IcyCool
First Post
Ferrix said:1) The marshal lacks the diversity of skills and skill points of the bard as well as the spellcasting ability. Also, with the various bard feats from ECS and CV (proposed elsewhere) it is very unlikely that the marshal will at all replace the bard.
The new feats might make a bard a more viable choice, but as a party booster, it will be hard to compete. I'm not saying the Marshal shouldn't be included, just that it edges in on the Bard's turf. And the Bard doesn't have much turf to begin with.
Ferrix said:2) The Chilling Tentacles invocation is unlikely to end every encounter, by that level creatures will often times have large grapple checks, perhaps ranks in escape artist, and resistance to cold or even immunity. It is also ineffective against incorporeal creatures. The average cold damage is 7 per round, not very much for CR 11 creatures. It is also 4 levels later than a wizard gains access to evard's black tentacles.
+19 to grapple. I'll admit I haven't looked in the SRD for CR 11-15 critters, but are there really that many that can even come close to matching that? If there are plenty, then I suppose the point is moot. The primary benefit of it is immobilizing foes so that they can be picked off at range. The cold damage is negligible. I had forgotten incorporeal creatures.
I should also say that I like the warlock, and hope it is voted in.