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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 5553498" data-attributes="member: 20564">Well, let's examine it.Stated goal of themes:  Be the third pillar of character design, with race and class.So we need something that will make a big difference in the character, on the order of race and class.Let's look at what they give.Encounter power at 1st.  Both DS & DDI.  Okay, no problem.  You've got something to help differentiate you can could come up every combat if useful.Utility power swaps:  Both DS & DDI.  Useful for customization, but we already have extended the utility power swap customization niche with skill powers, so this is nice but not particularly an interesting add.Attack power swaps:  DS only.  Right now the only way to get swaps is paying a feat per swap, and even then it's rather limited (MC power swap feats require a MC feat first and all have to be from the same class, etc.)  This is the groundbreaking that DS themes did that put them on the map with races and classes as per the stated goal.  This has the additional force multiplier in DS that it suggest inherent bonuses so you can have weapon / implement crossovers between class and theme.Misc bonuses:  DS has one theme from Dragon that adds a skill, and another that adds a power point.  DDI themes all have these that increase with level.  Some bit of customization, but also power creep.Feats:  DS has a number of feats over the tiers for additional emphasis on theme if wanted.  Again, make see the stated goal.Paragon Paths:  DS has 1-2 paragon paths per theme, again allowing additional emphasis if wanted.  Most of those also had a non-theme entry to allow character variation.In the end, DS themes while not on par with race and class (a hard thing to bolt on to existing rules), they do a reasonable job of meeting the design goal and really making a difference in realizing your character vision.These ... well, they aren't wrong.  And will probably be reasonably balanced after revision.  But they fall way short of the goal we were all expecting.  I am underwhelmed.I grant Wizards the right to a "do over".  I'll give them a complete pass if they do like they did with the hybrid rules and rework them once there is a significant body of feedback.  None of this is bad, but it really missed it's potential by so far.</blockquote>

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