D&D (2024) 4e (DnD: Tactics) remake wish list.

[CreamCloud0]

How I'd do it.

just offering suggestions for those three gaps in the grid
Elemental-Leader: The Imbuer, buffs and supports allies by filling them with elemental energies, fire buffs their offensives, lightning buffs their movement, cold/ice affects their defences, that sort of thing.
Guile-Controller: The Ninja/Trapper, lays out and throws AoE's on the field like smoke/poison gas clouds, caltrops, nets, bombs and the like.
Martial-Controller: The Cavalier/Lancer, a mounted unit who specialises in polearms and other reach and ranged martial weapons, their mount provides additional movement(flying mounts eventually?) and reach/range weapons to threaten a larger area.

 

[Manbearcat]

The only three real changes I’d make are:

1) Though I’m quite happy as they are, Skill Challenges (and related PC and Threat/Opposition Build Tech) iterated upon to be more interactive in the vein of Dogs in the Vineyard or Cortex+ Conflict Resolution.

2) Gear/Loadout iterated upon to be more like Torchbearer (and integrated tightly with (1) above) to make the decision-space around inventory more tactically and strategically engaging and intensive.

3) Extended Rest procedures codified (a procedure/currency required to trigger them > Event Roll > some kind of currency for the equivalent of Downtime Activities; a la how Torchbearer and Blades handles Camp/Town or Downtime Phase)

 

[Minigiant]

I can’t think of a single bad example, though.
Invoker as a divine controller? Awesome.
Avenger as divine striker? Badass.
Swordmage as arcane defender? GOAT.
Barbarian as a primal striker? Cool, thematic and appropriate.
Warden as a primal defender? Very cool concept.
The psionic classes? All pretty great and fun to play.

I can perhaps see the argument with Druids not being leaders, but that’s not grid filling, that’s just a choice, especially since they “needed” a primal leader anyway, and came up with the shaman (another pretty awesome new class).

No, I really don’t see how “grid-filling” supposedly damaged 4e. If anything, it lead to new, awesome concepts.

I think the Druid and Shaman should have been switched. Druids were traditionally the same role as Clerics just with BEAR and Lightning.

The core Monk should have been Martial. If we are redoing it, a Ki power source could be made. But the traditional fluff is closer to Martial than Psionic

The Psionic Striker should have been the Soulknife.

And the martial GW warrior was lost when Barbarian was made Primal.

The Seeker felt forced.

 

[Aldarc]

I think the Druid and Shaman should have been switched. Druids were traditionally the same role as Clerics just with BEAR and Lightning.

Nah. I think that 4e had it right. I don't think that the Druid and Cleric "traditionally" had the same role. Druids had a LOT of damage and control spells, but with some healing. Looking through their spell lists in 3e, they are more like nature wizards than nature clerics. The iconic Entangle spell is a control spell. Druids have a LOT of control spells that affect the terrain, which is what makes an ideal controller. So needless to say, I prefer the Shaman as a healer and leader, using its spirits for supporting allies.

The Seeker felt forced.

I agree, but the Seeker was just a terrible, non-evocative name without a clear class fantasy.

 

[Minigiant]

Nah. I think that 4e had it right. I don't think that the Druid and Cleric "traditionally" had the same role. Druids had a LOT of damage and control spells, but with some healing. Looking through their spell lists in 3e, they are more like nature wizards than nature clerics. The iconic Entangle spell is a control spell. Druids have a LOT of control spells that affect the terrain, which is what makes an ideal controller. So needless to say, I prefer the Shaman as a healer and leader, using its spirits for supporting allies.


I

My exp with Druid in pr4e editions is that they were too saddled with healing to go full control unless the party had other healers.

 

[Aldarc]

My exp with Druid in pr4e editions is that they were too saddled with healing to go full control unless the party had other healers.

FWIW, I almost entirely played clerics and druids in 3e/PF1. My experiences vary. There wasn't necessarily a need to saddle a druid with healing spells in these editions because wands of cure light wounds and healing potions aplenty existed.

The cleric had spontaneous casting for any healing spell for any spell of their level. In contrast, druids had spontaneous summoning for any spell of their level. Summoning spells were primarily used for control. Control was also what made wizards into "gods" according to optimizers in ye olden days. The druid had one of the best prestige classes in the game, and it was a massive boost to their already impressive summoning abilities: i.e., the Eberron Moonspeaker. Summoning plus their other battlefield environment-effecting abilities made druids absolutely killer with control spells. This is what druids were known for going into 4e: battlefield control. Healing and support was secondary. Control was the way to make druids shine.

 

[Olrox17]

The core Monk should have been Martial. If we are redoing it, a Ki power source could be made. But the traditional fluff is closer to Martial than Psionic

The Psionic Striker should have been the Soulknife.

And the martial GW warrior was lost when Barbarian was made Primal.

The Seeker felt forced.

I liked the monk as psionic, I think it’s a decent take on ki, but YMMV.

Martial GW was the fighter. While obviously less common than sword & board, two handed fighters were perfectly playable.

The seeker was crap, and the fascinating thing is that it wasn’t even grid-filling! The game already had a primal controller by that point, the seeker was just another one, and terrible to boot.

 

[mellored]

I liked the monk as psionic, I think it’s a decent take on ki, but YMMV.

Monk as a martial / psion mix the best IMO.

The seeker was crap, and the fascinating thing is that it wasn’t even grid-filling! The game already had a primal controller by that point, the seeker was just another one, and terrible to boot.

The mechanics could use some work.

Also, it really just felt like a ranger variant. But adding shooting bees at people in addition to ensnaring strikes.

A druid version of an arcane archer.

 

[Pauln6]

I think I would be happy with a set of optional manoeuvres or riders that you can apply as a bonus action when using inspiration instead of applying advantage. Easy to ignore. You could even give each class their own little list.

 

[Haplo781]

I think I would be happy with a set of optional manoeuvres or riders that you can apply as a bonus action when using inspiration instead of applying advantage. Easy to ignore. You could even give each class their own little list.

Uh neither bonus actions, inspiration, nor advantage exist in 4e.