Divine Power - what's the verdict?

[Lojaan]

Hey all, what's the verdict on DP?

I checked it out briefly in the shop yesterday and I was going to buy it but I was thrown by how much it looked like, dare I say, a rush job.

I admit it was a brief look, but my first impression (unlike martial & arcane power) was that it wasn't worth getting. That it was basically just a power list. Nothing you can't get in the CB. And when there were additional class features, the book didn't go into them in any kind of depth. I'm thinking the new avenger censure and the paladin thing of how they can get two marks or something.

So before I decide to purchase it, what do people think? Am I being too harsh? Is it good, or should I just use the character builder?

 

[Obryn]

Pretty much all of the X Power books can be more or less ignored if you have Compendium and Character Builder.

This one's solid, though. The feats are a bit lackluster, but the class features and powers are pretty incredible. The domains are pretty awesome, too - they can really help make clerics of different gods play differently.

Overall, I'd recommend it.

-O

 

[Subumloc]

Actually, Divine Power has several bits of fluff about the pantheon of the implied setting, hidden in sidebars here and there in the power lists. Things like a list of dead gods, or how the Raven Queen came to power. Nothing stellar, and if you don't care about the implied setting it won't do much for you, but IMHO it's nice fluff and way better than the string of "how [race][class] are" from martial power.

 

[Crothian]

I think it is a lot like martial and arcane power and both of those books are not really needed if you use CB.

Persoanlly, I like the book and have spent a lot of time reading through the various options for the classes in it. I really like what they did with domains and that is were the exciting feats are. THe rest of the feats are just fine, I would call feats in 4e in general lackluster but then I think they always were.

 

[Gothmog]

Of the "X Power" books, I think Divine Power has been the most solid so far. The Divine classes were the ones that really needed the most help and distinction from other power sources, and Divine Power doesn't disappoint. I'm playing an avenger right now, so I was excited about this book, but I really like they way they have taken the cleric and paladin classes. By far, the paladin is the most improved class, and the cleric has a lot of interesting new powers that don't inflict damage, but instead impose some nasty conditions and buffs. Domains have finally been done right, and are very distinctive, and the fluff about the implied setting is great.

If I have one complaint, it is that I would have liked to have seen more rituals in this book, especially ones based on the Religion skill. Overall though, its a very good addition to 4e and well worth the price.

 

[ppaladin123]

Clerics and Paladins got a lot of support in divine power.

Clerics actually feel like well-rounded leaders now, with lots of abilities that debuff enemy defenses, pump up allies' damage, etc. Before DP their prayers focused too much on plain healing.

Paladins are now much stronger defenders. I don't think they are quite up to the level of the swordmage but they can now handle multiple enemies more easily and have defensive options/bonuses that make them as resilient as wardens, maybe even more-so. This is important because an incapacitated defender can't defend!

Invokers get a bunch of solid options. They were already a mechanically solid class though so the effect is not as dramatic as with the cleric and paladin.

I think avengers lost out on power selection since the DP prayers aren't really much of an improvement over the lousy options in PHBII. On the other hand there are now several strong paragon paths.

Domain feats are interesting (I love Sea and Sun for paladins in particular) but the other feats are a bit weak compared with the quality of material in MP and AP.

Really the only major problem I have with this book is the art. I think it is easily the worst selection of pieces in any 4e book so far. The paladin pieces in particular are unimpressive and uninspiring. I was a bit disappointed since I was hoping for something truly epic, like say this:

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[Jack99]

You know what you need? You need a short-and-to-the-point-review that gives you a good idea of what you need to know. See sig for more info.

 

[Baumi]

While I like the DP overall, especially for making the Paladin more competent as a defender, I do think that the Cleric was boosted way to much in healing. He always was the best one-target healer in the game, but he didn't overshadow everyone, now he can take the advantages of the other classes (multiheal, distribute Surges,..) and his burst-healing was even boostet higher. I think a group with a Cleric will now be far stronger than with any other leader.

The worst offenders are at epic, but at heroic they already get some extremly strong tricks..

At heroic there is a feat that increases the Healing with your implement-bonus, so thats already 1-6 more that any other Leader can heal. Also they get two At-Wills, both heals the next ally that hits the same target without needing a surge.

At Epic they have a feat that lets them use the healing word at 2 targets at the same time (since both get the full healing-advantages it is MUCH better than the shaman healing) and a feat that lets anyone spend a Healing Surge instead the Target (that was the main advantage of the Artificer).

There is also the Pacifist Feat (add 1-3d6 to healing), but the disadvantage is very severe so I think that might be ok.

 

[Estlor]

If you go into Divine Power expecting about what you got in Martial Power and Arcane Power you won't be disappointed. I don't think the new "builds" are terribly exciting or groundbreaking like the beast ranger, more along the lines of the ruthless ruffian rogue (say it three times fast!) in nature.

They do a good job of rounding out the paladin so you don't get gimped from the start if you pick Strength. They also give you an alternate way of marking to help make them a little better at their job. Wisdom clerics don't pick up a lot of powers as most of the Wisdom ones are for the so-called "shielding" build and don't do any damage. They do, however, address the "off" levels for cleric utilities. You get an avenger that plays nice with others as opposed to the two in the PHB2 that ignore their allies and do their own thing. I've always been kind of "meh" on invokers and the inclusion of a high percentage of powers that damage you or daze you in exchange for not much of a power boost over other powers left me cold.

The feats are a mixed bag. There's one that'll let you get another divine class's Channel Divinity, so your invoker, paladin, or avenger can turn undead now if you'd like. I really feel the feats in Martial and Arcane Power were "better," and I know exactly why. There are so many races now that you can't support all the races with class feats and still have space leftover for enough "kewl" general feats, especially when you set aside a lot of space for Domains and two feats per domain.

Domains are good I guess. They don't really add much to the game - just a feat in line with the martial feats that alter at-wills or the heritage feats from the Dhampyr Dragon issue and another Channel Divinity feat. I think I'm a little cold on them because my cleric of the Raven Queen doesn't use any of the at-wills improved by her domains so it's like a big waste for me right now. I'd take Healer's Implement (add implement enhancement bonus to hit points healed with Healing Word) over any of them any day.

It's a solid book. I don't think it's "must have" like MP or AP, but helps where it needs to help and aside from the stupid new invoker build (imho) it finally gives the divine classes some of the support they've been lacking.

Although now when we get to epic tier my cleric is going to have a hard decision between Heal, Revive, and Mass Cure Serious Wounds.

 

[Jhaelen]

Of the "X Power" books, I think Divine Power has been the most solid so far.

Ditto that. If you liked the previous Power books, you'll also like this one. If, like me, you aren't a DDI subscriber, it's pretty much a must-have (unless you happen to dislike divine characters principally).

The domains are an interesting addition but a bit too limited regarding the mechanical effects, imho. Still, they're better than the Channel Divinity feats.