Gencon: Any non-Essentials content coming up?

[FireLance]

Not quite. Striker damage mechanics are typically at-will (some are 1/round or 1/turn -others aply to every damage roll - some have a not-too-difficult condition to meet), so is the Avenger's greater accuracy. It's easy to balance a trade-off between resources of the same general availability.

The Slayer is balanced with AEDU classes in the way an AD&D fighter was balanced with casters.

(rest of post snipped)

I don't disagree. However, I don't think it unbalances the game that much. The daily vs. encounter vs. at-will balance issues are already present in the system, either in terms of utility powers, or daily powers that provide a one-time effect vs. daily powers that provide an effect that lasts the entire encounter. The system already manages these balance issues on a micro scale: a player who has selected an encounter utility instead of a daily utility benefits more from a longer adventuring day, and a player who has selected a daily power that provides an encounter-long effect instead of a one-time effect benefits more from a longer encounter.

I agree that the system becomes less balanced with the introduction of classes that trade daily powers for constant benefits, but I still think it's balanced enough that a slayer and a mage can play in the same game and be equally effective without too much effort on the DM's part.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I think you are under-valuing the slayer's damage bonus. It really is (IMO) a striker damage mechanic and a daily power replacement rolled into one.

Really? It's about the same as the Sorcerer's - add a secondary stat mod to damage rolls, bumped a bit at each higher tier. The Sorcerer has a fair number of modest AE/multi-target options, which strongly synergizes with a bonus to all damage rolls - and, of course, has Dailies. Unless the Slayer is getting frequent OAs or other free basic attacks, I don't see how it's even getting as much out of it's damage bonus as the Sorcerer is out it's?

 

[Marshall]

Trying to figure out how you got a +19 to hit 5 levels earlier than most Thieves do.

+5 DEX
+2 Half-Level
+2 Proficiency
+2 Enhancement
+1 TWT
+1 Feat - X-bow Expertise
+1 Item - Eagle Eye Goggles
= +14 Constant

+2 Combat Advantage(also constant)
= +16

+3 Backstab(twice an encounter)
= +19

 

[Raikun]

Sounds like poor DMing to me *shrug*. I have little trouble making sure CA is not a constant, especially with a ranged weapon for one thing. (CA is common, because I'm not a jerk, but not a constant.)

 

[Raikun]

Anyway, to add...I speak from experience there, as I was a victim of poor DMing for awhile until I figured out how to handle it. At first, I'd houseruled that you couldn't backstab at range, because it seemed that the +17 to hit (even twice a round) was a bit much, but of course it didn't take long to think "Huh, if monsters see a super accurage ranged character, they're going to try and neutralize that some."

End result, any DM worth his salt will have the Thief breaking out his short sword a good portion of the time, or getting heavily beat down every encounter from OAs for using a ranged weapon.

 

[FireLance]

Really? It's about the same as the Sorcerer's - add a secondary stat mod to damage rolls, bumped a bit at each higher tier. The Sorcerer has a fair number of modest AE/multi-target options, which strongly synergizes with a bonus to all damage rolls - and, of course, has Dailies. Unless the Slayer is getting frequent OAs or other free basic attacks, I don't see how it's even getting as much out of it's damage bonus as the Sorcerer is out it's?

Well, the slayer's damage scales faster. Admittedly, it's not much, but arguably, the sorcerer is at the top tier when it comes to bonus damage. I don't think any other striker damage feature regularly affects multiple targets in a turn, barring the use of action points or magic items.

 

[Marshall]

Sounds like poor DMing to me *shrug*. I have little trouble making sure CA is not a constant, especially with a ranged weapon for one thing. (CA is common, because I'm not a jerk, but not a constant.)

Uh huh. Thats the point. Between TT and Ambush Trick or the ridiculously overpowered Cunning Stalker feat you cant stop it as a DM.

 

[Raikun]

Uh huh. Thats the point. Between TT and Ambush Trick or the ridiculously overpowered Cunning Stalker feat you cant stop it as a DM.

But yet I manage it. . (And I hope you aren't suggesting use of cunning stalker with a ranged weapon hehe)

 

[Tony Vargas]

Uh huh. Thats the point. Between TT and Ambush Trick or the ridiculously overpowered Cunning Stalker feat you cant stop it as a DM.

Cunning Stalker doesn't ring a bell, but if you're mentioning it in the same breath with TT & AT it must be pretty convenient.

Anyway, even with TT & AT, a Theif can be kept from getting CA. The monsters have to use the buddy system and never be next to an enemy when the Theif takes his turn, but the ability of the DM to hose a player is basically unlimitted. That's always been true of the most overpowered classes or combos. No matter how over-the-top, the DM could grind them into the dust if he really wanted to.

And, the Theif isn't over-powered, just under-interesting.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Because...Any class /with/ an 'easy mode button,' yes.

Any class with an easy mode for which there aren't benefits to playing hard mode. With genuinely skilled Thief play you use tactical trick as little as possible because the options that trigger when you have combat advantage are genuinely better.