Player's Handbook 2: I haz it

[Runestar]

So does anyone know if Amazon Japan ships to the US?

Yes I am impatient, why do you ask?

Oh and I may have missed it in this thread but Half-Orcs are +2 Str and +2????

+2str/dex, so it seems...

Not sure what their racial power is, but it seems we have a new brutal scoundrel.

And the deva would make for the perfect orb wizard, considering its racial +2int/wis bonus.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Means you only need a 14 to stay even with the chain guy (you WILL fall behind slowly since you're not advancing dex; if you compare to say a wizard in leather who gets +1 INTMOD at 8, 14, 21 (x2 if demigod), 28, that's 4 advancements and you're only getting 3, not to mention you effectively start 1 behind if you're only going 14 dex..

And this is what I'm most concerned about. Until now, I hadn't seen any class whose AC didn't scale at the same rate as everyone else.

EVERY class has Int or Dex as either their primary or secondary stat OR they get an ability that adds their primary or secondary stat to their AC.

So far every character I've made up chooses his primary and secondary stats as his stat bumps at EVERY chance. And I don't much see a reason not to except maybe 1 or 2 levels to qualify for a feat.

That being the case, as you mention, everyone gains 4 to their AC from 1st level to 30th level EXCEPT Barbarians(and the defending Shaman who has Con as a secondary). Barbarians only gain 2.

They already start with the lowest average AC out of any class. They'd better be able to generate temp hitpoints like CRAZY to make up for their AC.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

+2str/dex, so it seems...

Not sure what their racial power is, but it seems we have a new brutal scoundrel.

Half-orc Resilience: The first time you are bloodied you gain 5 temp hp (increase to 10 at 11th level and 15 at 21st level)

Swift Charge: You gain a +2 bonus to speed when charging.

Furious Assault: encounter/ free action/ trigger (you hit an enemy)- attack deals an extra 1(W) if it is a weapon attack or 1d8 if it isn't.

 

[Piratecat]

I may have missed it elsewhere. What's the fiction/fluff behind the deva, anyone know?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I may have missed it elsewhere. What's the fiction/fluff behind the deva, anyone know?

I don't know their origin, however, I know that they resolve around being reincarnated over and over again. They remember portions of their previous lives but not all of them. Why they keep reincarnating and where they can from originally, I have no idea.

 

[deleteme123456]

And this is what I'm most concerned about. Until now, I hadn't seen any class whose AC didn't scale at the same rate as everyone else.

EVERY class has Int or Dex as either their primary or secondary stat OR they get an ability that adds their primary or secondary stat to their AC.

So far every character I've made up chooses his primary and secondary stats as his stat bumps at EVERY chance. And I don't much see a reason not to except maybe 1 or 2 levels to qualify for a feat.

That being the case, as you mention, everyone gains 4 to their AC from 1st level to 30th level EXCEPT Barbarians(and the defending Shaman who has Con as a secondary). Barbarians only gain 2.

They already start with the lowest average AC out of any class. They'd better be able to generate temp hitpoints like CRAZY to make up for their AC.

Well, Starlocks who try to do both CON and CHA have issues (or have to take chain), Melee rangers have to take Chain unless doing scimitar dance/stormwarden, and there was one other new class that had a choice of secondaries where one of the secondaries wasn't dex/int and didn't apply to AC. I can't remember which off-hand. And no chain proficiency.

Maybe martial power 2 will give my ranger a way to get chain for free (I'd trade toughness if I had to). Oooh, I know, I'll give up Prime Shot.

 

[Anguirus]

Is it just me, or are they already trying to hose the idea of needing several stats to be good. With this, any character will do good melee basic attacks, with their wisdom, dex, or even charisma.

Who cares? A cleric, wizard, etc. is still wasting his action by using a melee basic. The only practical effect is to improve OAs, and frankly, being not-terrible at OAs is worth a feat.

It also instantly solves a major problem with the Charisma paladin.

 

[Kitsune]

Do any of the new classes use Con as a primary stat, or are infernal warlocks still the only one?

 

[Joshua Randall]

Melee Training

Benefit: Choose an ability other than strength. When you make a melee basic attack using a weapon you are proficient with, you can use that ability instead of strength for the attack roll and the damage roll.

This feat is an worthwhile addition to the game, allowing all classes to have a credible melee basic attack instead of just Str-based classes (and swordmages).

This is just a way to allow non-Str classes that should be good at melee OAs (I'm looking at you Cha-paladin and rogue) to actually be good at melee OAs.

Right.

Who cares? A cleric, wizard, etc. is still wasting his action by using a melee basic.

Unless they aren't because it was the warlord (or similar) granting them an extra action. Or it was an OA.

 

[Cadfan]

That being the case, as you mention, everyone gains 4 to their AC from 1st level to 30th level EXCEPT Barbarians(and the defending Shaman who has Con as a secondary). Barbarians only gain 2.

Wouldn't it be three?

The +1 ac/ref scales by tier, so that's +2. And while they don't focus on dex or int, they get the free +1 at each tier, for a net +1 modifier. So +3 total.

I have no idea how well they work in actual gameplay. None at all. But I have really, really high hopes for a character class that has decent hit points, terrible AC, and the ability to pile on temporary hit points and damage like there's no tomorrow. If it works, it will be a great way to play on the edge.