Sean Merwin

Why offer a thief alongside a paladin class if not to sow discord? Similarly, the first edition barbarian had a hatred of magic hardwired into its class features, which put it at odds with the wizard. All right, so I have things to say, but I'm going to let Teo step in here if he so chooses.

Well, I mean, yeah. I find this... No, I'm going to give it to you. I love this question. I have a lot of thoughts and I'm still thinking of them. So go ahead.

Well, I mean, yeah. I find this... No, I'm going to give it to you. I love this question. I have a lot of thoughts and I'm still thinking of them. So go ahead.

What do you think? Okay. So I too love this thought. And it's something that I've thought about before. I've talked about this tension that... Stories thrive on tension and games to thrive on tension. But I think the tension there is more of a happy or maybe an unhappy coincidence rather than the designers making a deliberate choice.

What do you think? Okay. So I too love this thought. And it's something that I've thought about before. I've talked about this tension that... Stories thrive on tension and games to thrive on tension. But I think the tension there is more of a happy or maybe an unhappy coincidence rather than the designers making a deliberate choice.

I think the choices of the thief and the paladin and the barbarian hating magic and so therefore not liking wizards really goes back to the historical and fictional inspirations of D&D. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, right? They were roguish sorts who were in trouble with wizards. So they disliked wizards. You have Conan, right? You have real life people, Saladin. You have the Arthurian Knights.

I think the choices of the thief and the paladin and the barbarian hating magic and so therefore not liking wizards really goes back to the historical and fictional inspirations of D&D. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, right? They were roguish sorts who were in trouble with wizards. So they disliked wizards. You have Conan, right? You have real life people, Saladin. You have the Arthurian Knights.

These are all inspirations that they drew upon to make the classes. So I think that that sort of... tension came from the cool and interesting and fun stories that inspired D&D rather than a deliberate attempt to say, okay, we are going to make sure the party hates each other or are always at odds.

These are all inspirations that they drew upon to make the classes. So I think that that sort of... tension came from the cool and interesting and fun stories that inspired D&D rather than a deliberate attempt to say, okay, we are going to make sure the party hates each other or are always at odds.

Okay, I think that, you know, so I've been reading the Playing at the World second edition by John Peterson. And if I look at kind of what they're discussing, there's some really fascinating things in the history of pre- original Dungeons and Dragons, where you have these Bronstein games that are going on where people adopt roles. Right.

Okay, I think that, you know, so I've been reading the Playing at the World second edition by John Peterson. And if I look at kind of what they're discussing, there's some really fascinating things in the history of pre- original Dungeons and Dragons, where you have these Bronstein games that are going on where people adopt roles. Right.

And so that's kind of like before there was a word role playing before that existed as a term. They are taking on roles and playing these scenarios out that are a massive change from wargaming. Right. And Dave Arneson's group starts running their Blackmore campaign using the chainmail rules and sort of modifying them in kind of non written down ways. But they're sort of playing at it.

And so that's kind of like before there was a word role playing before that existed as a term. They are taking on roles and playing these scenarios out that are a massive change from wargaming. Right. And Dave Arneson's group starts running their Blackmore campaign using the chainmail rules and sort of modifying them in kind of non written down ways. But they're sort of playing at it.

And one of the things that he does is the idea of like classes. People are leveling and they're they're playing the various classes with sort of more meat to them, depending on how they're leveling, which Gygax then refines. And so it's a little bit of that adopting a role.

And one of the things that he does is the idea of like classes. People are leveling and they're they're playing the various classes with sort of more meat to them, depending on how they're leveling, which Gygax then refines. And so it's a little bit of that adopting a role.

but i think it's i think where the industry was industry uh where the concepts were were less about let's create this antagonism and more a desire to root something as an entity so saying that a barbarian hates magic was a way of like going aha i've declared something that you can hang on to it wasn't about creating tension with the wizard.

but i think it's i think where the industry was industry uh where the concepts were were less about let's create this antagonism and more a desire to root something as an entity so saying that a barbarian hates magic was a way of like going aha i've declared something that you can hang on to it wasn't about creating tension with the wizard.

It was about giving you something that you could claim as your own. Um, and, and that that would be like exciting to you. Right. And, and definitive for you. Uh, same thing with, with, um, rogues. I don't think the concept was you will steal from your party though. That void did that happen and drove me up the wall in my games back then. But it was, it was this idea of, um,

It was about giving you something that you could claim as your own. Um, and, and that that would be like exciting to you. Right. And, and definitive for you. Uh, same thing with, with, um, rogues. I don't think the concept was you will steal from your party though. That void did that happen and drove me up the wall in my games back then. But it was, it was this idea of, um,

defining who you are and capturing that concept well.