is not the best thought out backstory in the world or the most beautifully roleplayed scenario which keeps your PC alive, but hard, cold stats. Accept no substitutes.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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