Quote:
Originally Posted by vgn  Seeing as how the goal of the game is to promote RP, I doubt we'll see Roles like Priest and Paladin going away. I can't speak for the team and this is by no means any official answer, but I would venture the following guesses:
Roles/Titles/Group-Membership will likely be defined by certain rule sets.
For example, a priest of Katia:
1. Has a neutral-ish alignment.
2. Has skills focused on divine nature magic (plants, animals, earth, etc)
3. Might have developed skills to speak with animals.
4. Has skills in using leather or cloth armors.
5. Has skills in using a staff as a weapon.
Anyone declaring devotion to Katia and having some (or all) of the above could be a "priest" and through RP and development of those skills to higher levels different titles could be granted, etc....
Second example, a paladin of Toran:
1. Is Lawful and Good.
2. Has focused in fighting skills like heavy armor and long sword.
3. Has focused on horse riding skills.
4. Has focused on protection and possibly healing (laying hands?) divine spells.
Anyone declaring devotion to Toran and having some (or all) of the above skills could be at least a holy warrior of Toran. I'm not sure if a title such as "paladin" will continue through but if so, I would imagine titles like Paladin, Champion, etc, would be earned through RP and development of skills.
If it's not like that....well then I'm sure there is some way to have those roles, but that is how I imagine it would work well with the system Leanthar hinted at. |
Indeed, what I like most in a skill-based system is that it doesn't make you nerf your character advancement and power just to conform to the religions. Clerics in Layonara's NWN version need to often take extra feats just to use one specific weapon, or deal with horribly offset stats skewed so that a cleric in robes or light armor just isn't feasable. With light armor, unarmored and heavy variants all being skills you can work on in your own leisure, you can have a whole lot more flexibility in matching the archetypes of a religious order without sacrificing much needed eschew feats or spell power feats just to be accepted as one of the order. Now we can actually have those ilsarian clerics who excell at archery on par with a ranged specialist, or a high attack-rolled and beefy Voraxian warpriest who isn't limited by low HP or a limp wristed attack roll. And if we get unarmed and unarmored skills in the mix, Aeridenites can finally fulfill their vows not to bear weapons and LIVE to brag about it!
