D&D General Warlocks' patrons vs. Paladin Oaths and Cleric Deities

[Paul Farquhar]

Better to look at what other people have done, and examples from myth and literature than rely on the PHB text.

It has been mentioned before that 5e is a superhero game in a fantasy skin. In a superhero rpg it’s up to the player to create an origin story that explains how their character got their powers, and you can do 5e the same way. Of course there is a big difference between a good origin story with plenty of meaty plot hooks, and “my character was bitten by a radioactive celestial”, but them’s the breaks. Not everyone is equally experienced or creative.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Better to look at what other people have done, and examples from myth and literature than rely on the PHB text.

It has been mentioned before that 5e is a superhero game in a fantasy skin. In a superhero rpg it’s up to the player to create an origin story that explains how their character got their powers, and you can do 5e the same way. Of course there is a big difference between a good origin story with plenty of meaty plot hooks, and “my character was bitten by a radioactive celestial”, but them’s the breaks. Not everyone is equally experienced or creative.

And not every piece of guidance is equally good. One of my common critiques of D&D in general and both sandbox and adventure path play in specific is that the characters might as well have been Isikai'd in, all from different universes because, with the DM having absolute control of the setting and it being written before the characters ever show up it doesn't matter how skilled the writing, the plot hooks are fundamentally disconnected from anything pre-written.

The only thing worse is having the players terrified to put one toe out of line as the DM will almost arbitrarily yoink all their superheroic powers permanently for "a single evil act" and therefore the hook should not be engaged with.

Meanwhile if you want to see it done well look at e.g. Daggerheart where the players literally draw where they come from on the map and have connections questions so they have a shared background that itself creates RP hooks