Themes article up

[AbdulAlhazred]

I am not happy with the power-creep this system enables. I think the only reasonable way you could add themes is to have enough of them, and wide ranging enough, so that all PCs could pick an appropriate one.

It would be nice if NOT picking a theme was as good as picking one, but it does seem hard to imagine how you could both give some mechanical support to the theme and at the same time make it not advantageous to have one. I guess you could make them cost a feat slot, but these days people seem so short of those...

 

[twilsemail]

It would be nice if NOT picking a theme was as good as picking one, but it does seem hard to imagine how you could both give some mechanical support to the theme and at the same time make it not advantageous to have one. I guess you could make them cost a feat slot, but these days people seem so short of those...

Why would it help in any way to make it not advantageous to have a theme?

Would you prefer a PC were the same with or without Paragon Paths or Epic Destinies? That's the slot these are filling in Heroic.

Would you like to see a PC be balanced with or without a background? That can't really happen. These are a new element like backgrounds. Much likee backgrounds, they were changed for the game at large when translated from a setting book.

They've added a new element. Much like with the existing elements, some are stronger than others. Players will, in the end, do one of two things. They will either pick what fits their concept, or they'll pick whatever makes their character mechanically superior. These may wind up being the same option, but the drive is usually one or the other.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Why would it help in any way to make it not advantageous to have a theme?

Would you prefer a PC were the same with or without Paragon Paths or Epic Destinies? That's the slot these are filling in Heroic.

Would you like to see a PC be balanced with or without a background? That can't really happen. These are a new element like backgrounds. Much likee backgrounds, they were changed for the game at large when translated from a setting book.

They've added a new element. Much like with the existing elements, some are stronger than others. Players will, in the end, do one of two things. They will either pick what fits their concept, or they'll pick whatever makes their character mechanically superior. These may wind up being the same option, but the drive is usually one or the other.

Not all characters need one, and it would be nice to be able to pick up some of them later on vs always defining that aspect of the character immediately. Technically you can retrain them, which is nice but not perfect. Personally I don't have a big issue with it. The poster I was replying to apparently was disturbed by this is all.

 

[Kerranin]

Why would it help in any way to make it not advantageous to have a theme?

Would you prefer a PC were the same with or without Paragon Paths or Epic Destinies? That's the slot these are filling in Heroic.

Would you like to see a PC be balanced with or without a background? That can't really happen. These are a new element like backgrounds. Much likee backgrounds, they were changed for the game at large when translated from a setting book.

They've added a new element. Much like with the existing elements, some are stronger than others. Players will, in the end, do one of two things. They will either pick what fits their concept, or they'll pick whatever makes their character mechanically superior. These may wind up being the same option, but the drive is usually one or the other.

But by equating themes with paragon paths & epic destinies you're supporting my point about making sure that there is a theme available for every PC, and as I said, as long as there are enough themes to allow every PC a choice then fair enough.

What I wouldn't want is for themes to only make sense for a few characters and everyone else to just lose out. Would you be happy if some classes didn't get paragon paths?

 

[twilsemail]

But by equating themes with paragon paths & epic destinies you're supporting my point about making sure that there is a theme available for every PC, and as I said, as long as there are enough themes to allow every PC a choice then fair enough.

I certainly think that there should be enough to support every character. I also think they're doing a great job of doing that with just the ten options they're presenting here. It's likely that you'll be able to fit most PCs in one of these 10 themes or at least be able to refluff a theme to fit them.

What I wouldn't want is for themes to only make sense for a few characters and everyone else to just lose out. Would you be happy if some classes didn't get paragon paths?

No, I wouldn't be. I don't think that any of the listed themes sound so outlandish that you couldn't find a way to make one of them fit a PC.

 

[Kerranin]

I don't think that any of the listed themes sound so outlandish that you couldn't find a way to make one of them fit a PC.

I'd prefer to see a good few more, but it would certainly be worth a try just to see how feasible it is to assign a theme to every member of a group.

 

[ThirdWizard]

[MENTION=93904]Kerranin[/MENTION] on the plus side, there are still three more articles to come, so there will hopefully be enough options for everyone at the table to be happy. *crosses fingers*

 

[Mentat55]

I can say that, for my level 16 wizard, I've seen three themes so far -- Order Adept, Apprentice, and Scholar -- that would be great fits. In the two remaining articles, the noble theme and the explorer theme might also fit, though I imagine the explorer theme might be more Indiana Jones or Lara Croft than book-toting archaelogist.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

though I imagine the explorer theme might be more Indiana Jones or Lara Croft than book-toting archaelogist.

OK, now I want to play a hot elvin chick ranger explorer...that wears half shirts, and short shorts...

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I could go on at length about my hopes for themes where it concerns my existing characters, but I'll spare the details and just say that I'm really looking forward to more, and can't wait to apply one to all my characters when I go back to playing instead of DMing.