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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MwaO" data-source="post: 6703404" data-attributes="member: 12749">Non-Standard Themes <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">are extremely difficult to place</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">have situational value</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">and/or value is mostly out of combat</li> </ul>Devil's PawnHellfire and Brimstone is a very strong minor action do a little damage debuff power, particularly for melee types that use close burst powers. For them, it can easily be Sky BlueEscaped Thrall: Would be almost strictly worse than Noble Adept. If you have access to Noble Adept, this drops to PurpleFey Beast TamerCompanion allows either CA or blocking, depending on how you want to use it. Even a damage boost, too. Very solid.Harper Agent+1d6 to a roll or reroll a failed save? Pretty good, but nothing pushing it to Sky Blue, particularly as it only happens once per encounter.Purple DragonDecent stance. The alignment prereq is restrictive. Works really well if you don't use stances, but do use MBAs a lot. Particularly charge happy builds that want to bounce back one square after a charge without using up their feet slot.SensateHas very strong toughness and skill features. Missing the encounter power is why it lacks a Sky Blue rating. Well except for Breathers for whom it is almost Gold, particularly if their party either lacks a good leader or you personally can't consistently expect a good Leader to show up, such as LFR. Good to look for options that involve taking small amounts of damage in exchange for a big payoff. Such as Ravenous Blessing.Sidhe LordSidhe Lord's rating is all about the Utility 2, having a crazy good Action Point capability(ex: Flame of Hope, Warchanter), and hopefully being able to use more than one action point in a combat. Have that and a willing party, and it is arguably Gold.Underdark Outcast: This seems to be a relatively easy to trigger strong encounter power. Move, minor, do your thing. Only trick is in a confined space or combat scenario. If you can consistently get space, it goes up to Sky Blue.Bregan D'AertheVery useful in Heroic for ranged attackers. Starts to lose value in Paragon where more things can fly and there's a larger expectation that PCs might be able to fly. Once the Brooms of Flying appear? Not so good. Drow-onlyCipherInteresting theme. In some ways, this is an ideal theme for someone who wants to lose(by just a touch) initative. On the other hand, the theme doesn't really give much past the level 1 and you don't get an encounter. Could be extremely interesting for the right Battlemind builds - move Cha+3, move speed again or move speed then pull Cha and mark before the 1st opponent has time to go.ElderboyReally nice level 1 feature, even if it isn't an attack - good for super-high damage striker builds who expect to get crushed. Shift Blame is awesome for Knights - interrupt to force the opponent to attack someone else, then OA them to push them away from their target. Beg Lolth's Favor is very good, also.Escaped SlaveA bit corner case of theme as you need a good Bluff score to even be here, but the feature is solid, the level 5 can be very good, both potentially negating an attack and delivering damage. If you're going for a build that gets free action attacks on a successful Bluff check for CA, this is Sky Blue. Free action attack limits is why it isn't higher.Fate DancerCards are decent and having 2 is better. Nothing broken though and difficult at tables without Fate CardsMasked Lord: Free magic armor and a small item bonus to saves. Fluff option for the level 5, which might be valuable or not valuable at all depending on campaign. Not bad at all, but there are likely better options to pick from. Must have campaign documentation for LFRScholarNothing wrong here, lots of useful out of combat options. Need to be careful with the encounter attack power, though.Seeker of Illefarn(eladrin, elf, or half-elf)The reroll on a 1 is actually very solid(note post 17 where I break down how this really works), almost the benefit of a +1 to hit for all your attacks until it triggers for the encounter. +2 to all defenses for 1st round and no surprise? That's very good as well. The lack of an actual encounter power of any kind is what prevents it from being Dark Blue.TuathanBonus to death saves, ability to remove concealment/cover at the cost of 2nd Wind, and Heroic Recovery aren't horrible. It might even be better than that for a sub-zero build, but Chevalier/Hordelands Nomad are competitive there even for those builds. The thing that saves it from Purple death? The level 2 and to a lesser extent the level 10 utilities. I'd really only go here if you expect to use the utilities and/or are a sub-zero build.XaositectThe features aren't that good and the encounter is likely worthless unless you can apply save penalties. Probably ought to be Purple, but...that said, the level 6 and 10 utilties are fantastic.YakuzaVery strong, very situational theme. Needing to reliably bloody an enemy while having a strong intimidate while having your DM agree on what the definition of 'Surrender' means is where this theme goes south. Good for Cha-types who want to make OAs and have CA a lot.AlchemistAlchemist doesn't really have enough alchemical item support to be better than Purple. Pacification Dust is interesting, but remember you need a new formula every 5 levels, permission from your DM, and unless you get something along the lines of Alchemical Gloves, your to-hit will likely be too low.Black-Hearted KnaveBluff features are solid - a Bluff Specialist can take advantage of the features. Attack at least is a 2w. Not horrible.Brazen AmbassadorVery DM dependent - if your DM never throws at-level creatures at you, well, because you're optimized, then the encounter power doesn't do anything. And it is usually difficult to tell the actual creature level in a combat unless it shifted tier. The level 5 capability is campaign specific. And the level 10 makes the encounter power more consistent. Blazing Reprisal, the utility 10, is decent, and so is Cinderspeech utility 2. Maybe worth a look if you can expect your DM to send at-level creatures who only use melee or ranged attacks or you're in a very heavy social game and have a good arcana score, but poor social skills.CourtierPowerhouse skill monkey, but probably not all that crazy useful in most games unless it is too useful. Ultimately, Spy is probably better at doing what you'd want to do with it, assuming you had no intent to violate Wheaton's Law. Then it is great until your DM gets a clue and kicks you out of your group or makes all the encounters Courtier proof. Again, Spy better once all is said and done.Deep Delver: We're here for the level 10 power or if you want to be the world's best at the skill of Dungeoneering.Haunted Blade We're here for the level 10 feature. Good if you want to dump Dex, have a good Cha, and you're not a Tiefling...before that a pile of RedHeir of Delzoun(dwarf)Okay features. Resist to poison, extra healing surge. Nothing special and more importantly, boring.Hordelands NomadMight be useful for a Nature character who wants to make Arcana checks. Bonus to saves doesn't hurt, particularly for sub-zero builds.House PriestessRidiculously overspecific prerequisites. The level 10 is very solid and Devious Strike is good for setting up a Nova. But needing to be a divine drow, let alone a female divine drow means even the Drizz't wannabes aren't taking this theme. If you're into playing female divine drows with strong fluff text that you might worship Lolth, it could be Dark BlueInquisitiveVery DM dependent on ultimate effect. And the main time that Perception/Intuition tend to be useful is on passive checks, which usually don't need a double roll. Some builds, such as Elves who roll Perception for init may benefit, however.MarinerVery ship specific to the point of silliness. The level 5 feature isn't horrible. The level 6 is decent. A theme waiting for a re-write.Oghma's FaithfulI think Scholar is almost strictly better than this choice from a pure playability standpoint. That said, not horrible out of combat.Oracle of the Evil EyeMainly about the Darkvision for characters that already have Low-Light. Urge of Destiny is not horrible if you know you're going to be with a multi-attacker. Gaze of the Evil Eye might not be completely horrible for an aura-based Defender.Secret ApostateNothing particularly interesting here. Some weird situational benefits are what make it not red.Scion of ShadowMainly that you can potentially control your healing surge value - an extra +4 never hurts, particularly if you're a Shade. Blindsight as a Daily for 2 rounds isn't strictly useless either.Student of EvardBetter than it seems. Take Shadow powers and make sure to have resist Necrotic for your upgrade an attack against an adjacent foe and it is decent. Still Purple though.Treasure Hunter: Really? Treasure Sense? Stick & Move is a good set up utility for a Charge+Charge attack, though. And Pay Attention is a very strong leader power if you don't have a Warlord in the party.Underdark Envoy: Insidious Commentary allows a little extra damage with a bad attack roll and no scaling. Practiced Herald is a relatively solid leader power if you have a party of 4-6, though.Unseelie AgentUseful at levels where you don't yet have a weapon of that level.Wild Hunt RiderJust what I wanted. No need to worry about Partial Concealment. As if that shows up a lot...</blockquote>

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