Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MacEochaid Feb 28, 2011 17:37:24	Okay so I hunted around, and it doesn't look like anyone started this thread. If it has been started point it out to me, otherwise, add to this! ------------------------------ Themes for Points of Light and all Campaign Settings Favored Enemy The rangers favored Enemy was one of those super juicy flavor items, that suffered because it could or could not be useful in your game.  It would be perfect for themes though. Also who says all rangers have a sworn enemy? Who says other classes don't? Avengers and Assasins definitely should be able to have favored enemies. Role would be Striker and would have one starting power versus your chosen enemy, than different sub themes would have different options at different levels. The goal in powers would be to make sense against one type of enemy but exist for lots of different enemies. They could also group a couple enemies together if they were going to give specific damage bonuses against certain enemies. Avoid symmetry and try and cluster some themes together While Dawn War Hunter could do damage against elemental creature, Witch Hunter could get extra defense versus monsters with the controller and artillery role (if you can duck a magic missle you can duck an arrow)   So here would be my list of Favored Enemy Sub Themes Dawn War Hunter (Elementals, Demons, Giants) God Hunter  Far Realm Hunter  Witch Hunter Dragon Hunter Fey Hunter Giant Hunter (Giants, Orcs, Ogres) Hordes Hunter (Goblins, Orcs, Gnolls) Undead Hunter Again, the idea is to maximize monsters the powers would effect, and the basic principals of fighting Bugbears for the years leading up to the characts career makes him adept at smashing through a group of Gnolls. It's an abstraction.
#2 undrave Mar 01, 2011 23:10:56	Seems like everybody was waiting for someone else to start this thread :p Now putting aside the 'obvious' stuff (i.e. Secret agent, Pirate and Samurai etc)... I'd like to see a Vigilante theme, an urban Defender who brings fear to the heart of criminal, for justice or vengeance! A Martial defender with a flair for sneaking around and hiding his identity (would let you add Streetwise and Bluff to your class' skill list). In a similar urban theme a 'Free Runner' theme (aka Parkour) where running and rooftop jumping is the basis for a mobility and backflip centric fighting style. Sure you can do that with an aerialist rogue but it would be cool to have that kind of mobility matched with other power sources and stuff. Also themes around the idea of living on different planes and not just the World.
#3 Alex_ Mar 02, 2011 0:12:01	I'd like to see themes like "Chosen of >Insert God Here< .  I always see players who want their character to be a devout follower of some particular deity, and want to reflect some divine assistance in their combat abilities, but don't want to go so far as to multiclass and start casting divine spells.    This would be yet another facet of divine class customization in addition to Channel Divinity and Domain feats.   Possessed by a Demon/Devil/Angel/Spirit themes would also be interesting.   Lycanthrope seems to be to be a rather obvious one.   I'd also like to see a battlefield poet/wardrummer type of martial leader that invigorates motivates allies through song or music.
#4 Kalnaur Mar 02, 2011 1:07:13	Anime Themes. No, seriously.
#5 MacEochaid Mar 02, 2011 15:03:12	I'd like to see themes like "Chosen of >Insert God Here< .  I always see players who want their character to be a devout follower of some particular deity, and want to reflect some divine assistance in their combat abilities, but don't want to go so far as to multiclass and start casting divine spells.    This would be yet another facet of divine class customization in addition to Channel Divinity and Domain feats.   Possessed by a Demon/Devil/Angel/Spirit themes would also be interesting.   Lycanthrope seems to be to be a rather obvious one.   I'd also like to see a battlefield poet/wardrummer type of martial leader that invigorates motivates allies through song or music.    RE: Chosen and poet/wardrummer This one way Themes might be better at addressing some character concepts than past rules. The Domain and Divinity feats feel very ad hoc, and not nearly as good at creating a priest of Storm, Sun, or Earth as the Essentials Builds, Creating Chosen themes in many ways expands to create Avandra's favored theif, or Corellon's favored mage, as well as creating Priests and Paladins who seem more specialty priest flavored. with Battlefield Drummer/Poet, my reaction is that this is similar to the bard, (I was thinking a courtly knight Paladin/Bard) however this would remove the arcana concept, Music as skill. I think it's a GREAT idea. But it also opens up the idea of "multi-class" themes . . . I don't know if it would be a great idea, it would pretty much make the Feat system of multiclass obsolete, but it might be a less onerous way to multiclass, the penalty being you couldn't pick another theme. it's essentially the same thing, an at will level power that is an encounter power, and power swapping. It would just free up feat use, problems of over powering being access to class feats, and a heck more power choice than other themes.  Would this be the multi-verse's worst idea? Or would it potentially lead to a more dynamic potential to themes?
#6 Osgood Mar 02, 2011 19:01:12	Bring on the Eberron themes!  I really think Eberron could benefit from character themes because there are so many campaign themes.  I'd like to see: Inquisitive Secret Agent Seeker/Agent/Pawn of Draconic Prophecy Dragonmarked Scion/Agent/Employee Day of Mourning Survivor Grzzled War Vet Explorer/Relic Hunter (I know this is most D&D characters, but a world traveller with an Indiana Jones vibe) All the nations could have their own theme... maybe tied to a power source.  Aundair has the arcane side, Eledeen Reaches with primal, Karnnath has shadow, Thrane has a divine feel, Valenar with martial, Zilargo with its elemental shipyards could be a foray into the elemental source.
#7 QuestorTelloc Mar 05, 2011 14:13:38	Some of this I've posted elsewhere, but... themes I'd like to see: Feyguard- you direct power from a fey patron into your armor, weapons, or movements Twilighter- you make use of both light and darkness to gain advantage over your foes Enchanter- you charm your allies to ignore wounds, and terrorize your opponents Channeler- You can at times embody some aspects of nature favored by a fey court Dragon Servant- You serve a dragon. Is it willing? indentured servitude? How and when (if ever) will you leave the service? Fortune Teller- you have a natural gift for prediction Elemental Agent- You secretly work against the gods
#8 MacEochaid Mar 06, 2011 0:31:11	What would be some explicitly for Points of Light? -I can only think secret last members of Arkhosia, Bael Turath, and Nerath -Nentir Valeans? -Merchant -Guards -The different Backgrounds in the Primal Power book like Wrathwood and Maelstrom -Fey Courts, Gloaming, Winter, Green, of Stars   Can anyone think of any others from material we've already seen?
#9 undrave Mar 06, 2011 0:43:31	Well the God specific ones proposed earlier would have to use some default pantheon so I guess they would be 'Points of Light' specific in that sense.
#10 thax Mar 06, 2011 2:19:20	Some things that the Prestige classes for NPC's in the previous edition's tail end is a good place to start. Investigator Bounty Hunter Guard and so on...