Dragon 370 - Invoker Preview

[doctorhook]

I am way-digging the fluff on this guy, and I can't wait to play one!

 

[Hawke]

I wonder if maybe Summoned creatures might use some derivation of the summoner's stats for attacks. Perhaps use the summoner's defenses and work similar to minions? Have a feat (or more) that let you up those defenses (say +2 to AC for summoned creatures) or maybe certain higher level summons will have that built in to the power?

I think maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. In previous editions, I felt that your heavy spellcasting classes had their own THING compared to others. Maybe that hasn't changed as much as other classes have developed some cool mechanics to be on par, but the spellcasters are pretty much just doing their same thing as always. It's balanced, but since I'm seeing how different things are like rogues and fighters... I'm expecting similar leaps forward for Wizards that simply isn't going to happen.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

Controllers are very underrated, as what they do isn't sexy and is easy to miss. It depends on how you look at things. Do you look at the damage of a single attack against a single enemies HP, or do you look at the damage of an attack that hits multiple targets against the total HP of the enemy party. If you look at Controllers in the second fashion, they are dealing more damage to the enemy party than any other player role, though in smaller doses. You don't kill specific enemies faster or more efficiently, but where the controller starts to shine is on the back end of the encounter, when you find that the second half of the enemies are already softened up and easier to kill. Controllers shorten the back end of encounters, which while not sexy, is something you only see and really miss when you don't have it. From personal experience, we played a game at 9th level with a pure blaster Wizard. One week, that Wizard's player couldn't make it, so we played through the game without him. Saying that the blaster was missed would be an understatement.

There is also the control aspect, which when you combine it with multiple targets and terrain control(Thunderwaving things back into the Zones for Web/Stinking Cloud), can often stack the deck in the party's favor to a degree unattainable by non-controllers.

On a final note, a pair of Wizards in an 8-9 person party fighting large groups of 7-20 enemies is a sight to behold. It was almost like witnessing 3E Wizard dominance in a 4E game. This was a one-shot game with three players home for Thanksgiving, but the Wizards owned the whole night.

 

[RefinedBean]

It's not fluff for me. The fluff is actually pretty different. But this class doesn't seem to have any new mechanic to call its own:

Druid: beast mode
Barbarian: rage
Articifer: infusions or whatever they are called in 4e
Bard: multiple multi classes

Maybe it's lots of summons, but not much to indicate that in L1-3.

Well, I re-read the wizard and I suppose you're right about the fluff. Still think Wizards are boring, though.

As for your second point, I concur. Hopefully Summons become more and more common at higher levels, because that would definitely help the class stand out. For right now, they just seem to...dabble.

Those Divine Covenants are great, though.

 

[ppaladin123]

I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a lot more summoning. This isn't much different from a laser cleric.

 

[catsclaw227]

I liked the part about Dwarves and Devas being suited for the class. This seems a lot like how a Dwarven Cleric might feel.

 

[doctorhook]

I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a lot more summoning. This isn't much different from a laser cleric.

As in, "It's a Divine class, and it attacks from a distance,"? Because that's pretty much where the similarities end, I think.

 

[yesnomu]

Uh, Vanguard's Lightning-- hax? It's Scorching Burst++, and in a less-often resisted energy type. What's the deal, WotC?

Class looks pretty cool otherwise. I like Offering of Justice, that's a neat power idea.

Divine classes still don't really do it for me, and I liked the druid much more, but the Invoker ain't too bad.

 

[Rechan]

I wonder if maybe Summoned creatures might use some derivation of the summoner's stats for attacks.

"Summon Angel of Fire" is an implement power, where the Angel uses 'Wisdom vs. Reflex' to attack, and does wisdom bonus to damage. So yes, I assume it's using the Invoker's stats.

I think it would suck very hard if the summoned critters are used as dailies - and get hit points, meaning that a monster could easily kill a summon, and the Invoker just wasted a daily to conjure a minion.

 

[Rechan]

As in, "It's a Divine class, and it attacks from a distance,"? Because that's pretty much where the similarities end, I think.

Well. That and the armor choice.