How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplines?

Discussion on game mastering Earthdawn. May contain spoilers; caution is recommended!
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Magic_Octopus
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How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplines?

Postby Magic_Octopus » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:40 am

I always thought that the strength of class-based RPGs was in them limiting and protecting the characters' niches and giving easy access to a character's identity for the player. If you are playing a scout, you have a specific role and it is cool that you become better and better at what you do best. Even more than that, your character, especially in Earthdawn, is strongly defined by the discipline in terms of philosophy and outlook on life.

Thus, to me "multiclassing" is a bit annoying. It opens the door to powergaming, optimization and munchkinism. Essentially, you are eying cool new abilities rather than developing you character, and that is an obstacle to roleplaying. It is cool that each character has a role, and I don't like muddying the water with multiple disciplines.

I am also a fan of GURPS. One of the strengths of that system is the freedom. But a class-based game isn't supposed to be as free, and multiclassing eats away that strength.

I haven't explicitly denied multiple disciplines yet from my players, but I have said that I don't like it. Am I being a douche?

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby Roth » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:18 am

Not at all. I disallow multi-disciplining in Earthdawn. Never saw the need for it back in 1&2 editions. With the talent options in 3&4 it's even less needful(imo)

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby etherial » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:27 am

None of my players have ever proposed a Second Discipline that didn't make sense for the character.

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Magic_Octopus
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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby Magic_Octopus » Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:13 am


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Flowswithdrek
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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby Flowswithdrek » Mon Mar 30, 2015 7:44 am

I hate the notion of characters with multiple disciplines in Earthdawn. To me Earthdawn was the game that fixed a lot of what I felt was wrong with D&D once I got over the fun of hack and slash and monty haul campaigns as a 12 year old. Earthdawn presented a real vision of classed based characters and then, in my opinion, muddied the water a bit by having multi disciplining.

Because a discipline is a distinct way of viewing the world, mixing disciplines didn't make a lot of sense. I can see there being an exception here and there, but the circumstance should be unique, and have an awesome backstory behind it. With a greater freedom with talent options, I think multi disciplining should have been scrapped as part of streamlining the rules.

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby Richard » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:32 am


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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby evil » Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:15 pm

I think multy discipline is a generic part of the game. I cann't see how a multy discipline character is over powered? A swordmaster who wants to become a troubadour so he can sing praises as to just how good he is and do it with style and a bit of flair- I don't see a problem with that.. Withpout multy disciplines only way for a character to pick up useful talents is to play a human. Alternatively the other option is to spend a lot of cash and spend a lot of time training with skills to pick up useful abilities (such as lockpicking, detect traps ect)

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby earthdawn66 » Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:00 am

Multi Discipline can work well depends on GM... I personally allow them but they should be able to work hand in hand with each other

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby Kasbak » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:22 pm

I don't have a problem with multi-Disciplining as long as it is developed with the character through story, not just looking for nifty new tricks. For example, I have been considering multi-Disciplining my Wizard for a bit now, but it is because he has developed into what I would probably best describe as an Astral physicist; he has been trying to study the reasons behind why magic works the way it does, and he keeps running into points where the methodology overlaps with other Disciplines based on their worldview. It's getting to the point where he won't be able to explore some of these overlaps without learning to step into the other perspective, see how the equations resolve on that side, and then step back and look at it with a wider understanding. For my case, it's not about picking up new Talents and Spells, it's about playing out the role the character has developed into.

That said, I'm well aware of the problems that multi-Disciplining can represent in a game. This I believe is why the Disciplines have been written to require a unique world view in order for the magic to function. It places the power at the GM's discretion to say whether or not a character has enough story and role-play behind their reasons for wanting another Discipline to develop the necessary perspective on a case-by-case basis.

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Re: How do you feel about characters with multiple disciplin

Postby MaxLiao » Tue May 05, 2015 7:55 pm

• •
Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand.


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