Do Leaders act as Force Multipliers?

[Tony Vargas]

Yes, leaders are a force-multiplier. They keep thier allies up and running, preserving thier actions, and they enhance the effectiveness of those actions. Controllers can also have those sorts of effects, less directly, by hindering the opposition. Defenders have a more than merely addative effect, in freeing up other PCs to take the offensive. Even a striker - the warlock - can enhance the effectiveness of his party with a substantial selection of single-target de-buffs.

There's a lot of party synergy in 4e. I suspect you won't often see a character who's contribution is purely his own, in no way enhancing or being enhanced by the rest of his party.

 

[Rechan]

I'm playing a 7th level Bard in the Pyramid of Shadows, and I feel like I am a crucial asset to the party. I'm not doing a lot of damage, and I'm not providing a lot of attack or damage bonuses.

But I am messing the monsters up. It's very gratifying to be able to say "You, monster stomping my weak ally? You now can no longer SEE that ally." "You, monster, you are now dominated by me!" And the slide-based powers that my Bard can toss out has got them out of very bad situations.

Also, for some reason, I actually enjoy spending a standard action on First Aid to let an adjacent ally use their Second Wind.

 

[Mad Hamish]

There's a lot of party synergy in 4e. I suspect you won't often see a character who's contribution is purely his own, in no way enhancing or being enhanced by the rest of his party.

I suspect that the closest thing you'll see to that is an archer ranger who is close to being a damage only striker and doesn't have a lot that benefits the rest of the party.
Even there you are hugely helped if the tank is doing his job well and a controller who locks enemies down. (and buffs on you and...)

 

[blargney the second]

Our party has two leaders (taclord and ranged cleric), one defender (mordenkrad), and three strikers (artful rogue, brutal rogue, darklock).

It's taken a little while, but the two leaders are starting to work pretty well together now - the cleric does Lance of Faith to pump the taclord's next hit, who then drops a Warlord's Favor with a much better chance of hitting. Daisy chaining attack bonuses seems to be a simple and potentially very effective tactic.

The cleric's heals are much better, so we usually use his up first. He also gives temp hp and AC bonuses to whoever needs them the most. The taclord spends more of his time helping set up allies for flanking and giving them extra attacks to take advantage of whichever class ability we need more of.
-blarg

 

[dammitbiscuit]

(off-topic; carry on without me)

Daisy chaining attack bonuses

I think the last time I ever heard the phrase "daisy chain", I also heard "null modem cables" in the same sentence. Nostalgic...

 

[Starfox]

I don't bye the force-multiplier verbage here. It is more that a balanced party is strong, than that any specific role is a force multiplier. You might as well say that a party without a leader is weak - but that can be said of controllers, defenders, and strikers as well.

 

[Rechan]

I don't bye the force-multiplier verbage here. It is more that a balanced party is strong, than that any specific role is a force multiplier. You might as well say that a party without a leader is weak - but that can be said of controllers, defenders, and strikers as well.

I would argue that the controller is the weakest link. They are best against only one enemy - minions. Otherwise, they do very wide damage - little amounts over several enemies. Not bad, but not an absence that weakens the party overall.

 

[CapnZapp]

Per definition, no they aren't a force multiplier - not unless all character classes are.

If some classes added to the party's overall strength and others multiplied it, that would be the same as saying the classes are unbalanced, with some better than others.

Unless the multiplication factor is very slight, everyone would want to play force-multipliers instead of mere force-adders. Especially in parties with more members than standard.

So I hope the answer is "no"

 

[Nail]

Leaders can only be "force multipliers" if they are able to give out a bonus to multiple people with just one action. I've not seen a lot of powers that do that.....dailies perhaps, but not encounter powers.

 

[Gimby]

I think its fair to say that the *first* leader to join a party acts as a force mulitplier - this is probably clearest with a tactical warlord in a melee heavy party.

Additional leaders act closer to force adders.