Class Compendium: The Warlord (Marshal)

[Incenjucar]

Ironically, if they actually put all the PHB classes out on free PDFs like this... it's basically what a lot of people have been wanting for ages. Sans other rules, of course, but a good chunk at least.

 

[Jhaelen]

Ironically, if they actually put all the PHB classes out on free PDFs like this... it's basically what a lot of people have been wanting for ages.

I'd [-]buy[/-] download that!

Edit: I appreciate the Addendum. I'll have to compare the differences in a quiet moment. And, yeah, the formatting doesn't bother me _much_, only a little

 

[RangerWickett]

As expected, but I'd still like to see a variant warlord build without the uninspiring Inspiring Word and sans dailies.

It was obviously a really good idea for them NOT to try and sell me this thing for $25, though.

A noble endeavor.

So what's the shtick? I imagine it'd keep inspiring word as is.

Would it have, what, stances that grant benefits based on you hitting with your stances? An encounter power like 'Power Strike' that lets you, as a free action, have an ally make a basic attack or use an at-will?

Maybe instead of stances, you'd have different auras (representing you shouting orders) that grant various bonuses to allies. Use the encounter power to boost the power of those auras for a round?

Then we'd need extra perks as you level.

 

[WalterKovacs]

The one thing that was sort of burried in the lead up article. They HAVE confirmed there will be feats allowing the use of the some of the class features from HotFK/FL. So, if nothing else, the Class Compendium articles will be providing some new content eventually (in April).

Speaking of which ... they did work pretty hard to get those articles in under the wire there ...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

How do you not see it as essentialized?

It has the hideously ugly formatting.

It has the ridiculous tables for each tier.

True, it does not have the MBA at-wills and lack of dailies and varied encounters

So essentials format, maybe, but not essentials build. I guess I can live with that.

But more on topic, I do hope to see larger changes for other classes. I have really been looking forward to this series of articles. I wish they had put the warlord-only feats in there, if any from PHB were changed, I do not remember. Maybe they will withthe wizard feats, some of which I know were changed.

Feats

Included in the Class Compendium series (in April) is an installment on feats to round out your character. For the most part, the feats included in Class Compendium are intended to provide characters built using the Essentials rulebooks with more options for using the Player’s Handbook material, as well as providing characters built using Class Compendium with ways to gain some of the class features presented in Heroes of the Fallen Lands. For a better selection of adventuring feats, you should refer to Heroes of the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms, and the Player’s Handbook.


Feats will be covered.


@Aegeri : sorry to say that. I can´t quote because you sneaked it into xp comments: No, wizard was pretty clear on most part, what essentials wants to do. It wer people on these forums, that took their words and turned it around.


(Which does not mean, DDI promotion is not a bit lacking in clarity sometimes)


I just can support Nemesis Destiny.


There are not a lot of things that annoy me. But trying to promote unreasonal panic is one of those things...

 

[Zaran]

Makes you wonder why they waited until the last minute for this. Wasn't a very climatic article. I still would have bought the book though.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Me too, but only because i refused to buy the PHB for ovious reasons...

Something to the content:

1. I support that many ranged powers should actually be close burst with target: one creature in burst.

2. The iron dragon charge should clarify in the effect, that it allows an immediate charge when using this power. You have to chose the arget at the start of your charge, and strictly reading, the effect has not happened before the attack... The fluff however suggests otherwise.

 

[Klaus]

I'd love to get a book with the PH1 classes clarified and re-formatted like this.

 

[Nullzone]

I like that they fixed a few riders on some of the abilities (like clarifying the free action portion of Commander's Strike), but am seriously disappointed by the fact that it's mostly existing material reformatted; I was hoping for a new Warlord design, even if it wasn't strictly Essentials (because I can't quite figure how that would work out anyway, Warlord's toolset is too big).

And they still suffer from having three primary stats

 

[I'm A Banana]

A noble endeavor.

So what's the shtick? I imagine it'd keep inspiring word as is.

Would it have, what, stances that grant benefits based on you hitting with your stances? An encounter power like 'Power Strike' that lets you, as a free action, have an ally make a basic attack or use an at-will?

Maybe instead of stances, you'd have different auras (representing you shouting orders) that grant various bonuses to allies. Use the encounter power to boost the power of those auras for a round?

Then we'd need extra perks as you level.

Actually, I'd like to replace Inspiring Word. It's basically copypasta from Healing Word, and part of the point is that this class should play differently from the Cleric and other leaders. Making the healing power unique would be the major change.

Alternate healing ability might be something like Inspiring Presence, an Aura 5/10/15 that lets allied characters spend a surge on their own turns as a free action and gain +1d6 hp, 2x or 3x per encounter. The Warlord is a reservoir your allies tap, and all you need to do is show up to the game.

We replace daily nova capacity with a potpourri of encounter-level immediate actions. An ally hits? You add damage. An ally attacks? You add attack bonus. An ally moves? You move them farther. An ally makes a save? You help them save harder. An ally is attacked? You give them a defensive boost. The Warlord becomes the class that gets to act on everyone else's turn. Imagine splitting something like Bastion of Defense into three encounter powers (either of which you can choose at first level), each of which contains a (slightly watered down) version of that power's main effects (more damage, +1 to nearby ally's defenses, some temp hp). Our warlord is handing out candy each turn.

On their own turn, our warlords are simple: move into position near an ally (within range of your immediate "commands" and your aura) and attack.

When other people go, our Warlord shines brightest. It's in line with the "easier, more streamlined" Essentials idea, since the warlord rarely has to choose how to boost an ally, they just need to do what a given ally needs at a given moment. The thief gets extra damage. The knight gets extra defenses. The mage gets extra accuracy. And if no one needs much of anything, the warlord can always buff themselves, using those interrupts on their own actions.

That's the tentative idea, anyway. The big thing is changing Inspiring Word. It is exactly the same as the cleric ability, and the Warlord deserves their own (equally as potent) way to help allies.