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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Systole" data-source="post: 6198736" data-attributes="member: 93930">To be frank, whether or not you can have a decent halfling hurler barbarian is beside the point.  I proposed a traditional axe-wielding barbarian halfling as an example.  I could have said dwarf sorcerer or gnome magus or tiefling summoner.  I was trying to demonstrate that a player could have some character concept that he or she thought was really cool but wouldn't be able to play it effectively because of the ruleset.  Whether or not a different character concept is functional isn't the point.  The point is that the original cool character concept didn't work because of the ruleset.And my larger point is this: Aren't we savvy enough and mature enough and confident enough as gamers to have conversations about character concepts just between player and GM, without the hard-coded rules of the system getting in the way?  I mean, we're here, having a discussion on a forum dedicated to RPGs.  Obviously we know what we want in a game, right?  So let's posit two scenarios.  If a system supports halfling barbarians, but the GM doesn't want them, a conversation could go like this:Player: Hey, Bob ... I was wondering if I could play a halfling barbarian in this campaign? GM: Well, I'd rather you didn't.  It doesn't really fit with this Tolkeinesque world I'm thinking about. Player: Okay, well I guess I'll hang on to that idea for some other campaign.  How about an elf ranger with a longbow? GM: Now we're talking.But now imagine that the GM thinks it's a cool idea but the system doesn't support them...Player: Hey, Bob ... I was wondering if I could play a halfling barbarian in this campaign? GM: That would be awesome!  Except ... let me see ... size penalty ... slow movement ... strength penalty ... Hmmm, your character's going to be kind of ineffective. Player: Okay, well I guess I'll hang on to that idea for some other campaign. GM: It's the system actually.  A halfling barbarian is just never really going to work that well. Player: <sigh> I suppose could make him a hurler halfling.  That's sort of like what I wanted.  Kind of. GM: Maybe a dwarf barbarian?  They're ... y'know ... pretty decent. Player: Yeah ... that sounds ... good.  I guess.In other words, I think it's fine if someone doesn't want axe-wielding halfling barbarians or [insert some character concept] in their game, but why can't I have them in mine?</blockquote>

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