Themes article up

[Neonchameleon]

My understanding of the Alchemist and creating uncommon items is that you can create uncommon items once you know the formula. It's the formulary that's secret and lost. The features at levels 1, 5 and 10 do not restrict you to only taking common alchemical rituals. So you can learn (and hence prepare your choice of) three different uncommon alchemical components. So you can e.g. learn Alchemical Silver or a Tension Wheel at 5th, and Sovereign Glue or Keen Oil at 10th. Other uncommon alchemical formulae - your DM has control.

Order Adept - my understanding is that you need to power swap.

And animal master is fine if your DM lets you keep the beasts out of the way.

 

[Aegeri]

There is nothing in the alchemist that lets you create uncommon items with the alchemy feat, because it gives you nothing specific to override the general item creation rules. The problem with this is because wizards haven't bothered properly errata'ing alchemical items to common (which many should be).

I agree you need to power swap with Order Adept, but by RAW it is absolutely not clear on that.

Animal Master being fine on the whims of a DM is a horrible excuse for it to be that bad.

 

[Neverfate]

My understanding of the Alchemist and creating uncommon items is that you can create uncommon items once you know the formula. It's the formulary that's secret and lost. The features at levels 1, 5 and 10 do not restrict you to only taking common alchemical rituals. So you can learn (and hence prepare your choice of) three different uncommon alchemical components. So you can e.g. learn Alchemical Silver or a Tension Wheel at 5th, and Sovereign Glue or Keen Oil at 10th. Other uncommon alchemical formulae - your DM has control.

Order Adept - my understanding is that you need to power swap.

And animal master is fine if your DM lets you keep the beasts out of the way.

I would imagine they'll sort the items... one day. Alchemist's fire in that article does say Common.

And yeah. Poor, poor minions that you can only get back via extended reest at level 5! If you were allowed to spend a surge and give them Temp HP that would be SOMETHING. It's too risky in comparison to clear mechanical benefits the other Themes give you.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The text for uncommon and rare items states that "Uncommon and rare items are not normally created in the current age of the world. These items were crafted in the distant past, some even during the dawn war, and the techniques for their creation have been lost to the ravages of time."

However, if you actually know the recipie to create them then specific overrides general. The recipie is not lost - you have a copy. The hard part, by my reading of the alchemy rules, is getting ahold of that recipie. And you can neither craft that nor buy it. But once you've somehow obtained the recipie then you can craft the specific item it allows you to craft. The uncommon nature of most alchemical items simply cascades from the fact the recipie has been lost - but with the recipie you don't have this problem.

 

[samursus]

For all those really unhappy with the Animal Master, keep in mind, that I know MANY players who would snap it up in its current incarnation. Just to be able to have a pet that can occasionally help out in battle (ala Beastmaster) without actually having to deal with the action economies of BM Rangers or Sentinel Druids.

I mean, is there any chance there can be any agreement on this? Read the posts; already its like everyone read a different article.

 

[Aegeri]

The problem with it, you have one bad encounter and that's it for an entire adventure. It is rendered completely useless. God help you if your DM puts in a bloodfire harpy with the ridiculous aura 20 fire damage (which you won't be able to do a thing about, given your pet is a 1 HP minion). It's just terribly thought out, which is keeping to the form of the beastmaster ranger I must concede.

 

[Blue]

The article isn't bad, but I'm rather underwhelmed. In Dark Sun, Themes are a full pillar of character design. True, not as important as race or class -- that would be hard to bolt on -- but within an order of magnitude. They can really change up the feel of a character, especially with innate bonuses so you can have a implement or weapon theme while your class leans the other way.

These are ... well, bigger backgrounds. Backgrounds are nice, a decent tool for giving a character a bit of a feel outside race/class, but aren't one of the pillars of character design.

Beastmaster is closest to what I'm looking for, with something always there (even if not always used) that makes the character different. Some of the others are just some numerical advantages. Woo, I get +2 to a skill I'm trained in, so I'm a bit better.

They do have utility powers, but with skill powers long been out there, that's not where we needed power options for character differentiation. And the somewhat amusing issue of the Order Adept granting a wizard utility power, but it's optional powers are also competing for a utility power slot.

This article doesn't do anything wrong - I could play or run in a campaign with these. The problem is that it does scarcely anything right. It takes the concept of Themes that was delivered with a magnitude of 7 or 8 out of 10 in Dark Sun, but only delivers it with a magnitude of 3. It's a decent 3, but I want them to turn up the volume.

Actually, I'm going to say that a bit more forcefully - if you want to add this complexity to the game (as well as a bit of power creep), you need to make it more worthwhile to achieving a character vision. It needs to be a powerful addition. This is the skim milk side of Themes. Nothing wrong with it, but doesn't do much for me.

 

[Aegeri]

You could say - perhaps cruelly - they are essentialized themes. This isn't really what I was so excited for at all and I entirely agree with your arguments Blue. The Dark Sun themes were so great, what was wrong with keeping to the same general structure and idea?

 

[Obryn]

I'll be honest - I was hoping for more.

ETA: I do have to give them high marks for making something that's just as useful for PHB-style classes as they are for Essentials-style classes. But I really, really wish they were full themes like we had in Dark Sun - with a list of swappable Encounter and Daily attacks, and with some associated paragon paths.

With that said, I suppose the leveling of the original Theme attacks was kinda wonky.

-O

 

[Mummolus]

I like the alchemist, I can see some potential there as options expand over time. The others are basically underwhelming. Certainly don't hold a candle to the Dark Sun themes.

That said, there are three more articles. This may very well be the weakest of them.

Or the best.

I guess we'll see.