Excerpt from the D&D Miniatures Handbook up at the WoTC site

[kenjib]

They've said that half the book will be D&D specific, while the other half will be Miniatures specific (I.E. Half will have new Core Classes, Prestige Classes, Feats, Magic Items, Spells, etc, while the other half has new miniature combat scenarios, mass combat rules, advanced skirmish rules, campaign rules, and the like). Besides, those elements can be used in the D&D miniature game. The Marshal, for example, is made specifically with D&D Miniatures combat in mind.

Ah, I get it now. Thanks!

 

[Green Knight]

Bonus Feats = Clerics get damain powers which are equivalent to feats while Marshals get Skill Focus (Diplomacy) (Cleric Wins)

As mentioned by someone else, the Marshal gets Martial Weapon Proficiency. So while a Cleric can potentially gain a Proficiency with 1 weapon and Weapon Focus with one weapon if he has the War Domain available to him, the Marshal has proficiency with ALL Martial Weapons.

Also, the Marshal has Tower Shield Proficiency, and is the only class aside from the Fighter to have it as a class ability. With those two on top of the Skill Focus (Diplomacy), I'd say the Marshal wins on that score.

Spells = Marshall limited list of Auras and Move Bonuses to allies 1-5/day on while Clerics get a huge list and plenty of spell slots. (Advantage Cleric)

I don't know. The fact that he can have two auras going at the same time all day long is a pretty big deal. The Cleric will run out of spells, eventually (Or at least useful spells), but the Marshal will be able to switch over from one aura to another all the ling long day.

Also, a lot of these auras have similar affects to Cleric spells. Difference being, A) They last as long as the Marshal wants them to, rather than running out in a couple of minutes, and B) They affect everyone within 60 feet. So while a Cleric can cast something like Bear's Endurance on someone, which'll only last a minute or so, the Marshal can give anywhere from 1 person to 30 or more the equivalent for as long as he's able to.

Also, remember that these Auras give him the same bonuses they give others. So a Marshal who has "Accurate Strike" and a Scimitar, will Threaten a crit on an 18-20, and add his Cha bonus to his roll to score a Crit, as will all his allies within 60 feet.

I can't wait to give this a try. Imagine how DEVASTATING it'd be to have a Marshal PC who's taken a level in Barbarian, and who's taken the Leadership Feat, with all his Followers being Barbarians as well. Then imagine the Marshal has the "Motivate Urgency" ability. At 10th-level, you'll have a character who can move 50 feet a round, with a score of Followers who can move just as fast. Talk about your fast moving hordes!

But even on his own, the Marshal's pretty damned impressive. Grant Move Action is the only class ability that the Marshal can't use on himself. Everything else, the Marshal can use on himself. Which makes the Marshal supremely adaptable to most any situation. And of course, the guy's also the ultimate team player. If a group of monsters catches your party unprepared, then the Marshal can use Hardy Soldiers to help the party survive the initial onslaught in the surprise round. Once that's done, the Marshal uses Master of Opportunity to help the party get into position without suffering Attacks of Opportunity. Once they're in place, the Marshal can then use Master of Tactics to grant his allies attack bonuses for flanking. When the monsters are defeated and the survivors flee, the Marshal can use Steady Hand to grant the ranged weapon users bonuses so they can shoot the retreating monsters dead and thus prevent them from alerting their superiors.

Anyway, as I said, I like it.

 

[tetsujin28]

Not to mention that the Marshall's auras are Ex, rather than Su. Can't dispel them, save by Silence or the like.

 

[Silveras]

Interesting

I am not terribly eager to see the D&D Minis game, because miniature combats on their own do not interest me at all. However, the Miniatures Handbook promises some things I can adopt or adapt for my RPG campaigns.

The Marshall is an interesting base class. None of the main classes in the PH are specifically suited to leading forces, although they *can* command followers. The Marshall adds some mechanics for leading forces, which is useful.

Comparison of the Marshall to the Cleric is inappropriate. The Marshall is a class with a different mission. It happens to have some mechanics in common with the Cleric (BAB, Saves, HD), but it is *not* a Cleric. Its powers are more Bard-like, in a way, but are also more focused (making point-by-point comparison with the Bard just as inappropriate). A solid but not outstanding melee fighter, the Marshall's abilities really do lend themselves to leading forces and "bringing out the best in comrades". Where the Cleric supports and protects, the Marshall inspires and guides.

With his/her high Charisma, the Marshall also makes a fine spokesman and natural leader for a party. In the old (original) Dragonlance modules and novels, Tanis was the party leader because he could motivate the others when needed, and mediate their disputes effectively. That role is better embodied in the Marshall than in the Fighter, now, and I would guess that Tanis would have been written up as a Marshall instead of a Fighter if the class had been around in that time.

 

[Green Knight]

Good point about that.

Personally, I'm hoping the new classes introduced in this book will be allowed for RPGA play. I'd LOVE to play a Marshal in a LG game, for example.

 

[d4]

a Marshal / Paladin would be a pretty cool character. almost like the Paladin from Diablo II.

 

[Green Knight]

a Marshal / Paladin would be a pretty cool character. almost like the Paladin from Diablo II.

That's actually a combo I was thinking of, myself, only a little bit, ago. Maybe a Marshal/Paladin of Torm in the Forgotten Realms? He also happens to be a Captain in the Purple Dragons.

Hmm. They're supposed to be coming out with a new Forgotten Realms Player's Guide book or something like that. I wonder if they're gonna take the new classes in this book into account? I'd love to have a couple more options than playing a Paladin of Torm to be able to freely multiclass with Marshal.

 

[Wombat]

Lord, I didn't think it was possible, but WotC actually made me LESS interested in the miniatures because of these additions!

Not only is it stripped down D&D, but it is stripped down, radically altered D&D.

What is the point in this exercise?

 

[Aaron L]

Looks like a pretty cool class to me.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Duplicate post