Category Archives: DMing

If I’m going to namedrop the cook, I might as well post it on Thanksgiving, right? Though I’m probably not posting the pirate, so what do I know. Profession (cook) and its ilk are probably the second most popular Profession … Continue reading →

I’m really iffy about the name of this theme. “Acolyte” means different things to different people, and it doesn’t help that the first thing I think when I read it is “professional wrestler”. But it’s the least religion-specific word I … Continue reading →

If I was a character in Pathfinder and I had a theme, there’s about a 50/50 chance it’s either this one or tomorrow’s. A problem I keep having when working on themes is how Pathfinder handles certain language. The timely … Continue reading →

I realized that I’m short on month and I have a lot more themes to go. So, buckle up. The criminal presented an interesting dilemma in the general application of a specific theme. That is, criminals can be all sorts. … Continue reading →

I really should give examples of themes that work with the big four classes: fighter, cleric, wizard, rogue. These themes aren’t specific to or even intended explicitly for those classes, but I figure they’re the first place a player will … Continue reading →

I’ve divided themes into three categories: occupational, where a character continues in their pre-adventuring job, heritage, where a character’s bloodline gives them power, and “other”. The third category is a catch-all for lifestyles, philosophies, places of origin, and mostly anything … Continue reading →

There are a few ways to manifest an extraplanar background in Pathfinder, and they’re all kind of weird. For example, say you want to play a celestial. You can be a sorcerer or bloodrager with a celestial bloodline, but that’s … Continue reading →

I figure if I’m going to introduce themes as “what if you want to play a farmer?” pretty universally, it’s only proper for that to be the first theme I post. A few things to keep in mind throughout these … Continue reading →

I have a few key points to keep in mind as I work on themes: They can’t be too strong. The point is not to give players a significant power jump or suddenly allow new game-breaker builds. Themes must be … Continue reading →

So what, exactly, is a theme? D&D and Pathfinder make a clear difference between PCs and NPCs. PCs are heroes, the stuff of legend, several cuts above the average person. PCs are stronger, faster, braver, and all around better than … Continue reading →