Excerpt: The Warlord

[neceros]

I am confused. Does the "effect" happens on a miss, hit, or both?

Both.

 

[bramadan]

Hmmm... that sounds reasonable.

It brings up a humorous scenario in my mind.

Cleric: Be healed, my child.
Heathen: Eh. That's not so impressive.
Cleric: No? The hand of the divine healing your body isn't impressive?
Heathn: Not really. Bob healed me up just as well with a kind word and a pat on the back.
Cleric: Really?? What is Bob? Some sort of demigod?
Heathen: No, I think he's just a 1st level warlod. Anyway, if that is all you are offering, I think I'll just go worship Bob instead.

Not to go ways down the old "what are HP" path but I think that it will be reasonable to assume that both Cleric and Warlord's *in-combat* healing will have to do mostly with raising spirits and moral of their party members.

Cleric: Do not fall back, sun of Pelor shines upon us - we shall prevail !
Warlord: Comrades, freedom of Aquila is in your hands. Grit your teeth and fight on !


C

 

[Stalker0]

I won't lie, definitely disappointed about no at-will powers. I mean WOTC knows tons of people are showing people 4e through the pregens, we already have a lot of warlord dailies known. Instead of 2 dailies, couldn't we have gotten 2 at-wills and actually play the class?

Alright that said, lets get into it.

Skill List: First thing I noticed is a small list of skills. They choose 4 out of a list of 6. Then again, that could just be for the initial selection, skill training doesn't seem to require a skill be on your class list (see stealth for the wizard).

Initiative Aura: This kind of aura I'm okay with. Reason:

1) Its a large aura. Little chance the whole party won't get the bonus.

2) Its a rare aura. Initiative is called once per battle. Its not like perception when every room might have a check.

3) Its a nice bonus. +2 to initiative is nothing to sneeze at, making it easier to remember. Beats the heck out of +1 to perception

Class Features:
The action point bonuses are a good way to go for the warlord and both are good and unique. The charisma one is more generally useful, hitpoints are always good. But the attack bonus one can help on a big attack like a daily. I could see a intelligent warlord (int 16) combine with the pregen warlock who has the action surge feat. You could get a +6 to attack roll for the warlocks daily power!!

Powers:
Those new warlord powers seem very nice, especially the dailies. Hit or Miss, I get a +1 to attack rolls for the whole combat??!!! Yes please!!

 

[MerricB]

I am confused. Does the "effect" happens on a miss, hit, or both?

I expect "both"

Hit: only occurs on hit
Miss: only occurs on miss
Effect: always occurs.

Very cool.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Powers:
Those new warlord powers seem very nice, especially the dailies. Hit or Miss, I get a +1 to attack rolls for the whole combat??!!! Yes please!!

I noticed Lead the Attack is a great "Kill the solo monster" ability. Assuming the warlord has an Int of 16, a success will give everyone within 5 squares +4 to hit the monster for the rest of the encounter. How would that have helped the DDXP players against the dragon?

 

[Spenser]

Seeing as [inspiring word] uses the same naming format as healing word and is conspicuously absent in crunch, I'm guessing this is the Warlord's main healing power.

I sure hope so. Because if it isn't, everyone is going to take a cleric anyway. Clerics aren't needed to heal up between fights, which is good, but being able to heal twice per combat as a minor action is just incredibly powerful.

As for the wizard being "necessary", that's only if his AoE turns out to be *really* good compared to everyone else's. Otherwise, I don't see why you couldn't just go with another striker. Certainly in my group's playtests, he didn't seem like a must have.

 

[Stalker0]

I noticed Lead the Attack is a great "Kill the solo monster" ability. Assuming the warlord has an Int of 16, a success will give everyone within 5 squares +4 to hit the monster for the rest of the encounter. How would that have helped the DDXP players against the dragon?

The interesting thing about this is that makes the warlord's daily a HUGE swing power, which is something WOTC said they were trying to keep away from. I mean if we assume a dragon fight lasts 10 rounds (the one I ran lasted at least 20) and the warlord opens up with his daily, then a hit or miss is the difference between a +4 to 40 or so attack rolls!!

 

[MaelStorm]

I won't lie, definitely disappointed about no at-will powers. I mean WOTC knows tons of people are showing people 4e through the pregens, we already have a lot of warlord dailies known. Instead of 2 dailies, couldn't we have gotten 2 at-wills and actually play the class?

Spot on remark. Despite my enthusiasm, I too, am disappointed about this.

 

[FadedC]

The interesting thing about this is that makes the warlord's daily a HUGE swing power, which is something WOTC said they were trying to keep away from. I mean if we assume a dragon fight lasts 10 rounds (the one I ran lasted at least 20) and the warlord opens up with his daily, then a hit or miss is the difference between a +4 to 40 or so attack rolls!!

While that is potentially really strong, keep in mind that

1) This does not stack with other power bonuses to hit such as the one provided by the cleric
2) Getting +4 requires a 16 inteligence which is certainly doable, but is rather high for a secondary stat.
3) Even when you miss you do give everyone +1

 

[fuindordm]

Hmmm...

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail; light shield

No plate? Seems odd...