Dragon article -- Class Acts: Wizards

[IanB]

If you want the non-combat illusions, wait for the articles with new rituals to start showing up.

 

[Metus]

You mean the attack spells do damage?

Both the Hound and Wall spells are utility, and both have solid application outside of combat. I see no problem with attacks doing damage.

As for generic, that sounds a bit redundant. Attack spells do damage and sometimes add a condition. The list of conditions is finite. They become less generic when you look at utility spells, as they should.

Shall I say the heavy focus on attack spells versus utility spells?

Really, there was nothing preventing me from taking Ray of Frost and calling it Illusory Ambush. How about I take Thunderwave and call it Illusory Stampede or something. There are still times when I am left stunned at its simplicity.

I couldn't readily play switcheroo with 3rd edition spells - Alarm was different from Obscuring Mist which was different from Mount which was different from Enlarge Person. It actually felt like it was bringing something fresh to the table, rather than just switching out a name, or a saving throw.

 

[Boarstorm]

I couldn't readily play switcheroo with 3rd edition spells - Alarm was different from Obscuring Mist which was different from Mount which was different from Enlarge Person. It actually felt like it was bringing something fresh to the table, rather than just switching out a name, or a saving throw.

I notice that none of those spells do damage. Fireball/lightning bolt/disintegrate ... they all do a number of d6s and you could easily change out the damage type or area of effect...

Essentially what I'm getting at is that what you're describing are utility powers or rituals, and even in 4E Spectral Hound, Shield, and Mordenkainen's Mansion all bring "something fresh to the table."

Edit: Now then, do Wizards get enough of these utility powers? Well, maybe and maybe not. I'll have to play higher than 2nd level before I'm willing to make that call.

 

[BendBars/LiftGates]

Nice,

but shouldn't phantasmal terrain have some kind of duration to it?

Exactly. It's got to be missing a duration note. The obvious solution is to do the same as the other sustainable illusion powers in the article: Sustain Minor up through the end of the encounter.

 

[Metus]

I notice that none of those spells do damage.

Edit: Now then, do Wizards get enough of these utility powers? Well, maybe and maybe not. I'll have to play higher than 2nd level before I'm willing to make that call.

Yeah, that's what I was going for/clarifying in my second post: that I'm looking for something a bit more than doing a d6 of fire/cold/acid damage.

But to be fair, while I plan on running a game, I have yet to run it and see 4E in action. So maybe wizards (or any other class) DO get enough use out of their utility powers. My intuition says no, but I've been wrong before.

 

[Mouseferatu]

But to be fair, while I plan on running a game, I have yet to run it and see 4E in action. So maybe wizards (or any other class) DO get enough use out of their utility powers. My intuition says no, but I've been wrong before.

Are you taking rituals into account? Wizards the ritual-masters of the game; they start with the ability to cast them, start with more than anyone else, and are the only class to gain them automatically as they increase level.

 

[Khanedur]

I'm pleased over all. Yes, many the powers do seem a bit generic. But how many new ideas do you expect out of a list of combat spells? "Use your enemies to determine flanking" I think that's a first. And an encounter power that lasts for the encounter (IE illusory wall) is pretty new.

I just hope they hurry up and give me my summons. Some of the cleric spells and this spectral hound do part of what I like about summons (damage over time, flanking, threatening squares) but until they give a summon defenses and hp, it can't soak hits.

At least now I know that it is possible that I'll get them before PHBII, that more than anything else, is why I'm pleased.

 

[RangerWickett]

I figure there could have been a handful of basic powers that you can choose from at low level, and then as you level up they just automatically get better, and you can add new rider abilities. The majority of class abilities could have been more creative than just attack power #72.

 

[Shroomy]

Also, the Insight skill is explicitly includes 'seeing through illusions' as part of its schtick now. Some of these illusion things ought to involve insight in one way or another (illusory wall at least, for instance).

Phantasmal Terrain probably ought to have the Zone keyword and either a Sustain: Minor or "zone lasts until the end of the encounter or 5 rounds"

In theory, both grasping shadows and phantasmal terrain could have the Zone keyword. However, I wonder if "Zone" was ommitted because these spells were illusions and they don't want dispel magic to work on them. Makes sense since Conjurations and Zones create actual stuff.

Phantasmal terrain does need a duration unless there's some rule that I overlooked that governs this type of situation.

 

[drothgery]

Aw, dammit. Now I have to have Rodney's babies, and my wife's gonna be pissed...

What's Rodney doing not working on Star Wars?