Sean Merwin

This seems like a fertile concept for class design, providing character creation choices that simultaneously define aspects of the character and the setting, and in doing so enhances the setting and the player character's ties to it. Yet only three D&D classes, Clerics and to a lesser extent Paladins and Warlocks, seem to do this.

The other classes involve choices that are essentially limited solely to that character. Now here's the question part. is D and D missing out by not applying this character design concept to other classes? What if rogues had to choose a guild and a role as the way to get their subclass? What if other classes also got to choose setting wide organization or affiliation and their, uh,

The other classes involve choices that are essentially limited solely to that character. Now here's the question part. is D and D missing out by not applying this character design concept to other classes? What if rogues had to choose a guild and a role as the way to get their subclass? What if other classes also got to choose setting wide organization or affiliation and their, uh,

and their role or tie to that to choose their subclass or other abilities. I could see how this could require creating Pantheon equivalents. That might be good or a bad thing if you had to do it for every class, like the way Eberron has its houses.

and their role or tie to that to choose their subclass or other abilities. I could see how this could require creating Pantheon equivalents. That might be good or a bad thing if you had to do it for every class, like the way Eberron has its houses.

I'm interested in your thoughts on the way choosing a cleric's god influences the game at the table and on the merits or otherwise extending this design concept to other classes. Okay.

I'm interested in your thoughts on the way choosing a cleric's god influences the game at the table and on the merits or otherwise extending this design concept to other classes. Okay.

But really, they're asking the same question, right? They're asking... Why does this choice that's seemingly so important not seem so important? And how could we make it more important for everyone? And should we? Yeah, it should be. And that's what we're going to get to. Especially how the second question of Michael Draper via Patreon was, here's how I would do it. Now the question is, should we?

But really, they're asking the same question, right? They're asking... Why does this choice that's seemingly so important not seem so important? And how could we make it more important for everyone? And should we? Yeah, it should be. And that's what we're going to get to. Especially how the second question of Michael Draper via Patreon was, here's how I would do it. Now the question is, should we?

So let's talk about all of this. The first thing I wanna say is if you've listened to me before, you know I talk about the three Fs of game design, right? Fun, flavor- They're all swear words. And freaking balanced. So what these two questions are talking about is what flavorful to me is about. It's making the rules illuminate and illustrate the setting in which your game takes place.

So let's talk about all of this. The first thing I wanna say is if you've listened to me before, you know I talk about the three Fs of game design, right? Fun, flavor- They're all swear words. And freaking balanced. So what these two questions are talking about is what flavorful to me is about. It's making the rules illuminate and illustrate the setting in which your game takes place.

and the tone and the style and the atmosphere of your game. So you definitely want to always keep that in mind as you design the rules for your game and make the rules you make work not only for the mechanics, but also for the setting.

and the tone and the style and the atmosphere of your game. So you definitely want to always keep that in mind as you design the rules for your game and make the rules you make work not only for the mechanics, but also for the setting.

However, and here is what you always need to keep in mind, making those rules too restrictive can be detrimental to the fun of certain kinds of players and maybe a majority of the players. So the idea of these gods being important in your game is great until you have a setting where there are no gods or where you want to de-emphasize gods.

However, and here is what you always need to keep in mind, making those rules too restrictive can be detrimental to the fun of certain kinds of players and maybe a majority of the players. So the idea of these gods being important in your game is great until you have a setting where there are no gods or where you want to de-emphasize gods.

That is why I was super happy to see domains be emphasized for clerics rather than gods, or oaths be highlighted for paladins rather than gods in the core rules, not necessarily in setting books, but in the core rules. Because then if I play in Dark Sun, or if I play in Grim Hollow,

That is why I was super happy to see domains be emphasized for clerics rather than gods, or oaths be highlighted for paladins rather than gods in the core rules, not necessarily in setting books, but in the core rules. Because then if I play in Dark Sun, or if I play in Grim Hollow,

and the player who has only read the player's handbook comes to me and starts saying, well, what god do I choose in this? Then I have to explain, well, there are no gods here, so we're going to have to map these gods to these different things. With domains, you can have that, but the work is done in the setting rather than in the main game. I'm going to stop there and let you talk.

and the player who has only read the player's handbook comes to me and starts saying, well, what god do I choose in this? Then I have to explain, well, there are no gods here, so we're going to have to map these gods to these different things. With domains, you can have that, but the work is done in the setting rather than in the main game. I'm going to stop there and let you talk.

I understand that, and I want all of that work done in the setting. I want the game to be a tool with a skeleton or a blueprint, and then I want the setting to say, here is how we are going to do this particular thing. Because I want my player to be able to worship Umberlee but take the trickery domain or take trickery themed things.