Paths have been chosen - but... Unearthed Arcana.

[Tawmis]

So, how do you handle it - if you have players (at 3rd level, or above 3rd level) - and one of the "Unearthed Arcana" adds that WotC is releasing on a regular basis, online, works with your campaign - but said character has already chosen their Class "path" (for lack of a better word). Would you allow them to change?

[Ravinsild]

So, how do you handle it - if you have players (at 3rd level, or above 3rd level) - and one of the "Unearthed Arcana" adds that WotC is releasing on a regular basis, online, works with your campaign - but said character has already chosen their Class "path" (for lack of a better word). Would you allow them to change?

If it were me and they unleashed something that the player felt more "captured" his character concept and helped bring it further to life/enhanced it/made it better RP then for sure. As long as the tone is consistent. For instance: They're a Barbarian and they picked the Totem Path because it felt more spiritual and nature-themed but then the Herald of the Storm Path comes out which is literally nature themed and it's like spiritual energy of the land swirling around them granting them power and it was dead-on what they wanted where-as they got like 75% from the Totem Path definitely change it up to make that perfect wild-man in tune with nature rager.

But if they're like a Devotion Paladin lawful good stereotypical paladin that's all about protecting the weak but...the new Oath of Conquest is stronger or does more damage or has better spells and just want it for the power? Nah man that's like a 180 on what your character was all about an has no cohesion at all. Unless they want to fall on purpose or RP it out as changing their character and developing it toward that.

[Sabeta]

I've filled my world with NPCs who have class levels roughly equivalent to the players. If I think the UA is balanced enough or after some tweaking I simply allow my players to spend downtime (or in some cases retroactively say they spent downtime) retraining to another path. Or rather that's how I would do it if my players wanted to retrain, but they haven't asked yet. I'll probably pitch it to them at the end of the current arc.

I've also considered tossing in cosmetic potions like genderbender fluid and race change items so they can basically have a redo on their character. My world is pretty advanced for D&D standards, so it's not impossible, but there would probably be a steep cost associated with it. For example, how do you rule a V. Human becoming a Dragonborn. Does he lose that feat that was a part of his back story? I would have to rule yes for balance reasons, but it kind of breaks verisimilitude a bit.

[Tawmis]

So far, none of the players have asked to change their path... But WOTC is kicking these additions out pretty quickly... so I figured I'd see how others might have done it. I would personally go the path of RP... for example if a player told me they wanted to change their path to a new one; I'd whip up an adventure that sort of bends the character's path for them, to make flow.