Compiled info on upcoming classes & races

[Kobold Avenger]

I think the most 4e friendly psionic specialties are probably: Telepathy, Psychoportation, Psychokinesis, and Psychometabolism. They've effectively relegated ESP-like powers to rituals, and put in the "warning blurbs" for DMs that have PCs that want to attempt scrying, so I can't see them basing a whole class around Clairsentience.

Clairsentience had far more combat powers than the school of Divination. Many Clairsentience powers were buffing powers, with some that did damage to a single target by altering reality. It's most likely a lot of Clairsentience powers will go the "ardent" or psionic leader, and "psychic warrior" or psionic defender.

 

[fba827]

From here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080613a

Barbarian: "class previews on D&D Insider slated for this year" along with suggestions on what to do with barbarian concepts for now which might suggest direction being taken with the class

Bard: "slated for future publication" along with suggestions on what to do with the concepts which might suggest direction being taken with the class. also spells it out as an arcane leader

Druid: While no timeline is mentioned, it does offer options from current cleric builds which might hint at directions being taken for the druid in 4e drafts

Monk: While no timeline is mentioned, it does offer options from current fighter builds which might hint at directions being taken for the monk in 4e drafts (however, it seems vague in terms of concept compared to the conversion suggestions listed for the druid)

 

[Ondo]

Updated the first post with a correction to the PHB2 class initials here.

There is no R class, it is instead another B.

Probably the Bard, though that means either the Sorcerer is out or he was wrong about only 3 old classes. I'd guess Sorcerer is out, as D R B were the ones he listed first and said were obvious. However, we have been told Sorcerer will be in PHB2 a couple of times, so who knows.

 

[Zsig]

There is no R class, it is instead another B.

Probably the Bard, though that means either the Sorcerer is out or he was wrong about only 3 old classes. I'd guess Sorcerer is out, as D R B were the ones he listed first and said were obvious. However, we have been told Sorcerer will be in PHB2 a couple of times, so who knows.

Yeah, unless they just changed the barbarian name to "Rampager" or something like that, because as you pointed " D, R and B" were the obvious ones... and honestly, R is not that obvious... at least not to me.

I just find kinda weird though, that the new PHBII will revisit old power sources.

 

[Flobby]

swordmage?

I was thinking one of the Ss would be swordmage. i hope so, cause it sounds like a cool class but I have no interest in buying any Forgotten Realms books...

 

[Kobold Avenger]

'I' could be Inquisitor, a divine striker.
'S' could be Scourge for divine controller.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

It's hard to say what the Artificer might be, but somehow I suspect they could actually be of the Elemental power source.

We haven't been given a good idea of what Elemental power is, maybe in some ways it's partially Technology, a power source I've been wanting. After all so many magic items in Eberron are actually "Bound Elemental" items, and it could be a way of having a Technological character without bringing up the technology level of a campaign.

Then again another ideal Elemental class would be Wu Jen, they've basically been a Druid/Wizard hybrid for a while, as their spells have been Wizard and Druid spells except with an elemental theme.

 

[Ondo]

So there's now the full interview with Mike Mearls from Gamer Radio Zero here.

It's a pretty good watch, if you're interested in this.

I've updated the first post with the following info, but I'd like feedback on whether this is a decent summary - anything I should add or change?

Mike Mearls discusses the PHB2 on Gamer Radio Zero here. Some highlights: "If there's stuff in the Player's Handbook that you're like, 'hey, where's this class', it's probably going to be in the Player's Handbook 2." Also new classes - a cleric that's a bit more on the spellcaster-y side, a striker that's a "deadly and dangerous" kind of guy. The druid (I think the 3.5 druid, but I'm not sure) is the main example of a primal character, and other primal classes do things that will remind you of the druid, but in their own unique way. He lists the first letters of each class in the PHB2 - D, B, B, W, I, T, S, S (after this correction). He also says "I think only three of those are classes that anyone has ever seen before. I think the other ones are all new classes, completely new to Dungeons & Dragons."

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

So there's now the full interview with Mike Mearls from Gamer Radio Zero here.

It's a pretty good watch, if you're interested in this.

I've updated the first post with the following info, but I'd like feedback on whether this is a decent summary - anything I should add or change?

snip summary

I think it's a very good summary!

btw didn't they say that each year they will publish a compilation of "best of dragon"? maybe some classes will find place there?

 

[Ondo]

Added to the first post, just after the summary of the video of Mearls talking about the PHB2:

However, when asked on his blog how many classes are new he says "Three are completely and utterly new. The rest are either classes or old concepts revisited." (source)