Do We Know (Officially) when Barbarians and Druids will be Released?

[Steely Dan]

I'm thinking we will see:


-Barbarian = Primal Defender

-Druid = Primal Controller or Leader or Striker?

-Elementalist = Primal Controller or Striker?

-Sorcerer = Primal Controller or Leader or Striker?

 

[Andor]

By weight, paper is more valuable than gold.

Err... what? Even as hyperbole that is so ludicrous as to make no sense.

Gold is currently $970.73 an ounce. Staples will sell you a 28# case of paper for $45.99

So gold is actually about 9456 times more valuable by weight than paper is, but hey, don't let that stop you.

 

[keterys]

Barbarian could actually be the primal striker. Druid could actually be the primal defender.

I'd assume bard is the primal leader.

 

[Steely Dan]

I'd assume bard is the primal leader.

According to R&C the bard gains its powers from otherworldly patrons.

 

[Insight]

You know about the Swordmage in the FR Player's Guide?

Cheers, LT.

Yes. WOTC has already contradicted itself in that regard. It could be one of the following:

a. WOTC has changed its mind and classes will appear all over the place a la 3rd ed

b. WOTC is sticking to its announced plan and the Swordmage stuff is incorrect

c. The Swordmage is a special case and not intended to be SOP.

 

[keterys]

They've stated that campaign books can have things specific to a campaign. I have no idea why a swordmage would be campaign specific, but maybe the book series would explain.

According to R&C the bard gains its powers from otherworldly patrons.

Huh. Totally missed that. Here I figured they were going back to its roots a bit and splitting the bard up to be a little _more_ of the 'celtic sage' type and the druid would cover the shapeshift angle more than the spellcast angle it did previously.

 

[Khaalis]

Here are my guesses:

Swordmage - Arcane Defender (FRPG)
Bard - Arcane Leader (DDI - PHB1)

Monk - Martial Controller or another Striker (DDI - PHB1)

Artificer - Arcane Striker / Defender mix? (iDDI)

Some of these will likely go DDI-PHB2 due to page counts. Since PHB1 has only 8 classes, we can expect similar ballpark from PHB2 likely.

Barbarian - Primal Defender (PHB2) :: R&C quotes the barbarian is as to druid as paladin is to cleric.
Druid - Primal Leader (PHB2)
Sorcerer (& Wilder) - Primal melee/ranged Striker (PHB2) :: R&C from the info on sorcerer, this seems more striker than controller.
Wu Jen - Primal Controller (PHB2) :: The elemental wizard.

Psychic Warrior - Psionic Defender (PHB2)
Divine Mind - Psionic Leader (PHB2)
Some form of Lurk / Soulknife combo - Psionic melee Striker (PHB2)
Psion - Psionic Controller (PHB2)

Duskblade (or some shadow knight) - Shadow Defender (PHB2)
Dread Necromancer - Shadow Leader (PHB2)
Shadowcaster - Shadow ranged Striker ala Warlock (PHB2)
Beguiler - Shadow Controller (PHB2)

I believe we will also see other classes via DDI/Dragon such as rewrites of classes like the factotum, variants for some form of specialist mechanic for wizards, variants like Favored Soul, etc. all with new spin and reconcepting under 4E.

 

[Steely Dan]

Here are my guesses:


1.) Bard - Arcane Leader ( PHB1)
Monk - Martial Controller or another Striker ( PHB1)


2.) Beguiler - Shadow Controller (PHB2)

1.) The monk and bard will not be in the PHB I.


2.) I think the Illusionist (confirmed class) will be the Shadow Controller, with the Necromancer (confirmed class) being the Shadow Leader.

 

[Insight]

I'd be surprised if there are more than 12 classes released before the end of 2008. That means PHB / DDI / FRCS (?) / Martial Power. You could see some combination of DDI and FRCS / Martial Power, of course, if WOTC "previews" a class using DDI and then officially releases it later.

Here are the classes we know (or are very certain about) already in the PHB:

Cleric
Fighter
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Warlock
Warlord
Wizard

In addition, we hear that Barbarian, Bard, and Druid (an possibly Sorcerer) are close to being ready. I guess throw the Swordmage into the fray, though I have seen NOTHING about this Swordmage class other than that it will be in the FRCS or some FR setting book.

It sounds to me like WOTC could do a limited web release of the first two "primal" classes, being the Barbarian and Druid, without doing a "primal" book. We know that Martial Power is the first "power source" book and that there isn't likely going to be another one for a while (2009). I don't see why WOTC would hold off on releasing Barbarian and Druid if they are truly that close to being ready.

Can anyone add anything else to the above?

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Can anyone add anything else to the above?

No, that seems like a pretty good summary.

I think that adding new classes will be a fairly major event in 4e, one we won't see as often as in 3e. I'm guessing (based on the sample Wizard spells) that each class in the PHB has about 10-15 pages of rules material, mainly in the form of their power list. Each new class should have the same unless they start recycling powers from other classes.