Concepts I've been unable to create satisfactorily/effectively with 4e:
- A melee-focused warlock who does not understand magic or the source of his power and has below average intelligence.
- A character who has great physical resiliance (read: has significantly more hit points than normal for his class).
- A true pacifist cleric: has no powers that deal damage, only powers that aid allies.
- Also, any character concept with more than 3 classes. Example: barbarian, sorcerer, cleric.
In all cases, you have to shoehorn it in somehow or make up house rules to handle it.
Maybe when all the game had was the PHB, but these days? All of the above are perfectly viable characters to make.
Character 1: Let's go with a star pact warlock. Focus on Con and Cha, with low Int and Wis to represent a crazy guy who channels magic from unknown sources without really understanding how. At-wills include Eldritch Strike, his main method of fighting. For Encounters and Daily powers, pick up various interrupts which hurt enemies who attack him - both assisting him in melee, and representing this untamed power raging forth whenever his focus is broken.
Character 2: Choose a class. Then, take a high Con, and feats like Toughness (extra hp), Swift Recovery, Enduring Mountain (increase surge value), Disciple of Stone (gain temps when you surge), Durable (more surges). Maybe hunt down other feats that give you resistance to damage or the like. Focus on items that boost hp and surge value.
For example, let's take a level 6 Human Rogue. Your average rogue with 12 Con will have 49 hitpoints, and 7 Healing Surges which heal him for 12 hp. If you instead focus on Con as your secondary stat (starting with 16 or so), and take the above feats, you will have 59 hitpoints, and 11 Healing Surges which heal for 19 hp and provide 5 temps.
Now, those numbers may look relatively close, but have a huge impact in actual play. Your surges are about twice as effective - that means you can probably survive twice as much damage in each fight. And having half again as many surges means you can get in half again as many fights each day. You aren't as deadly, sure, but will probably be plenty effective, and physical resilience has definitely been acquired.
Character 3: As others have mentioned, pacifist characters are now perfectly viable. Both clerics and wizards have entire builds focused around this sort of thing.
Character 4: This is relatively doable, between Hybrid and Multiclassing rules. You often can add the flavor of a fourth or fifth class with the right feats, skills, paragon paths and other choices. And, of course, Bards and Half-elves expand your options even more.
So, what
specific 4 class build are you looking for?
Barbarian/Sorcerer/Cleric is pretty trivial. Hybrid Barbarian and Sorcerer, with a focus on Str and Cha. Multiclass Cleric and pick up Str and Cha powers. You've got divine healing, brute strength, and powerful magic explosions.
Character concept also includes being a thief? Have a decent Dex and pick up skills like Acrobatics, Thievery and Stealth via backgrounds and skill training. Pick up feats like Evasion and Uncanny Dodge. Pick up appropriate skill powers. All you really are missing is backstab/sneak attack - choose some feats that give benefits when you have combat advantage or are hidden, and you're pretty much complete.
Also want to be something of a ranger? Pick up nature and some nature based feats and skill powers. Grab Ritual Casting somewhere and pick up appropriate nature rituals. Maybe have the Barbarian build that wields two weapons. I'm confident there should be at least one Barbarian Paragon Path focused around being outdoorsy.
Now, the more concepts you try to fit in, the more spread out your feats and powers become, sure. But that's inevitable if you try to be a jack of all trades. You can still definitely end up with a character that is competent at a variety of roles and has the appropriate flavor of several classes. You've got a character who can sneak around and stab people in the back, track them through the wilderness and commune with nature, heal his fallen allies with divine power, fly into a berserker rage and tear foes limb from limb, and even hurl blasts of flame down upon his foes.
Done and
done.
