What themes do you want in core?

gyor said:
So what themes would you like in 5e.
Click to expand...
I'm not exactly sure what the OP means by "themes" or being "in" 5e, but based on what I've read in this thread, I don't see any need (or point) in having them "in" the game at all. If I want to play a pirate, I can just play a pirate; the game doesn't need to tell me what that means.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

I'm not sure exactly which ones I want, though there are plenty of good suggestions in this thread.

What I do want, though, is lots of them, and/or good guidelines for creating your own.

In the campaign I play in, one of the other players recently talked the DM into letting us add themes to our characters. The current 4E list of themes, once you omit the campaign-setting specific ones, was rather short on options in my opinion.

(Given that it's an Eberron campaign, perhaps an Eberron-specific set of themes might have helped, but maybe not.)

I felt like there were only two or three that were even remotely viable for the character I was playing. Each of those still came with some unwanted baggage, either flavour-wise, mechanics wise, or both.
 

Could someone enlighten me as to how 'themes' are meant to work. If they are essentially about personalising and and collie to characters, then shouldn't the list be entirely open and free form?
 


If we are going to have themes to define our characters for us can we also have theme songs too?

I got dibbs on Theme Song from Shaft.

Wakka chukka, wakka chukka, wakka chukka...
 

One thing we need to understand is what themes are? And how do they work?
Let's say that my character start the game as a lvl 1 fighter with the watchman theme after several sessions he become the watchman commander and several sessions later he become a noble does he change themes? Does themes advance like classes?

Or maybe a theme is the basic underlying thing with your PC, so even if you become a noble you are still a cop by heart, but than again if your theme is a wizard apprentice and you end up the archmage of the forsaken tower? Yeah you started as a wizard apprentice but you grew out of it, it seems funny that by lvl 20 your theme is still wizard apprentice.

Warder
 

@ Blackwarder

Good point. Maybe Apprentice isn;t a good theme.

If 4E-style tiers remain (a concept I don;t mind), then perhaps Themes are your Heroic version of Paragon Paths/Prestige Classes and Epic Destinies at te other two tiers?
 

Connorsrpg said:
@ Blackwarder

Good point. Maybe Apprentice isn;t a good theme.

If 4E-style tiers remain (a concept I don;t mind), then perhaps Themes are your Heroic version of Paragon Paths/Prestige Classes and Epic Destinies at te other two tiers?
Click to expand...

Maybe, but that you will have to have a sort of a way to add theme on theme, the thing is, what if my wizard apprentice become a "Mage of the white robes" at level 7? Would he need to wait to level 10 to switch theme? Why couldn't he start getting the theme benefits at level 7?

IMO themes should add depth to your character, if you are a peasant than you have a set of skills and mannerism suited for a peasant, but once you become a marchent you should start acquiring a set of skills and abilities suited for that.

I don't know, mainly because I have no idea what themes will entail for the character.

Warder
 

[MENTION=6688285]Blackwarder[/MENTION]

Totally see your point :)

Perhaps Background Themes need to be separated from Specialist/Professional Themes, but that means another 'step'. Opens the can of worms like 2E Kits which were a combination of Backgrounds, Themes, Subclasses and even Prestige Classes with all powers usually upfront.

I am very interested in this concept and am very keen to see how it is done. (But as I have stated sev times, Saga's TT's looks the best way to me so far).
 

Perhaps, and I'm totally going off the cuff here, a combination of "Themes" (since I understand they will add some Skills to the PC) and a, sort of, kinda, maybe, "Talent trees" set up...built in?

At first level you would take, for example purposes only -I would recommend at lest 2 or 3 separate ones per base class (Cle/Fte/MU/Thf) or, at least, based on your base class (so a Druid could choose from Cle Themes, Rangers from Ftr, etc.)...

But let's say, for this lil' mental exercise I'm working out as I go, that a 1st level Magic-user takes the "Apprentice" theme.

At level 3 you would, automatically move on to:
Herbalist OR "Special [Arcane] Interest".

At level 5, the Herbalist theme transitions to "Potion-maker" or something like that or "Local Witch"...or can choose a separate starting (level 1) Theme.

The Specialist theme transitions to "Expert [Arcane Interest -whatever the PC chooses that to be], ...or, again, chooses some other level 1 theme to begin.

At 7th, the "Potion-maker" goes on to full-fledged "Alchemist." The "Local Witch" goes on to "Noted Oracle" or some such...

The "Expert" goes on to "Sage."

And that tops out your theme. You can start up a different one...or maybe, for an "epic level" supplement/expansion play you could develop "Master Alchemist" or "Sage-Savant" or some such.

They aren't things that you need to "take" or spend "feats"/"skill points"/resources on they just transition/increase in knowledge and power (additional skills) as the Player chooses as their PC increases in level.

Still and yes, we really need to know how they will work/what they will entail to come up with a plausible list of options.

But the more I read and think about them, the less I would want them to be additional/sub-/prestige class add-ons. Leave "class" abilities to increasing "Class" level. Themes should be separate, sometimes useful, skills (mostly "non-combat" oriented if I could chose) but not "character power" defining, per se.

Again, as per usual these days, just typin' out loud. haha.
Have fun and happy gaming, to all.
--SD
 

Remove ads

Top