BryonD
Hero
I think you have taken a generalization regarding SD and stretched it beyond reason.
I mean, first, you can simply list the fighter "things" alongside the Warlock "things" and demonstrate the difference.
Almazzat is the melee destruction theme.
At 5th level a human warlock will have 5 boons. If they got lucky and rolled a 2 or 12 then they get advantage 3 rounds a day (which for this lucky character is unique and cool)
Assuming a typical luck character they will have 5 total bonuses of +1 to melee attack / melee damage / HP (possibly including other perks for +2 STR or CON). And maybe one of those is traded for a weapon prof or adv on init.
At 5th level the human fighter has 4 perks
The same standard luck fighter will get 4 total bonuses. He can't increase damage but he can increase attacks with melee and ranged together.
For simplicity call it +4 to melee and ranged attacks vs +5 to melee only.
For the cost of that +1 fighter gets all weapons (the warlock might give up that +1 edge for ONE).
The fighter also gets ADV on all STR or Dex checks
The fighter also gets Hauler. Hauler is huge in the SD system.
Oh, and the fighter gets +3 to hit AND +3 to damage with his main weapon.
So really the warlock is comparing his "+5" worth of bonuses to "+10" total for the fighter when it counts.
And if the you look at the lucky warlock who rolled a 2, then you have to give the fighter that +3/+3 with their backup weapon on choice.
Objectively it just doesn't compare.
Now, we can back up and go to the "its not about power" position. I agree.
Power isn't nothing. But for SD, I agree.
But everything that expresses the warlock as "the warlock" is captured in the above.
When comparing one class to another your statement "The game is not about character builds" falls flat. The warlock class is just that, an alternative character build. full stop.
As noted already, nothing is stopping a player from running a fighter and proclaiming that character is a warlock of Almazzat. I suspect it would be a pretty common opinion that this is completely in the spirit of SD. And the GM and player could happily agree that grit and hauler and +3/+3 are all boons. The "why" of the fighter class abilities are not hard coded, for exactly the reasons people have stated for theme over min/max.
Why does the Warlock class exist other than to offer a "build" that creates a more fulfilling representation of the patron devotion / boon concept?
We don't need the paladin or the ranger. The fighter could be skinned as either. The Thief could skin as a ranger.
In my opinion the ranger and the witch and the bard and most every other class provide opportunities represent different concepts in a way that the players will enjoy more than just reskinning the fighter or wizard.
They are "character builds" which push the flavor to a desired outcome.
In the end, a lucky roll on stats will make a "more powerful" character. And that character will be slightly more survivable. But the nature of SD is that the range from slightly weak to high power is small.
But I'd rather play a weak ranger whose class "build" came through at the table than a well rolled warlock with a few +1s and stat perks and nothing that expresses "Warlock".
Last edited:
