What New Essentials Builds Do You Want To See?

[Thorvald_Grimbjorn]

A "marshal" fighter build (a.k.a. Essentials warlord). The marshal's abilities would focus on moving allies and enemies around the battlefield, and would include some limited healing/buffing powers--war cries that grant saving throws or temporary hp, that kind of thing. A controller/leader hybrid, like a classic 4E tac-lord.

So, basically, you want to play a classic Warlord?

None. Support for the PHB 1 - 3 classes.

I completely agree with this.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Abjurer (Arcane Defender? Might be a good build of Swordmage), Transmuter, Necromancer, Diviner, Conjurer Mage builds.

More Warpriest domains. Lots more.

Bard. Swashbuckler (Striker?), Bladesinger (Controller?)

I'd like to see an Aura-based paladin and/or warlord (like 3.5 warlord or Diablo 2 paladin).

You know what else would really be swell? Taking care of all the class bloat by streamlining all the oddball classes into builds of existing classes where it makes sense to do so, then continue to expand from there.

You can have a zillion different builds, yet support more classes with fewer resources. It will lead to less feat and power bloat overall. How many classes have their own version of what is essentially the same feat or power?

Wait, this is starting to sound like 4.5.... uh-oh, look out! It's another Edition War!

 

[Dausuul]

So, basically, you want to play a classic Warlord?

I want to play a classic warlord who isn't a Vancian caster in a fighter hat. Core 4E turned every. Single. Damn. Class. into Vancian casters and I'm freakin' sick of it. I never liked that mechanic.

 

[drothgery]

I want the Bladesinger to be a Cha-primary/Int or Dex secondary arcane striker, not an 'essentialized' swordmage.

I know its not exactly what you are looking for, but a recent Dragon article had a pretty good expansion for the Essentials Warlock/Hexblade.

Oh, I've got a D&Di subscription and read that article, but warlocks just don't have the right vibe for what I want in an arcane melee striker. They should be swashbuckling, not brooding.

 

[abyssaldeath]

I would like to see a Soulknife that is built in a similar manner to the E-Assassin, but instead of poisons he uses power points to upgrade his powers to simulate daily powers. Psychic Strike would be his encounter power and work similar to the Thief's Back-stab power, but instead of an attack bonus it allows the Soulknife to target Will.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Rasa was a Changeling Binder. She was mute, presumed dumb, pale and lifeless like a corpse....when she wasn't inhabited by the spirit of some otherworldly entity. She was a doorway for them, an empty vessel for them to fill. Some say she was created by them, out of clay, like the original human, and that they were all competing over her, since she would be the forebearer of an entire race, restoring the Vestige to which she became bound to reality.

That character doesn't exactly work the same way in 4e.

But I wouldn't expect it.

There might be a warlord. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bard, a druid, a barbarian....all the old school classes....

That seems more of a roleplay concept than something that needs mechanics to work. I mean, your description is basically how that character acted or was roleplayed. There is no reason you can't pick a class (lets stick with Warlock) and say your different powers are coming from multiple vestiges or personas that are bound to you.

 

[Cyronax]

Oh, I've got a D&Di subscription and read that article, but warlocks just don't have the right vibe for what I want in an arcane melee striker. They should be swashbuckling, not brooding.

Yeah I know this is a pat answer, but --- it could always be reflavored.

I am DMing in a campaign where a Vestige Pact warlock was reflavored to say that his powers are tied to the 'vestiges' of the fallen gods of Good (most of the PHB/Rules Compendium gods sacrificed themselves to stop Ragnarokk).
The warlock is pretty upbeat and you'd think he was more of a bard/scholar than an emo-sweaty-crybaby.

I personally DO want to eventually play a brooding hexblade. I like the Star Pact dragon material.



C.I.D.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

What I would like to see is greater breadth for the essentials classes they already have...

For example:

For Knights, only hvy. blades and hammers give a particular mechanical benefit. I would like rules for axes, flails, spears, etc.

Same goes for Slayers, who currently only get their class benefit for hvy. blades and axes.

More kinds of warpriest - being limited to storm, sun and earth is... well, shutting out a lot of viable warpriest concepts.

Same for druids - we should have at least 1 per season, where as currently only 2 seasons are covered.

Same for cavaliers and their virtues (I that's what they are called).

 

[abyssaldeath]

Here is a good example of a re-flavored Warlock that a friend of mine played.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would like to see

Druids of Autumn
Druids of Winter

Hexblades for Star Pact

Cavaliers for the two missing virtues

Mages who are conjuration specialists and abjuration specialists (defenders?)

Cheers