Design & Development: Warlord Article UP!

[mach1.9pants]

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Slide Target Thread Into Allied Thread To Create The Form Of Mega-warlord Thread!

Man moderators are so anime!

 

[KarinsDad]

I'm not crazy about the pin the foe power having no apparant limits on what it can target. I can't quite see how 3 human fighters, no matter how coordinated, are going to stop a collosal dragon from moving, shifting, or 5' stepping any way it wants to.

Yup.

But, there are other synergies that might be more problematic.

I suspect that there will be several powers/abilities in the game that state "When you shift, you can ...". What this single simple power might be able to do with no save is prevent enemies from using their powers.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I'm not crazy about the pin the foe power having no apparant limits on what it can target. I can't quite see how 3 human fighters, no matter how coordinated, are going to stop a collosal dragon from moving, shifting, or 5' stepping any way it wants to.

It simply states the target cannot shift, which simply means that the target cannot perform that specific movement that doesn't create a OA.

So for your example, a dragon can move and get a OA, however it cannot shift since that shift would be then a ordinary move and provoke a OA. Which I think makes perfect sense that a group of fighters has thanks to the Warlock set themselves up in the position that they are able to strike out whenever the dragon moves.

 

[BryonD]

I'm not crazy about the pin the foe power having no apparant limits on what it can target. I can't quite see how 3 human fighters, no matter how coordinated, are going to stop a collosal dragon from moving, shifting, or 5' stepping any way it wants to.

You're such a simulationist. geez

This is D&D.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I'm not crazy about the pin the foe power having no apparant limits on what it can target. I can't quite see how 3 human fighters, no matter how coordinated, are going to stop a collosal dragon from moving, shifting, or 5' stepping any way it wants to.

It doesn't stop them moving, it only means they cannot shift (i.e. move without provoking an AO). They can still move but the 'surrounders' will get appropraite AOs.....
Edit: Ninja'd by Seraph,
Thinking about it, that power is not un-realistic enough for me DnD is too simulationist

 

[KarinsDad]

It doesn't stop them moving, it only means they cannot shift (i.e. move without provoking an AO). They can still move but the 'surrounders' will get appropraite AOs.....

Who said that the attackers have to surround the creature?

There can be a dragon taking up 16 squares and this "non-magical" ability still allows 2 opponents next to it on one side to prevent it from shifting directly away from them.

This is a game mechanic power. The sole purpose of it is to modify the rules as written. It doesn't in any way, shape, or form follow the descriptive text:

No matter where your foe turns, one of your allies is waiting for him.

Now, if they stated that it only occurs if allies have flank, then it would make more logical sense based on the descriptive text.

Course, the rational for it is pretty weak to begin with. If the controller is actually calling out commands to inform his allies where to go and what to do, what happens if they cannot hear him? And if so, how come the enemies cannot take advantage of those commands as well? And why can the allies instantly react to those commands (and why are the enemies ever unable to decipher them)?

That's the problem with game mechanics whose sole function is to modify other game mechanics. They sometimes do not make a lot of logical sense.


Personally, I am going to have a lot of problems with the verisimilitude of the martial powers if they are going to accomplish magical sounding effects (especially with no save against foes).

I probably will have very few problems with the divine or arcane powers.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

It isn't so much that the Warlord is calling out commands as much as he through his attack has allowed two PCs to position themselves adequately to engage the target if it tries to shift/move.

As for them being simply adjacent, well it is not like the two PCs in-game would be simply standing there going, "oh it went that way, guess we can't hit it", it would be more along the lines, of

"The fighter swung around to the side as the dragon turned to run. His sword swing makes the dragon veer again into the sword of the second fighter."

For that to happen they don't have to be flanking.

I think by leaving it more open, WoTC is giving us permission to be more dramatic and narrate our own combat more.

 

[Spatula]

Coup de grace is silly, how? It means "killing blow" in french. The military terms listed (with the possible exception of pepperpotting) are actually all very descriptive and give you a good idea of what they are. When hedgehogs are threatened, they collapse into spiky balls. Guess what a hedgehog defense involves? etc.

 

[Celebrim]

I'm thinking everyone in the party plays a warlord and takes Iron Dragon Charge as thier daily.

That way, whenever one of us charges, we all charge! Twenty-five attacks per round. It will rock.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Who said that the attackers have to surround the creature?

Sorry poor choice of words, I should have just said allies.

There can be a dragon taking up 16 squares and this "non-magical" ability still allows 2 opponents next to it on one side to prevent it from shifting directly away from them.

They are not preventing it moving so I have no problems with this, the Warlord co-ordinates in such a way as to give the allies AOs if it moves, thats it.
But yes the flfuf text is a little off; I hardly pay attention to that stuff personally. My players and I will add the appropriate narrative desription during the game. A big part of the fun IMO, and 4E will make it easier to do more outrageous stuff