Class Acts: Ardent

[frogged]

Empathic Champions

Want to get inside your opponent's head? Try using a first level at will attack that lets you telepathically communicate with your target.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I can think of a Leader class from PH3 in need of a Class Acts article very, very badly. Ardent is not that class.

 

[Mummolus]

A few decent if not particularly great powers, some interesting if not particularly exciting fluff... Enh. Wasn't really what I was hoping for.

 

[Mapache]

The fact that the at-wills can be used as melee basics is nice, because Ardents are a class that really needs Melee Training.

 

[renau1g]

I can think of a Leader class from PH3 in need of a Class Acts article very, very badly. Ardent is not that class.

Have you seen the DDXP blog?


"Will there be options books coming out for the Essentials classes? “Players Option: Heroes of Shadow should make your Hexblade very happy”. They want books now to be “something for everybody”.With CB being web-based, they have info about who is playing what. They know what most popular classes are now. They can prioritize things to support things people play most. Talking about ability to change unpopular classes if they figure out WHY people don’t play them.

Most popular races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Eladrin.

Most popular class: Fighter
Least: Runepriest."

So... seems like we'll get even more stuff for Fighters, Rogues, Rangers, etc that already have tons of options (which is likely why people play them, more customization = more fun IMO)

 

[Kingreaper]

Most popular races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Eladrin.

Most popular class: Fighter
Least: Runepriest."

So... seems like we'll get even more stuff for Fighters, Rogues, Rangers, etc that already have tons of options (which is likely why people play them, more customization = more fun IMO)

Yep. Runepriests choices are just far too limited

They can't even benefit from the divine at-will booster feats.

Of course, there's also the clunkiness of tracking the rune state, but that's in some ways part of the attraction.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

It's an interesting article, it may not be the "make a new build of Ardent that uses can reliably use light armour and implements/ranged weapons" that so many seem to want from the Ardent, but it's still a good read. I've always liked how more than any other leader class the Ardent gets into the minds of enemies.

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Yep. Runepriests choices are just far too limited

They can't even benefit from the divine at-will booster feats.

Of course, there's also the clunkiness of tracking the rune state, but that's in some ways part of the attraction.

Runepriests I would like to see Essentialized. I believe that the Rune states could be an Aura. Give them some stances that do different things depending upon the Rune state. Make them a Basic Attack class like Knight, Thief and Slayer.

 

[Mapache]

Of course, there's also the clunkiness of tracking the rune state, but that's in some ways part of the attraction.

In practice, though, it's easy—you're simply in Rune of Destruction, because the aura and the riders are so much better than Rune of Protection. What is fiddly is tracking all the other bonuses you pass out from all your powers. "Okay, you're all at +1 to hit anything next to me, you two that were in the blast are also at +3 damage, and you over there are at +5 to hit anything." Granted, I like fiddliness, so I love me the rolling ball of buffs that is my Runepriest, but I wouldn't mind some more power choices. Simplifying the class would kill its appeal, though.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Have you seen the DDXP blog?


"Will there be options books coming out for the Essentials classes? “Players Option: Heroes of Shadow should make your Hexblade very happy”. They want books now to be “something for everybody”.With CB being web-based, they have info about who is playing what. They know what most popular classes are now. They can prioritize things to support things people play most. Talking about ability to change unpopular classes if they figure out WHY people don’t play them.

Most popular races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Eladrin.

Most popular class: Fighter
Least: Runepriest."

So... seems like we'll get even more stuff for Fighters, Rogues, Rangers, etc that already have tons of options (which is likely why people play them, more customization = more fun IMO)

Yes I did see that. But it's a catch-22; people don't play Runepriests because there is no support. If they made some support, more people would play them.

That will work, if the goal is to have all classes see more or less equal use among players. If that is not the goal, they could just come out and say, "this stuff that nobody plays will just never see support ever; don't hold your breath."

I think though, that [MENTION=45267]Mithreinmaethor[/MENTION] has the right idea; more builds of fewer classes. Runepriest really didn't need to be its own class. It's a Strength-based Divine Leader - it should have been a build of cleric, or maybe Paladin. I like the idea of the rune state being an aura.

Obviously Mr. Mearls was being facetious when he said that they're only going to produce material for fighters from now on, and I agree that more variety makes for more fun, but the fact is that Ardent doesn't need the support as badly; it already has Psionic Power for that, and that's the only real difference between the two classes as far as support goes.

I just don't buy that "ardents are too far behind." One chapter of powers, a dozen feats or so, and they'd be viable, i.e. a Class Acts article or two.