PHB II class roster all but confirmed?

[firesnakearies]

That list looks pretty logical to me. I hope they expand it out like that, where each power source has at least one class of each role. (Er, except for Martial Controller, I guess.)

But I was thinking about Druids . . . didn't they say at some point that Druids are going to be fairly heavily about shifting into an animal form? If that's the case, then maybe Druids are going to be Primal DEFENDERS instead of Controllers? Which means that maybe Wardens will be the Controllers?

Does that sound entirely outside of the realm of possibility?

 

[dm4hire]

Pretty sure Druids are suppose to be the first Hybrid class if past comments are correct, which would make it Controller/Defender most likely. Shifting for the defending aspect and spells for the Controlling.

 

[firesnakearies]

I thought for sure I'd read something from one of the big Wizards guys (Mike Mearls maybe?) that "hybrid" classes were to be avoided in 4E, that they were specifically NOT going to be creating classes that blur those lines too much, as they wanted the set roles to stay relevant throughout the course of the game.

I think roles are kind of dumb, really, but IF you're going to have them, I think they need to stay concrete. As soon as you get to the point where players are asking, "Why should I ever play a Fighter, or a Wizard, when I can play a Druid and perform the roles of each of those classes just as well?" I think there's a problem.

Unless you do away with roles entirely, and let every character diversify as much as they want.

 

[davethegame]

I thought for sure I'd read something from one of the big Wizards guys (Mike Mearls maybe?) that "hybrid" classes were to be avoided in 4E, that they were specifically NOT going to be creating classes that blur those lines too much, as they wanted the set roles to stay relevant throughout the course of the game.

As I understand it, hybrid roles were being toyed with at one point during the design discussions, but eventually they decided against them (for many of the reasons you list.)

 

[doctorhook]

As I understand it, hybrid roles were being toyed with at one point during the design discussions, but eventually they decided against them (for many of the reasons you list.)

QFT. Let's leave CoDzilla in 3E, where it belongs.

firesnakearies: I mean this in the most polite way possible, but could you, uh, please NOT post in size 3 red font? It's really distracting. Thanks for hearing me, bro.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

I'm staking my claim here.

Druids are Primal Controllers that are basiocally nature wizards with maybe some utility shapechanging.

Wardens will be a Primal Defender that turns into a bear to be a defender.

 

[doctorhook]

I'm staking my claim here.

Druids are Primal Controllers that are basiocally nature wizards with maybe some utility shapechanging.

Wardens will be a Primal Defender that turns into a bear to be a defender.

I think you're probably right about these.

 

[Cadfan]

I think druids will be the other way around. They will be combatants who shapeshift, with utility and shapeshifting magic.

I think shapeshifting is more popular than druidic magic.

The only way I think this might not be true is if one of the other newer classes has taken the druids shapeshifting and turned it into an entire combat style.

 

[JPL]

Wardens will be a Primal Defender that turns into a bear to be a defender.

Maybe it works like the animal companion in Martial Power. Your alternate form is defined as a broad category --- bear, cat, lizard, raptor --- and that choice affects some of your powers. You can gain additional forms as you advance in level, but there are also benefits to specializing.

I'd be very happy with that. Separate the shapeshifting stuff from the nature spell stuff. Makes sense.

Makes magic items tricky, though, if your primary schtick is turning into a bear. Maybe some sort of . . . totem? . . . that can be used as an implement, and that is absorbed into the shifted form?

 

[Charwoman Gene]

I don't think the Warden will be limited to Bears, fwiw