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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mengu" data-source="post: 5553344" data-attributes="member: 65726">I see themes as being more fun than optimization oriented, though with a small but flavorful mechanical benefit. As such, I am pleased with most of the offerings.Alchemist - This one is probably my least favorite of the lot, but I can see a Cleric of Erathis who tinkers in alchemy, and makes vials of holy water, and woundpatches at every opportunity.Animal Master - For a thief I was thinking of starting, this theme lets me pick a monkey with a fez. I get to have a monkey with a fez. For free. And once in a while it screams to distract my enemy as I charge them. It's beyond awesome. Oh yeah, I'll be from Calimshan without a doubt. At higher levels being able to bluff a tiger into not eating me is just gravy. This is easily my favorite theme of the lot.Order Adept - Many campaign worlds have many orders where this theme would fit right in, providing both hooks, and benefits. I think the theme would be quite fitting for a tiefling swordmage, perhaps a guardian of a secret order of arcanists. Out of the gate the character gets a ranged power, and it doesn't really hurt him to walk right into the zone either. I do agree with some of the others who brought up that the wizard utility and +2 to will being powerful, compared to benefits of other themes. I think I would be okay with a feat, that had the theme as a prerequisite, and gave a power swap wizard utility, and an untyped +1 bonus to will. I think +2 arcana at level 5, +4 at level 10 are sufficient benefits, based on what we are seeing so far.Wizard's Apprentice - Can't think of anything better for a Hogwarts student. The encounter power is perfect. The magic item is likely to be a trinket, but there are quite a few good ones, like if your teacher cares about your safety, she might send you a defensive staff or a shielding dagger that you could off-hand.The utility powers are a bit of a waste of space I think. I can understand how one can cross roles with theme powers, so there are dangers in making the powers on par with what classes get straight up, but they should be at least on par with skill powers, which I don't feel they are at the moment. They captured good flavor with some (like Aqua Regia, Timely Trick, and Disappear), but the power levels leave something to be desired (like Disappear could easily last till end of next turn).</blockquote>

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