Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
So I got my copy of the Miniatures Handbook yesterday. I haven't had a chance to play with it but I wanted to pass along info on what most D&D RPG players are interested in: the new classes.
They're really cool.
On to more explicit info. Everything between quotation marks is quoted from the book.
Four new classes: Favored Soul, Healer, Marshal, Warmage. None of the spellcasters prepare spells; they cast on the fly like sorcerers. Sadly, there are no new +1 BAB/level classes.
Favored soul. "A divine spellcaster with an innate casting ability." Basically a divine sorcerer. Medium armor, no domains. Highest level spell and bonus spells are based on Charisma, while spell DCs are based on Wisdom. In addition to spells, this class gains weapon focus and specialization, and resistances based on its diety. At high levels the class gains wings and damage reduction. BAB like a cleric.
Healer: "A spellcaster specializing in healing magic, with other healing abilities." WotC informally refers to this as "the girlfriend class", because all it does is heal--apprarently because it's good for that occassional time when somebody's girlfriend wants to try out one game. It even gets a unicorn companion at middle level. Light armor (medium or heavy metal armor violates her Code of Conduct). Limited to only healing spells, but gets a bunch of them. Also gains the ability to heal paralysis, disease, blindness, and other unfavorable conditions. Highest level spell and bonus spells are based on Wisdom, while spell DCs (for undead hit by Cure spells, I guess) are based on Charisma. Charisma bonus is added to all healing spells. BAB like a wizard.
Marshal: "A military leader who inspires the best from companions and battlemates." See the WotC site for a complete posting of this class. In a nutshell: Aura adds Charisma bonus to all allies within 60' (including Marshal). Auras can boost saves, boost ability checks, boost certain manouvers, give bonus damage or bonus to-hit, and more. Very cool class. BAB like a cleric.
Warmage: "A powerful battlefield spellcaster." Like a sorcerer with light armor, but limited to offensive combat spells--mostly Evocation, though he also gets spells like Phantasmal Killer, Black Tentacles, and Tenser's Transformation. Spells per day and DC are based on Charisma. Adds Int bonus to damage of all damage-dealing spells (once per spell, so two magic missile bolts would deal 1d4+1 + Int bonus and 1d4 +1). At higher levels gets medium armor proficiency and Sudden metamagic (empower, enlarge, widen, maximize). BAB like a wizard.
Seven new prestige classes: Bonded Summoner, Dragon Samurai, Havoc Mage, Skullclan Hunter, Tactical Soldier, War Hulk, Warchief.
Bonded Summoner: "A spellcaster with strong elemental ties." +1 spellcasting every other level. Echanges familiar for an elemental companion. Gradually turns into elemental. BAB like a wizard.
Dragon Samurai: "A warrior with draconic traits." Think Dragon Disciple, but for fighters. Gains dragon breath and resitances, gets bonuses to skill rolls with dragons, gains resistance to appropriate element and can empower weapon with appropriate element.
Havoc Mage: "An arcane spellcaster who casts spells while making physical attacks." 5 level prestige class. Gains +1 spellcasting at 2, 4 and 5 level. Can "battlecast": full-round action to attack once and cast a spell at the same time--no AoO. Higher levels in class = higher spell level for battlecast. BAB like a cleric, no arcane spell failure reduction for armor.
Skullclan Hunter: "A ruthless stalker of the undead." Like an Arcane Trickster, but for rogue/cleric instead of rogue/wizard. Sneak attack every 3 levels, immunities to undead special attacks (disease, drain, etc.), smite and special attacks. BAB like a cleric.
Tactical Soldier: "A really unimaginative name for a prestige class." Er, I mean, "The master of melee teamwork." Lots of tricky fighting that'll put a smile on the face of those who live for D&D combat. Gainst the "Flanker" ability at first level: "designate any adjacent square as the square from which flanking against an ally is determined." Wow. Gains other cool abilities as he gains in level, like "reciprocal strike: make an attack of opportunity against a foe that successfully attacks an ally and deals damage." Wow.
War Hulk: "A giant trained to hammer smaller foes." See the WotC site. This thing is a real monster. +2 inherent Str increase per level, ability to damage multiple targets with single attack, and more. Ouch.
Warchief: "A savage battle leader." The most interesting class. Can incite a frenzy in allies within 30'. This gives +2 Str, but does 1 point of damage per hit die of ally per round. The Str boost goes up by +2 per 2 warchief levels (max +10 at 10th level) but the damage stays the same. Also gains inherent stat increases in Cha (+2 at 2nd, 6th, and 10th). At 8th level whenever the warchief is hit he can make a reflex save and have that hit affect an adjacent ally instead. Neat!
The new feats are interesting.
Battle Inspiration
Danger Sense
Dash
Daunting Presence
Deft Opportunist
Distracting Attack
Double Hit
Extra Domain Spell
Foe Specialist
Goad
Hurling Charge
Mage Slayer
Martial Throw
Mounted Casting
Powerful Charge
Greater Powerful Charge
Pushback
Reckless Charge
Second Wind
Shieldmate
Improved Shieldmate
Sidestep
Metamagic (Energy Affinity, plus Sudden versions of PHB metamagic)
Most interesting to me were Danger Sense (reroll init 1/day), Double Hit (when making an AoO, can also attack with off-hand weapon at normal twf penalties), Goad (works like a Taunt in EverQuest and other MMORPG games--makes opponents attack only you), Mage Slayer (bonus to will saves, spellcasters you threaten cannot cast defensively), Sidestep (make bonus 5-foot step after making AoO).
There's also new spells and monsters but I haven't given those a look yet.
And for D&D Miniatures fans, there's a bunch of cool art that shows concept art --> miniature. New miniatures I noticed: halfling outrider (with lance on dog), Dragon Samurai, Purple Dragon Knight, a cool monk, Druid of Obad Hai, half-elf sorcerer, a *really* cool looking black dragon, a red dragon, a new Stonechild, an evil-looking baaz draconian, draconic-looking Gold Champion, ogre ravager, a *really* beautiful brass dragon, large monstrous spider, a scary dire lion, a Red Samurai with a flaming katana, concept art (but no mini) for a Dwarven Defender, a sick Carrion Crawler,
The interior art is mostly black and white drawings with color photos of minis and color examples illustrations. There's also some color paintings, including a somewhat naughty depiction of Mialee getting shot in the back--point blank--by a goblin. Why naughty? The arrow between the shoulder blades caused Mialee to raise her shoulders, which raised her already barely-there top to reveal half of something that would make the art "Too Hot For WotC's New Standards Code." Scandalous.
I'll comment on the mass combat rules after I give them a try. From a quick glance-over they look workable. Movement is like Warhammer (blocks of guys) but commanders can lead from the front or back (with differing effects and options). Units that fail morale saves are first shaken, and if they later fail another morale they break--this is *much* better than Warhammer's "instant rout" mechanics. Anyway, more on these rules after I try them out.
-z
They're really cool.
On to more explicit info. Everything between quotation marks is quoted from the book.
Four new classes: Favored Soul, Healer, Marshal, Warmage. None of the spellcasters prepare spells; they cast on the fly like sorcerers. Sadly, there are no new +1 BAB/level classes.
Favored soul. "A divine spellcaster with an innate casting ability." Basically a divine sorcerer. Medium armor, no domains. Highest level spell and bonus spells are based on Charisma, while spell DCs are based on Wisdom. In addition to spells, this class gains weapon focus and specialization, and resistances based on its diety. At high levels the class gains wings and damage reduction. BAB like a cleric.
Healer: "A spellcaster specializing in healing magic, with other healing abilities." WotC informally refers to this as "the girlfriend class", because all it does is heal--apprarently because it's good for that occassional time when somebody's girlfriend wants to try out one game. It even gets a unicorn companion at middle level. Light armor (medium or heavy metal armor violates her Code of Conduct). Limited to only healing spells, but gets a bunch of them. Also gains the ability to heal paralysis, disease, blindness, and other unfavorable conditions. Highest level spell and bonus spells are based on Wisdom, while spell DCs (for undead hit by Cure spells, I guess) are based on Charisma. Charisma bonus is added to all healing spells. BAB like a wizard.
Marshal: "A military leader who inspires the best from companions and battlemates." See the WotC site for a complete posting of this class. In a nutshell: Aura adds Charisma bonus to all allies within 60' (including Marshal). Auras can boost saves, boost ability checks, boost certain manouvers, give bonus damage or bonus to-hit, and more. Very cool class. BAB like a cleric.
Warmage: "A powerful battlefield spellcaster." Like a sorcerer with light armor, but limited to offensive combat spells--mostly Evocation, though he also gets spells like Phantasmal Killer, Black Tentacles, and Tenser's Transformation. Spells per day and DC are based on Charisma. Adds Int bonus to damage of all damage-dealing spells (once per spell, so two magic missile bolts would deal 1d4+1 + Int bonus and 1d4 +1). At higher levels gets medium armor proficiency and Sudden metamagic (empower, enlarge, widen, maximize). BAB like a wizard.
Seven new prestige classes: Bonded Summoner, Dragon Samurai, Havoc Mage, Skullclan Hunter, Tactical Soldier, War Hulk, Warchief.
Bonded Summoner: "A spellcaster with strong elemental ties." +1 spellcasting every other level. Echanges familiar for an elemental companion. Gradually turns into elemental. BAB like a wizard.
Dragon Samurai: "A warrior with draconic traits." Think Dragon Disciple, but for fighters. Gains dragon breath and resitances, gets bonuses to skill rolls with dragons, gains resistance to appropriate element and can empower weapon with appropriate element.
Havoc Mage: "An arcane spellcaster who casts spells while making physical attacks." 5 level prestige class. Gains +1 spellcasting at 2, 4 and 5 level. Can "battlecast": full-round action to attack once and cast a spell at the same time--no AoO. Higher levels in class = higher spell level for battlecast. BAB like a cleric, no arcane spell failure reduction for armor.
Skullclan Hunter: "A ruthless stalker of the undead." Like an Arcane Trickster, but for rogue/cleric instead of rogue/wizard. Sneak attack every 3 levels, immunities to undead special attacks (disease, drain, etc.), smite and special attacks. BAB like a cleric.
Tactical Soldier: "A really unimaginative name for a prestige class." Er, I mean, "The master of melee teamwork." Lots of tricky fighting that'll put a smile on the face of those who live for D&D combat. Gainst the "Flanker" ability at first level: "designate any adjacent square as the square from which flanking against an ally is determined." Wow. Gains other cool abilities as he gains in level, like "reciprocal strike: make an attack of opportunity against a foe that successfully attacks an ally and deals damage." Wow.
War Hulk: "A giant trained to hammer smaller foes." See the WotC site. This thing is a real monster. +2 inherent Str increase per level, ability to damage multiple targets with single attack, and more. Ouch.
Warchief: "A savage battle leader." The most interesting class. Can incite a frenzy in allies within 30'. This gives +2 Str, but does 1 point of damage per hit die of ally per round. The Str boost goes up by +2 per 2 warchief levels (max +10 at 10th level) but the damage stays the same. Also gains inherent stat increases in Cha (+2 at 2nd, 6th, and 10th). At 8th level whenever the warchief is hit he can make a reflex save and have that hit affect an adjacent ally instead. Neat!
The new feats are interesting.
Battle Inspiration
Danger Sense
Dash
Daunting Presence
Deft Opportunist
Distracting Attack
Double Hit
Extra Domain Spell
Foe Specialist
Goad
Hurling Charge
Mage Slayer
Martial Throw
Mounted Casting
Powerful Charge
Greater Powerful Charge
Pushback
Reckless Charge
Second Wind
Shieldmate
Improved Shieldmate
Sidestep
Metamagic (Energy Affinity, plus Sudden versions of PHB metamagic)
Most interesting to me were Danger Sense (reroll init 1/day), Double Hit (when making an AoO, can also attack with off-hand weapon at normal twf penalties), Goad (works like a Taunt in EverQuest and other MMORPG games--makes opponents attack only you), Mage Slayer (bonus to will saves, spellcasters you threaten cannot cast defensively), Sidestep (make bonus 5-foot step after making AoO).
There's also new spells and monsters but I haven't given those a look yet.
And for D&D Miniatures fans, there's a bunch of cool art that shows concept art --> miniature. New miniatures I noticed: halfling outrider (with lance on dog), Dragon Samurai, Purple Dragon Knight, a cool monk, Druid of Obad Hai, half-elf sorcerer, a *really* cool looking black dragon, a red dragon, a new Stonechild, an evil-looking baaz draconian, draconic-looking Gold Champion, ogre ravager, a *really* beautiful brass dragon, large monstrous spider, a scary dire lion, a Red Samurai with a flaming katana, concept art (but no mini) for a Dwarven Defender, a sick Carrion Crawler,
The interior art is mostly black and white drawings with color photos of minis and color examples illustrations. There's also some color paintings, including a somewhat naughty depiction of Mialee getting shot in the back--point blank--by a goblin. Why naughty? The arrow between the shoulder blades caused Mialee to raise her shoulders, which raised her already barely-there top to reveal half of something that would make the art "Too Hot For WotC's New Standards Code." Scandalous.
I'll comment on the mass combat rules after I give them a try. From a quick glance-over they look workable. Movement is like Warhammer (blocks of guys) but commanders can lead from the front or back (with differing effects and options). Units that fail morale saves are first shaken, and if they later fail another morale they break--this is *much* better than Warhammer's "instant rout" mechanics. Anyway, more on these rules after I try them out.
-z
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