Debut: Ardent

[Piratecat]

I really like this class, both in feel and in mechanics. Good stuff.

 

[Vael]

Huh, well, lost that bet.

That said, I like the class. It has got a fusion of warlord and Psionic goodness. I like the bonuses built into its healing power. And the Talaric Strategist Paragon Path is really cool (not just because of its quote).

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think that "Empath" is inappropriate as a class name, because the first thing I think about when I hear the word "Empath" is Counsellor Obvious, or Counsellor Useless, the one known as Counsellor Deanna Troi. Whose most useful ability was telling the bridge crew of the Enterprise "I sense feelings of hostility" after watching someone on the view screen angrily threaten to kill Captain Picard.

 

[Hawke]

I still am not digging the "halo" art at all.

I also sort of think that Tiefling looks significantly more primal than he does psionic - and reading that Ardents are the closest psionic class to the divine power source, that kind of threw me a bit, too. Other than the halo though, cool picture.

 

[Rechan]

Reading the Ardent's writeup, it looks like they killed the Empath. The words are tied to emotions. Hell, look at the Ardent Surge - Mantle of Elation? That sounds very emotional to me.

Which is a shame. I liked the idea of the Empath being the leader. But I guess it doesn't fit the 'weapon using' feel.

Speaking of, I hope the toher build doesn't have to use melee weapons. But I doubt it.

 

[Rechan]

Several of the middle augment powers are lame, to me. Namely because they are even more corner cases. For instance, with Focused Strike - I rarely see saving throws for charm/fear effects coming from monsters. Or the middle augment just effects Will-related things, which while appropriate, the amount of utility there is going to be fairly limited.

Distracting Strike's augment 1 confuses me. "The marked condition ends on allies adjacent to you, who can each shift 1 square as a free action". It's ending what? And when do they get the shift?

 

[yesnomu]

Reading the Ardent's writeup, it looks like they killed the Empath. The words are tied to emotions. Hell, look at the Ardent Surge - Mantle of Elation? That sounds very emotional to me.

Which is a shame. I liked the idea of the Empath being the leader. But I guess it doesn't fit the 'weapon using' feel.

Speaking of, I hope the toher build doesn't have to use melee weapons. But I doubt it.

The class doesn't have an implement proficiency, so... yeah.

 

[flashedarling]

Distracting Strike's augment 1 confuses me. "The marked condition ends on allies adjacent to you, who can each shift 1 square as a free action". It's ending what? And when do they get the shift?

I'm think it refers to cases were a monster has marked your ally you remove that mark from your ally. So that condition immediately ends and they get to shift as a free action.

I like the class, although I would prefer to see the elation build, its just teasing to let us know the grant a bonus to attack instead of bonus to defense. I'm going to be crazy and build a CON based Ardent now, to hell with the lack of support.

 

[Engilbrand]

I like it. I haven't read the whole thing, but I did check out the Level 29 Dailies. I like the one that allies all of your allies to make an At-Will. Depending on how many allies and their choices, that could be enough to seriously hamper a powerful enemy.

 

[Obergnom]

Hmm, I am sorry to say, but I am quite disappointed. I was expecting the psionic classes to be as special as the primal ones. The ardent feels more like a psionic variation of the warlord, not as special as the shaman.