D&D 4E 4e Classes

[Danzauker]

I'd like to see the Druid go. After all, it's simply a cleric with the Plant and Animal domains and the granted power of shapechanging.

I second this, unless they don't give some more "flavour" to the class, which IMHO lacked in 3e.

I was trying to work up a "Druid" based on the Binder class, for example, trying to tie up all Druid powers to appropriate "Vestiges".

IMHO the Binder's flavour is perfect for the Druid as I envision him. Making "pacts" with outerworldly nature entities (it's enough not to call them Vestiges). Using a sort of magic that's definitly different from Clerics and arcane casters. Plus making them a little bit outcast since the "civilized world" doesn't understand them and their source of power, fills well the role.

Anyway... I'm afraid much of the "experimental" work made in Tome of Magic and Magic of Incarnum will be lost in 4e. That would be a pity.

 

[Danzauker]

I'm practically sure that, if there is a sorcerer in 4e, it will be a lot more like the warlock than anything else. The designers actually went out and said that the only reason a sorcerer was included in 3e was to have someone else use the last third of the book. I think the whole spontaneous vs prepared thing is going away.

What do you mean with "the last third of the book"?

As for the monk, almost every ability, ther than speed and flurry, was already available to the fighter in a toned down version. The whole first six levels were almost exclusively bonus feats. I think that with all of the talk about weapon choice mattering a whole lot, most of the old monk abilities are going to be rolled into a fighter talent tree.

I'd like this, if it's done well. Having unarmed combat seamlessly integrated in a fighter talent tree could make people integrate a monk-type character in their campaign, if they wished, without having all the Oriental fluff scare "traditional" players away.

 

[Szatany]

I'd like to see the Druid go. After all, it's simply a cleric with the Plant and Animal domains and the granted power of shapechanging.

I want druid to stay, but only if he doesn't share the same role as the cleric. Since clerics are leaders, druid should be controller (a divine wizard if you will, able to control battlefield with summoned elementals, entangling, mist, etc.), or eventually defender (little spellcasting, can shapeshift into something large and nasty).

It's the same reason as Sorcerer who would be simply a wasted potential if they made him a controller class like wizard. He should be ideally a striker - class oriented at sniping with spells or perhaps also touch attacks + short range teleports.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

What do you mean with "the last third of the book"?

Basically the entire last third of the PHB is dedicated to spells...most of which are Arcane. So, without the Sorcerer, that's a huge portion of the book JUST for the Wizard.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I'm holding out hope for 12 classes. There are three sources of power in the 4e PHB - Arcane, Divine, and Martial. WotC has defined four basic roles for PCs - Defender, Striker, Controller, and Healer/Leader. In one of the seminars at Gencon, they talked about having a Martial Defender (Fighter), Divine Defender (Pally), and Arcane Defender. So here's how I think it will break down:

Martial Defender: Fighter
Divine Defender: Paladin
Arcane Defender: Duskblade? Hexblade?

Martial Striker: Rogue
Divine Striker: Ranger
Arcane Striker: ???

Martial Controller: ???
Divine Controller: ??? (Favored Soul?)
Arcane Controller: Wizard

Martial Healer/Leader: Warlord (heard this from one of the WotC Gencon video interviews with James Wyatt)
Divine Healer/Leader: Cleric
Arcane Healer/Leader: ??? (Bard?)

 

[Szatany]

I'm holding out hope for 12 classes. There are three sources of power in the 4e PHB - Arcane, Divine, and Martial. WotC has defined four basic roles for PCs - Defender, Striker, Controller, and Healer/Leader. In one of the seminars at Gencon, they talked about having a Martial Defender (Fighter), Divine Defender (Pally), and Arcane Defender. So here's how I think it will break down:

Martial Defender: Fighter
Divine Defender: Paladin
Arcane Defender: Duskblade? Hexblade?

Martial Striker: Rogue
Divine Striker: Ranger
Arcane Striker: ???

Martial Controller: ???
Divine Controller: ??? (Favored Soul?)
Arcane Controller: Wizard

Martial Healer/Leader: Warlord (heard this from one of the WotC Gencon video interviews with James Wyatt)
Divine Healer/Leader: Cleric
Arcane Healer/Leader: ??? (Bard?)

Allow me to fill some blanks:

Arcane Striker: Sorcerer

Martial Controller: Barbarian

Divine Controller: Druid

 

[Reaper Steve]

Don't forget the Warlord

You know, even though we know nothing about this class, I really don't like the name 'Warlord' for a base class. Seems like a specific title, something that should be earned.
"Who the heck are you, ya 1st-level runt, callin' yerself a 'Warlord?'"
I'd like to see a name based on the role, like all the other class names.

And that is the only gripe I have so far about 4e!

 

[Reaper Steve]

As long as whatever turns out to be the ranger type class doesn't have spells, I'll be happy.

Agreed!

 

[Fifth Element]

It's almost what I think, but I think they will leave the monk insteas of the ranger, since I see easier to model a ranger from a fighter using the right talent tree, instead than modeling the intricacies of unarmed combat.

But you don't know what said intricacies are, given that the rules aren't available yet.

 

[Ryngard]

CONFIRMED in the interviews are:

Fighter
Ranger
Paladin (all alignment types apparently)
Rogue
Wizard
Warlord
Cleric, Druid, Warlock & Sorcerer (I'm pretty sure all were mentioned in passing or aluded to)

That's it. No others as far as I know at the time of this writing. They say that there will be more than 3 classes and less than 15.

I think MOST will be there, at least in spirit, with a few new ones.