Welcome to Curious Quill, an original content resource for d20 roleplaying.
Choosing a class typically is more about its capabilities: what will it allow the character to do? But when building your character, theorycrafting on why the character, versus the player, followed that path can play a large role in creating an interesting back story. Some classes are more straightforward, while some are more open-ended. In these Class Theory features we will explore and present ideas to help illustrate the reason a character follows a class path.
Class Theory: Ranger Concepts
In this feature we will explore what gives the Ranger their primal powers including spells and other class features.
Class Theory: Barbarian Concepts
In this feature we will explore what gives the Barbarian primal powered rage versus just being a frenzied warrior.
Class Theory: Druid Concepts
In this feature we will explore why a character might gain the ability to call on the mystical, primal forces of nature.
Class Theory: Cleric Concepts
In this feature we will explore what makes a character a Cleric with divine powers versus a regular priest or holy warrior.
Class Theory: Paladin Concepts
In this feature we will explore what makes a paladin a paladin, not in features but by choice.
Class Theory: Warlock Concepts
In this feature we will explore why someone might make a pact with an extraplanar being in exchange for the power gained following the Warlock class.
Followers & Inspiration
Followers, henchmen, hirelings… there have been different terms and different iterations of what they bring to the table to the player characters. In 5e24, the Bastion rules come closest to defining how characters might have people helping them.
Here we will explore ways that a DM can work out who, how many, people might follow the characters and what benefits—but also responsibilities—that can provide them.
Little changes, big returns: Alt Ghil
Homebrew, house rules, rule of cool: these are various terms for winging it, for making small changes to the rules of 5e in order to have fun. Often they were used for rulings made by the DM to make actions by the characters better attune to their, well, character: to let them do something not normally detailed or allowed in the basic rules. But it can start at character creation as well.
Read More about how you can do so.
To Play to or Skip to Subclass
The 2024 rules version of 5e changed it so that ALL classes wait to get a subclass until third level. With the standard wait for everyone, the first two levels may seem boring, for players they do not get to specialize in what really separates their character from others. In some campaigns, the group plays through the early levels, but many jump straight to third. So which is better?
Read More about making the decision.