Design & Development: Warlord Article UP!

[The Little Raven]

I've seen Bum Rush used several places, and I assumed that WotC coined bull rush as a less potentially offensive term.

Bull rush is a American football term. It was invented sometime after 1940, when American football began to grow into mainstream popularity.

 

[fafhrd]

D&D is so sportsgamey.

 

[Pale Jackal]

- Onslaught of the White Star Raven

I'd totally play something that let me use "White Star Raven" powers.

Of course, the setting better involve space, and a ridiculous helping of anime or pulp sci-fi. So I probably wouldn't play in that setting... but if I did, White Star Raven is too awesomely retarded to pass up.

(I've come to accept that things can be both retarded and awesome.)

 

[MaelStorm]

I have the feeling 4E is going to be very funny! I agree with the other posters who says the names are silly. I guess I have to open up to this kind of high fantasy.

 

[small pumpkin man]

Why? Don't know. It's not even two flanking opponents. No save. No way to avoid. Just, the laws of game physics suddenly change for that target.

Presumably, the target can still move, he just provokes Attacks of Opportunity???

They avoid it by not being hit in the first place, their "save" or "defense" is their AC. Anything after that is unnecessary complications. This is not changing a "law of physics" any more stunning fist changes the laws of physics.

And yes, "shift" means movement which does not provoke attacks, a characters normal "shift" is the equivalent of a 5 foot step.

Wow. The amount of potential breakage in this is mind boggling. Plus, this power is best used against a mook as opposed to a BBEG because of the greater chance to hit and the greater effect if it hits. Get out the bucket of snails (or in other words, this will be combined with other powers that increase the chance to hit a given target to help ensure success).

If any DM in the history of D&D has allowed bag of rats style exploits, I'd like to hear about it. Without that it's mostly good for getting people out of melee, and isn't worth wasting the extra damage to not use it on a powerful for, who'll probably have a high enough AC to prevent it being a sure bet.

And what if the "adjacent ally" doesn't want to slide? No save? No choice?

Uh, I'm sure you could just say "I'm not your ally anymore", it's not big deal.

At least this one says "can". But, the fact that allies can suddenly be the Flash and charge (presumably up to 30 feet) around the board when it is not their turn is a bit unbelievable.

No, the idea that people stand next to each other getting hit and waiting for their turn to happen is unbelievable. Accepting the obvious abstracted nature of turns, all you have is a class based around pushing people to do more than they're normally capable of, pushing people to do more than they're normally capable of.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Actually, I think it does. "Effect" seems to happen regardless of a hit or miss. If it only worked on a hit, the descriptions would be under "Hit."

Yeah weird, though that some powers have a miiss effect listed. I assume that is only if it is different to the hit effect.

Quarterback is an American football thing, so I don't blame you for missing that one.
Point guard, on the other hand, everyone should know, as basketball is a thoroughly international sport.

I know what a quarterback is, even if I have only watched a few games of 'US-rugby wearing armour cos they can't take a real tackle' . I don't have a clue about basketball positions- dull backwards-forwards game IMO (known as windscreenwiper in these parts ); the 'WTF' was more to 'WTF' do these guys do with relation to the rest of the team?
Not that it matters 'cos I can see what the Warlock does- my party now has a new NPC for me to run -hooray- I always have to run an NPC cleric cos no one in the group wants to play CoDzilla. It is nice to have a change, as long as his healing is upto scratch......

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I dunno about that.

Since it states that "While the warlord's cool 1st-level daily exploit sets up a teamwork benefit, brute strike has the keyword "Reliable," meaning that the power isn't expended if the attack misses. Eventually, as long as the fighter is alive to swing, that brute strike is going to connect -- the warlord doesn't have that certainty."

So that means it is different from Fighter Powers that are Reliable:

Brute Strike Fighter Attack 1
You shatter armor and bone with a ringing blow.
Daily
Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.

Since the Warlord abilities don't that means if you miss, well you miss.

Pin the Foe Warlord Attack 1
No matter where your foe turns, one of your allies is waiting for him.
Daily
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action (no Reliable in that)
Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, the target cannot shift if at least two of your allies (or you and one ally) are adjacent to it.

So I think Effect is simply what this Exploit does beyond affecting the enemy.

 

[Darth Cyric]

If any DM in the history of D&D has allowed bag of rats style exploits, I'd like to hear about it. Without that it's mostly good for getting people out of melee, and isn't worth wasting the extra damage to not use it on a powerful for, who'll probably have a high enough AC to prevent it being a sure bet.

I'm sure they exist, but they're the type of DMs I'd avoid.

Mostly, I see this power as a way for characters like the Wizard to get backed out of an enemy Fighter's or Rogue's threat range without getting whacked in the process (it's a slide, not a shift, so the Fighter doesn't get a free attack). I also see it as an opportunity to give the ally a free square of movement toward initiating a flanking position.

The only problem I might see RAW is near the edge of a cliff, so hopefully that part was clarified, at least.

 

[Darth Cyric]

Basketball has been growing in popularity world-wide for a while now, so much so that it's not enough for Team USA to just show up at the Olympics and get their gold medals -- they actually have to work together and use strategy, which is not always a given...

Lately it's been a given that USA Basketball doesn't do those things.

/off-topic

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

I like the class abilities, but like others here, I don't like the names.

It's definitely a step up from the Marshall though.

Ken