Sean Merwin

So I thought, OK, cool, I'll be safe here. No, they must not have gotten it figured out. So either that or somebody stole my credit card. We could yeah, we could.

So I thought, OK, cool, I'll be safe here. No, they must not have gotten it figured out. So either that or somebody stole my credit card. We could yeah, we could.

And anyway, I got two books in the mail. Yeah, exactly. And also I paid for my son's college.

And anyway, I got two books in the mail. Yeah, exactly. And also I paid for my son's college.

Yeah. So good weekend. Good weekend. Good weekend. Uh, some men without hats. I spent a whole 24 hours not thinking about gaming and work, uh, which is probably a record for me. So, uh, it was fun. That was fun.

Yeah. So good weekend. Good weekend. Good weekend. Uh, some men without hats. I spent a whole 24 hours not thinking about gaming and work, uh, which is probably a record for me. So, uh, it was fun. That was fun.

Sweet. Sweet. Well, also cool are our listeners, and they sometimes ask us questions or leave us comments, and we like to address those when we can. So we're going to get a couple today, starting with Toast Milk via our Patreon Discord. It could be argued that among all the core classes in D&D, the cleric is the one that's the most tied to the setting or the world.

Sweet. Sweet. Well, also cool are our listeners, and they sometimes ask us questions or leave us comments, and we like to address those when we can. So we're going to get a couple today, starting with Toast Milk via our Patreon Discord. It could be argued that among all the core classes in D&D, the cleric is the one that's the most tied to the setting or the world.

If marketing and character options balance in a core book were not a concern, should cleric subclasses be something that was only offered in source books or setting or campaign guides instead of in the core rule book?

If marketing and character options balance in a core book were not a concern, should cleric subclasses be something that was only offered in source books or setting or campaign guides instead of in the core rule book?

so as to make sure the mechanics of their domain subclasses fit more naturally with the setting, rather than for the GM having to tweak a setting to accommodate something designed abstractly outside of it. This is a continuation of the discussion we've had over the last several weeks. And I would say, yeah, I think divine magic characters are especially setting specific.

so as to make sure the mechanics of their domain subclasses fit more naturally with the setting, rather than for the GM having to tweak a setting to accommodate something designed abstractly outside of it. This is a continuation of the discussion we've had over the last several weeks. And I would say, yeah, I think divine magic characters are especially setting specific.

And I would say warlocks come in a close second when you've got that power that's larger than the rules or potentially larger than the world. And I'm going to push back against myself now. Yeah. Because I was beating the drum. I do believe it, but sometimes you have to get a little vehement. There should be nothing that that is setting specific in the rules.

And I would say warlocks come in a close second when you've got that power that's larger than the rules or potentially larger than the world. And I'm going to push back against myself now. Yeah. Because I was beating the drum. I do believe it, but sometimes you have to get a little vehement. There should be nothing that that is setting specific in the rules.

Obviously, D&D succeeds in a lot of ways because there is a setting lurking underneath those rules. So what the designers of D&D need to do is straddle that line between making something that's rich and evocative, or to steal a phrase from Dale Kingsmill, my co-host on the other podcast, vague and evocative.

Obviously, D&D succeeds in a lot of ways because there is a setting lurking underneath those rules. So what the designers of D&D need to do is straddle that line between making something that's rich and evocative, or to steal a phrase from Dale Kingsmill, my co-host on the other podcast, vague and evocative.

So they need to straddle that line between making something really rich in the setting and making a tool set that's useful for creators and DMs who might want to move in a different direction. So I am happy, honestly, with the way 2014 and 2024 5E handled that, which is not, this is your god and this is what you get because of this god.

So they need to straddle that line between making something really rich in the setting and making a tool set that's useful for creators and DMs who might want to move in a different direction. So I am happy, honestly, with the way 2014 and 2024 5E handled that, which is not, this is your god and this is what you get because of this god.

It's here's the peace domain, here's the war domain, here's the love domain, here's this or that domain, which DMs can then, yes, they might have to tweak, but it's easier to tweak than if it was more hard-coded into the rules.

It's here's the peace domain, here's the war domain, here's the love domain, here's this or that domain, which DMs can then, yes, they might have to tweak, but it's easier to tweak than if it was more hard-coded into the rules.