Anyone played a Marshall?

[Tonguez]

The Marshall is a class from the Minatures game and its featured in a WotC excert

HAs anyone used this class for a PC in a normal RP game? I'm thinking of doing just that for my next character and was wondering if anyone had any wisdom to share...

 

[Tsyr]

A quick glance at the WotC excerpt reminds me heavily of the Paladin from Diablo II... Or the Bard from Everquest...

That said, without seeing the specifics of the auras, I can't say for sure, but it doesn't seem to be unbalanaced at any rate... Get every fighter and rogue in the party to pick up a couple levels of that class and have each one using a different aura... then it might start to get a little nasty...

 

[diaglo]

no. haven't seen it played yet.

i did see someone play a Pale Marshal tho in a Ravenloft one-shot.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

We've got one in our game. At 1st level, he's about like a cleric in combat, but he makes a good "face' for the group.

Seeing as how the characters are only 1st level, I don't know how he'll work out at higher levels. It looks like a balanced class though.

 

[MerricB]

Not yet, but it's a class I'd really like to run.

Cheers!

 

[Felon]

It's a pretty cool class. Some personal notes:

1) The auras have no duration. A player can have them going every waking minute, so of course, the player does exactly that. And since the description of the ability specifically states that the auras require the marshal to keep speaking because they represent the marshal "haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming" his allies, that basically means you have a character that is constantly jabbering. It isn't easy in many roleplaying situations to explain how these auras are working. For instance, while a bard is using Perform or a rogue is trying to Bluff or a cleric is using Diplomacy, does the marshal with the Motivate Charisma aura stand nearby and issue commands that the others play better, bluff more convincingly, or diplomacize like there's no tommorow? It'd have been better if the auras worked more passively IMO. Still, that's easy enough for the DM to re-interpret as he deems fit.

2) The Grant Move Action ability is sick powerful. It will disgust and frustrate some DM's, I'll tell you that for nothing. Is your DM easily aggrivated?

3) A marshal is pretty dependent on other characters for protection (although his auras do affect himself). If there's someone to get picked on by the DM to be taken prisoner, the marshal is the top candidate (unless there's a healer in the group).

 

[Wilphe]

I think I'm in love.

Book goes on my list.

 

[Felon]

That said, without seeing the specifics of the auras, I can't say for sure, but it doesn't seem to be unbalanaced at any rate... Get every fighter and rogue in the party to pick up a couple levels of that class and have each one using a different aura... then it might start to get a little nasty...

Oh yes, paladin/marshals are nasty business!

I think I'm in love.

Book goes on my list.

The Minis Handbook is pretty underrated IMO. The Marshal, Healer, and Favored Soul classes are all pretty solid in that they were actually designed with their role in the party in mind. They all earn their keep. They beat the haphazard core classes in The Complete Warrior hands down.

The Warmage does seem to come out better than the Wizard or Sorcerer, since it's more-or-less an evocation-oriented Sorcerer with d6 hit points and proficiency with light armor and shield, but then again, I'm with Monte Cook in thinking that a core class with 1d4 hit points is way too fragile.

 

[Vocenoctum]

It's a pretty cool class. Some personal notes:

1) The auras have no duration. A player can have them going every waking minute, so of course, the player does exactly that. And since the description of the ability specifically states that the auras require the marshal to keep speaking because they represent the marshal "haranguing, ordering, directing, encouraging, cajoling, or calming" his allies, that basically means you have a character that is constantly jabbering.

Well, "activating an aura involves..." doesn't mean it's non stop.

He would have to offer his input when needed, but I don't think he's a chatterbox automatically.

 

[Protean]

I prefer to treat their auras as a supernatural passive ability, but in my games Marshalls have more of a divine focus.