Would you allow players to change their sub-classes? If you do would you impose any kind of level limits (not wanting a level 17 wizard to change schools makes sense)? Does the character have to jump through physical or metaphorical hoops in-game? Does it make more sense for some classes than others? A cleric changing to another of her god's domains, a warlock forced to trade in the fiend for a celestial compared to a battle-master deciding they really should have been studying magic the whole time.
I know a lot of DMs like their players to role-play or plot out when they multi-class, would you treat this similarly?
I'm planning on letting my daughter switch over from Life to Forge domain. Clerics pick out their Domain straight away, before they really know how the whole class is going to play out. She definitely wants to keep her heavy armour, but she is much more inclined to run in and swing her mace than she is to stand back and cast her support and healing spells.
I'm considering working in a forge/rebirth element into the latter half of the current quest-line. It will fit in thematically and would be a fun turning point for the character if that's the way she wants to go.
I typically allow anything that can be justified somehow "in world".
I think that if you're willing to allow Characters to change classes, changing sub-classes is not that different.
I'd definitely have there be "in world" consequences for the Player choice, however. I don't know if this Cleric is only changing Domains within the same religion, or changing Faiths entirely. If the former, then it's really just an internal transfer in the religious organization - perhaps no different than a Catholic missionary settling down and teaching at a Catholic high school. If it's the latter - then maybe they are excommunicated or shunned by their former religion, or maybe their god doesn't take rejection well.
Since you seem to be describing a newish Player, really just getting a feel for the Cleric class, and making choices that were a bad fit for her - I wouldn't be too harsh with in world consequences, however.
I think your idea of having a story element built around her Character's change, and acting as a justification for it, is an excellent way to handle it.
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I generally let my players change out anything they don't like about their character.
Once I've talked to the player and they've decided what they would like to change about their character, I'll work in some extra downtime and while the other PC's take jobs or other down time activities, I'll have the player spend their time learning the new skill/ability/etc.
I think it would be awesome to start seeding in her character's dreams that she sees a blacksmiths hammer striking in rhythm, maybe it wakes her up at first as if it were a nightmare? The dream may continue on the next few nights expanding a little more about the room the blacksmith is in till it's revealed to be celestial or deity that is reaching out for her?
As an example in my game, I've had a gunslinger who was upset with their grit-shot choices. I had him spend about a week of his downtime practicing the new shots as he "forgot" the old ones.
Ultimately, it's your game and if you're comfortable with letting a player change something out so they're having more fun, I say go for it :)
If it's early enough in the game, I'd just allow a retcon and say she was always a forge domain. That's basically what Clint did in the early arcs of The Adventure Zone when his character Merle switched gods.
Some times people find that the character they made is not quite as fun as what they were expecting. Instead of making them play a character that they dislike, I let them make the needed changes for simple things like switching sub-classes.
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Would you allow players to change their sub-classes? If you do would you impose any kind of level limits (not wanting a level 17 wizard to change schools makes sense)? Does the character have to jump through physical or metaphorical hoops in-game? Does it make more sense for some classes than others? A cleric changing to another of her god's domains, a warlock forced to trade in the fiend for a celestial compared to a battle-master deciding they really should have been studying magic the whole time.
I know a lot of DMs like their players to role-play or plot out when they multi-class, would you treat this similarly?
I'm planning on letting my daughter switch over from Life to Forge domain. Clerics pick out their Domain straight away, before they really know how the whole class is going to play out. She definitely wants to keep her heavy armour, but she is much more inclined to run in and swing her mace than she is to stand back and cast her support and healing spells.
I'm considering working in a forge/rebirth element into the latter half of the current quest-line. It will fit in thematically and would be a fun turning point for the character if that's the way she wants to go.
My DM's Guild Content - Mostly quick rules and guides.
I typically allow anything that can be justified somehow "in world".
I think that if you're willing to allow Characters to change classes, changing sub-classes is not that different.
I'd definitely have there be "in world" consequences for the Player choice, however. I don't know if this Cleric is only changing Domains within the same religion, or changing Faiths entirely. If the former, then it's really just an internal transfer in the religious organization - perhaps no different than a Catholic missionary settling down and teaching at a Catholic high school. If it's the latter - then maybe they are excommunicated or shunned by their former religion, or maybe their god doesn't take rejection well.
Since you seem to be describing a newish Player, really just getting a feel for the Cleric class, and making choices that were a bad fit for her - I wouldn't be too harsh with in world consequences, however.
I think your idea of having a story element built around her Character's change, and acting as a justification for it, is an excellent way to handle it.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I generally let my players change out anything they don't like about their character.
Once I've talked to the player and they've decided what they would like to change about their character, I'll work in some extra downtime and while the other PC's take jobs or other down time activities, I'll have the player spend their time learning the new skill/ability/etc.
I think it would be awesome to start seeding in her character's dreams that she sees a blacksmiths hammer striking in rhythm, maybe it wakes her up at first as if it were a nightmare? The dream may continue on the next few nights expanding a little more about the room the blacksmith is in till it's revealed to be celestial or deity that is reaching out for her?
As an example in my game, I've had a gunslinger who was upset with their grit-shot choices. I had him spend about a week of his downtime practicing the new shots as he "forgot" the old ones.
Ultimately, it's your game and if you're comfortable with letting a player change something out so they're having more fun, I say go for it :)
If it increases the fun for that player without decreasing the fun for you as DM and for the rest of the party, then it's a change worth considering.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
If it's early enough in the game, I'd just allow a retcon and say she was always a forge domain. That's basically what Clint did in the early arcs of The Adventure Zone when his character Merle switched gods.
Some times people find that the character they made is not quite as fun as what they were expecting. Instead of making them play a character that they dislike, I let them make the needed changes for simple things like switching sub-classes.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master