Preview: The Warden

[Kitirat]

I don't see how this just isn't flat-out better than the fighter at being a defender. You auto-mark everyone adjacent. You get the same interrupt when a marked foe attacks someone that's not you - except that you target Fort instead of AC, and give everyone CA vs the enemy. Or you can pin them down out to a range of 5 (I'm guessing you can't do both). Plus, you get 2 saves every round (possibly avoiding negative conditions flat-out) and have more hit points. As mentioned previously, the AC is a wash due to Guardian Might.

The power creep keeps on creeping on...

Actually, I do not agree. Fighters can... and often do in my games, mark at range. The warden can ONLY mark you if your adjacent. If you then run away he can pull you back in (I like that he seems like a writhing clump of roots and bark).

Wardens do not come close to being strikers, I've seen fighters and even strength based paladins get into the 20's routinely with their encounter powers, I see the warden having to be built specifically to do so.

The warden gets a "stance-like" effect with his dailies but at the cost of 1-2 W in damage or the ability to be reliable.

I like both but do not yet see the warden as better all together.

 

[Betote]

Wow. When WotC releases a "class encyclopaedia" series, there will be one tome for classes beginning with "war-", and another one for all the rest.

The guys who make up abbreviations must really hate the class naming department

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Fighters have an edge in marking, when any opponent they attack gets marked by them. This not only includes melee attacks, but also ranged attacks, area and close powers from multiclassing (Thunderwave being common example), and anything else where they roll to hit something whether it hits or not.

On the other hand with Wardens I find Earth spikes to be an amusing power when, they can hit someone over the head AND spikes will come out of the earth and up an opponent's arse.

 

[Mad Mac]

I have to say it's fun to picture a class where it is literally dangerous to even stand next to the guy, what with the very ground beneath his feet actively attacking or hindering his enemies with no meaningful effort on his part. For some reason that says more to me about the flavor of the class than anything else.

 

[Thundershield]

In spite of danger of repeating what's already been said, it seems like the Primal power source has the nice side effect of increasing HP. Primal Controllers get 5/level where other Controllers (Wizard and Invoker) get 4, Primal Strikers (the Barbarian) get 6/level, where others get 5, and now the Warden gets 7/level where other Defenders get 6.

I do love that you can mark every adjacent enemy as a free action. That is sweet. I am disappointed though that their marks don't do anything fancy; I liked the Paladin's Divine Challenge, and the SM's Aegises. But, the two mark-related at-wills go a long way.

I believe that is the point of those at-wills. They've merely split it up so the marking itself is a class feature and the marking effect is a power. Likewise, a Fighter's marking ability is all class feature, while a Paladin's or Swordmage's are all power-based. I know Fighters have powers that mark as well, but let's keep it to the base class.

EDIT: As for the Warden class, the only peeve I have about it is that I find it hard to tie a concept or feel to it. I'm guessing it's a Warrior of Nature deal, but are we talking about a concept like the big burly bearskin-cloaked man living up on the mountain? Or maybe a tribal warrior focused more on shamanism than berserker strength? What other kinds of concepts do you have for the Warden?

 

[Kitirat]

In spite of danger of repeating what's already been said, it seems like the Primal power source has the nice side effect of increasing HP. Primal Controllers get 5/level where other Controllers (Wizard and Invoker) get 4, Primal Strikers (the Barbarian) get 6/level, where others get 5, and now the Warden gets 7/level where other Defenders get 6.


I believe that is the point of those at-wills. They've merely split it up so the marking itself is a class feature and the marking effect is a power. Likewise, a Fighter's marking ability is all class feature, while a Paladin's or Swordmage's are all power-based. I know Fighters have powers that mark as well, but let's keep it to the base class.

EDIT: As for the Warden class, the only peeve I have about it is that I find it hard to tie a concept or feel to it. I'm guessing it's a Warrior of Nature deal, but are we talking about a concept like the big burly bearskin-cloaked man living up on the mountain? Or maybe a tribal warrior focused more on shamanism than berserker strength? What other kinds of concepts do you have for the Warden?

An oaken warrior, attunded to nature. Kind of a swamp thing whom can change between his angry face and normal forms. The Robin hood legend's mentor would be an example. The creatian bull from the hercules story would be another.

 

[Phaezen]

EDIT: As for the Warden class, the only peeve I have about it is that I find it hard to tie a concept or feel to it. I'm guessing it's a Warrior of Nature deal, but are we talking about a concept like the big burly bearskin-cloaked man living up on the mountain? Or maybe a tribal warrior focused more on shamanism than berserker strength? What other kinds of concepts do you have for the Warden?

Beorn from the Hobbit would be a nice example of what they are going for with the Warden, at least that is my reading of it.

One of the first concepts I thought of was of a warforged warden, created to defend a frontier, something I am thinking of using for a character someday.

Phaezen

 

[vagabundo]

The class archetype and mechanics arent really doing it for me, however I'm pretty sure one of my players could do something interesting with it.

I'd need to see it in play I suppose.

 

[D.Shaffer]

I'm a child of the 80s. This is the first thing that sprang to mind.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3F5dot4pk]YouTube - Brave Star[/ame]

"Then one day, a lawman appeared,
With powers of Hawk, Wolf, Puma, and Bear"

 

[Mad Mac]

"Then one day, a lawman appeared,
With powers of Hawk, Wolf, Puma, and Bear"

I used to watch that show too, but somehow I forgot about the transforming horse with a bazooka...