Dming Controllers

[The Human Target]

I think my group is running without a controller right now. They never seemed to be particularly impressive to me. Maybe my group doesn't know how to build one, or maybe my encounters don't reward them well enough.

PS

I think everyone can pretty much agree controllers are the role its easiest to do without, but man a good one can be awesome to have.

 

[TerraDave]

My solution to many minion issues is to ALWAYS require an attack roll against minions. Auto-hit powers are not auto-damage against minions; they still require a to-hit roll. That way, wide-area low-damage effects are not minion autokill.

Then again, considering the number of normal and elite monsters my PCs could handily defeat, I didn't really use minions past heroic tier.

Mind you, thjs was long ago; rules might have changed since then.

With higher level minions, if I have a case that bugs me, like low autohit damage or ongoing damage (again, in a two hit case) I will give the minion a save.

 

[Storminator]

I think everyone can pretty much agree controllers are the role its easiest to do without, but man a good one can be awesome to have.

I've heard that, but the ones I've seen in person haven't been overwhelming. It may be a table mindset.

PS

 

[The Human Target]

I've heard that, but the ones I've seen in person haven't been overwhelming. It may be a table mindset.

PS

By no means are all of them overwhelming, but there are some gross rebuffs out there.

Our groups Pacifist cleric was the king of action neutering.

 

[MarkB]

I've heard that, but the ones I've seen in person haven't been overwhelming. It may be a table mindset.

PS

It also depends upon the characters you already have. Most classes have the potential to extend past their primary role into one or more secondary roles depending upon how they're built, and if a couple of your characters already have some 'controllery' overtones, especially if those capabilities synergise well with the rest of the party, then having a dedicated controller may not make that huge a difference.

 

[pemerton]

The sorcerer in my epic game dishes out insane damage- he does about 40 or 50 points with his at wills.

The sorcerer in my game is 26th level. His Blazing Starfall is a burst 2 (admixture combined with a thunder-enhancing feat) and does 2d4 (roll twice and choose the best, from the Ring(?) of the Queen) +45 +1d10 (a feat that adds slide to thunder attacks, combined with Walk Among the Fey, combined with Unlucky Teleport).

I think my group is running without a controller right now. They never seemed to be particularly impressive to me. Maybe my group doesn't know how to build one, or maybe my encounters don't reward them well enough.

My game has an invoker/wizard who is somewhat controllery (eg he has the only domination in the party, and the only AoE encounter daze), but the real controller is the polearm fighter. Between Warrior's Urging, Deadly Draw, Polearm Momentum, Polearm Gamble, Rushing Cleats and the feat that makes any basic attack inflict immobilisation, he is able to lock down a depressingly large number of foes. (The only upside tends to be that, because he is in the middle of them, they can't all be targeted by the sorcerer's Blazing Starfall.)