FR Preview-Sword Mage and Genasi

[Danceofmasks]

Well, that is presumably the reason why putting on & removing a shield are standard actions.
Seeing as dropping something is a free action, and drawing a minor, at most it would cost you a minor to change grips. I would say free.
Looks like the AC bonus continually updates, too.
Might require clarification before the FRPG gets released ..

This brings back the whole ring of force shielding cheese in 3e .. (2-hand wield a lance while mounted, full power attack while charging, deal hundreds of damage, then switch to 1-hand and activate ring).

 

[Fedifensor]

IMO, it's not really worth it to have the Heavy Blade feats,
-Heavy Blade Opportunity will let you use Greenflame Blade instead of a regular Basic Attack when making an Op. Attack, not a big deal (all other at-wills either doesn't have the Weapon keyword, or in the case of Booming Blade, favors Con instead of Str).

Minions go bye-bye when you start hitting people with Greenflame Blade...which makes the ability to do that on OAs pretty sweet.

-Heavy Blade Mastery, even though awesome, it is quite prohibitive for you, unless you cripple yourself on your main stat (Int), Str 21 and Dex 17, no way.

You can do it with a Genasi or Eladrin while increasing Int at every opportunity, if you can wait to 24th to get it. My Genasi has Str 16, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 8 at 1st level. At 24th, he'll have Str 21, Con 16, Dex 17, Int 25, Wis 12, Cha 10. If I decide to take Demigod, I can do it at 21st (Demigod +2 in Str and Int).

-Polearm Gamble to use with your Glaive? Yeah, good luck with your Wisdom 15 (which should be your dump stat, unless you've chosen Cha).

It can be done, though you won't be doing both that and Heavy Blade Mastery unless you have the perfect race choice (Eladrin or Genasi), take Demigod as your Epic Destiny, and be very careful on how you assign stats.

Now, that Heroic Tier feat, Blade Opportunist (which only requires Str and Dex 13) is quite reasonable for the Swordmage to get. If you feel like you need to.

It's an excellent choice if you take Heavy Blade Opportunity.

Also, Charisma Paladins and Artful Dodger Rogues have lived this far with poor Op. Attacks, why is this a big deal to worry about it now? It's not like your Op's interrupt target's move or anything.

Unless you're creative with your Paragon Path...and Booming Blade, even with a moderate Constitution, does good damage to foes that move away from you.

Lastly, Swordmage attacks are pretty inconsistent, I'm not sure how they end up at higher levels, but the damage types are pretty diverse, being it difficult to specialize in a certain damage type/keyword (there is the Greenflame Blade>Flame Cyclone>Burning Blade though), and it could also be a problem for the Weapon/Implement ones, you never know if the power you want will benefit from Weapon Focus, unless you plan ahead. This makes the Swordmage quite unreliable at being optimized for doing damage.

Keep in mind, they haven't shown us all the powers for levels 1-3, much less the higher level stuff.

 

[Rechan]

I was under the impression that Minions can only be killed by damage from attack rolls. Cleave, Greenfire, etc, aren't going to kill them because they don't have attack rolls.

 

[FadedC]

I was under the impression that Minions can only be killed by damage from attack rolls. Cleave, Greenfire, etc, aren't going to kill them because they don't have attack rolls.

I believe that's how some people were running it in DDXP, but it's not true. Minions can't be killed by misses, but any other form of damage kills them.

 

[Rechan]

I believe that's how some people were running it in DDXP, but it's not true. Minions can't be killed by misses, but any other form of damage kills them.

Then what about Reaping Strike? You do damage on a miss.

 

[Zsig]

I was under the impression that Minions can only be killed by damage from attack rolls. Cleave, Greenfire, etc, aren't going to kill them because they don't have attack rolls.

IIRC, they just ignore Miss effects, otherwise, any damage and they're gone. Just treat them as having both Evasion and Mettle. (and applying it to any sort of attack, and not just Close or Area attacks)

@Fedifensor

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I'd rather just bump Int and Con every time I get to increase a stat and call it a day. I'm not that much into MAD.

I mean, I won't go out of my way spreading my points thinly among 5 or so attributes only so that at 11th+ or so level I'd be able to kill minions (and that's providing your DM is dumb enough to clump them together) with one hit, hell, I'm a Defender, let the Wizard deal with the minions, it's his job anyway.

Yeah, we still gotta see this guy's Paragon Paths, and I agree.

I'm seeing the Shielding Swordmage ( high Int and Con, with low Str like about 12) as being way better than the Assault Swordmage. If only we could add our Int mod to damage on that basic attack from the Aegis, then I think we'd have a deal.

I'll be playing one next monday, so far it looks like this:

Eladrin

Str 12/ Con 16 (+3 fort)
Dex 12/ Int 18 (+4 ref)
Wis 8 / Cha 12 (+1 will)

Aegis of Shielding
Booming Blade
Lightning Lure
Chilling Blow
Frost Backlash

Eladrin Soldier

I'll not worry about getting Hide armor up until I get to lvl 11, which at that point I'll retrain something for the Armor Spec (Hide) at the same time.

I've been wondering if it's really all that effective to MC into Wizard...

 

[Rechan]

IIRC, they just ignore Miss effects, otherwise, any damage and they're gone. Just treat them as having both Evasion and Mettle. (and applying it to any sort of attack, and not just Close or Area attacks)

@Fedifensor

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I'd rather just bump Int and Con every time I get to increase a stat and call it a day. I'm not that much into MAD.

I'm seeing the Shielding Swordmage ( high Int and Con, with low Str like about 12) as being way better than the Assault Swordmage.

I honestly think that we're not seeing the Assault Swordmage powers, really. I mean, we only see two Encounters per level, and two Dailies. All classes get 4. Also, the only power facilitating con is "Chilling Blow", and the Assault swordmage emphasizes Con. I think we got half a class.

 

[DracoSuave]

Don't forget as well, your Sword IS your implement. You just might be able to use that weapon focus feat with it after all. (You just don't get prof. bonus with Implement attacks)


Not to mention, Aegis of Assault -nullifies- artillery/controller monsters. They either have to attack you, or you r in thr base killin thr mans. It doesn't JUST work on melee monsters, you know.

 

[t3nk3n]

So far we have,
Cleric - LEADER/Controller
Fighter - DEFENDER/Striker
Paladin - DEFENDER/Leader
Warlord - LEADER/Defender
Wizard - CONTROLLER/Striker
Warlock - STRIKER/Controller
Artificer - LEADER/Controller
Swordmage - DEFENDER/Controller

That looks a lot like my list, only I break it up by role instead of just blanketed by class.

Fighter:
Greatweapon - Defender, sub-Striker
Guardian - Defender, sub-Defender
Paladin:
Avenging - Defender, sub-Striker
Protecting - Defender. sub-Leader
Swordmage:
Assault - Defender, sub-Controller
Shielding - Defender, sub-Defender
Ranger:
Two-Weapon - Striker, sub-Defender
Archery - Striker, sub-Striker
Rogue:
Brawny - Striker, sub-Defender
Trickster - Striker, sub-Controller
Warlock:
Infernal - Striker, sub-Defender
Fey - Striker, sub-Controller
Star - Striker, sub-Leader
Wizard:
Control - Controller, sub-Controller
War - Controller, sub-Striker
Cleric:
Battle - Leader, sub-Defender
Devout - Leader, sub-Controller
Warlord:
Inspiring - Leader, sub-Leader
Tactical - Leader, sub-Striker

 

[DracoSuave]

I honestly think that we're not seeing the Assault Swordmage powers, really. I mean, we only see two Encounters per level, and two Dailies. All classes get 4. Also, the only power facilitating con is "Chilling Blow", and the Assault swordmage emphasizes Con.

Con based:
Booming Blade
Chilling Blow

Str based:
Greenflame Blade
Flame Cyclone
Burning Blade

Missing from this document are...about half of the swordmage powers from levels 1-3 (and all the rest of the class powers)....

I think we got half a class.