Filling out the Powers

[GoodKingJayIII]

One (small) thing that irks me about the introduction of 4e is that we do not have one of each role in the three power sets. Initially, I was hoping that we'd have at least one of each role in the three powers (for a total of 12 base classes). Depending on how transparent the ruleset is, this is something I'd eventually like to build. Obviously without the rules there's not much we can do. But I like to think conceptually first anyway. So I'm looking for ideas for:

Martial Controller

Arcane Defender
Arcane Leader

Divine Striker
Divine Controller

I'm sure others around here have thought about this as well, which is why I'm really posting. I'd like to do a collective brainstorm and see what pops out.

 

[TerraDave]

The easy ones:

Arcane Defender: Sword Mage
Arcane Leader: Bard

 

[deathdonut]

Divine Controller - Moses style Priest
Divine Striker - Hand of God, fire and brimstone style Preacher
Martial Controller - Judo style monk

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

The easy ones:

Arcane Defender: Sword Mage
Arcane Leader: Bard

I'll give you the Sword Mage.

However, I was actually thinking the bard could potentially fit very well in the Martial Controller category.

 

[Scrollreader]

A martial controller would need to have: AoE Damage, walls or similar, and other sorts of ways to affect a group. Without needing magic to do so. About the only martial controller I can think of would be a variant on the Lasher, or something with a chain weapon, that involed AoE damage, ground denial, and mass trip/disarm effects. Maybe an AoE fear like the lasher had. Even then, it's more of a stretch to see a martal controller than nearly any other role I can think of.

 

[Bishmon]

I'm pretty sure the martial controller will be 4E's white whale.

 

[DonAdam]

A well-designed gadget/grenadier class would do fine as a martial controller. Think tanglefoot bags on speed.

In some settings, Monk could be the divine striker. I know in FR Ilmater and Shar have some monk type people. Of course, monk could also be psionic or chi.

For the divine controller... I don't know. Things like Necromancer, Summoner, or Elementalist might fit naturally there, but are those divine, arcane, or something else (like Shadow)?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

For a Divine Striker, I actually had the idea of a blind-swordsman style character. He doesn't necessarily have to be blind, but just that instead of fighting with his eyes he follows the knowledge given to him by his God throughout the course of the fight.

There be things like, causing a reroll of an attack, because he was able to receive information about it prior to the actual attack, etc.

Also, would have some sort of fast-sprinting Daily, where he can say run... 6 squares in total, dealing normal attacks to each opponent till the final main opponent where he dishes out the real damage.

This would be the person being guided completely by the workings of the God.

 

[lvl20dm]

A Divine Striker could go either way, but I like the idea of something similar to the Black Flame Zealot prestige class or a dervish (or the combination of the two). Fallen Seraph's "Blind Swordsmen" also fits with this concept, I think. A class like that could also have "martyr" type abilities that allow it to damage itself for greater accuracy, speed, or damage output.

The problem with a Divine Controller is that it could be very similar to a Wizard. How would that class distinguish itself from a Wizard, other than its powers are called Prayers and not spells? Certainly, some Cleric spells from prior additions were very control oriented - Flamestrike and Blade Barrier come to mind - and they could be given to a "Wrath of the Gods" type of class. As others have pointed out, it's hard not to think of the Biblical Moses when concepting a Divine "Wizard". Of course, it they lump spirits into the realm of the Dvine (and they really could make spirits their own powersource or put them with primal), then the Spirit Shaman could be a controller - summoning spirits to possess enemies, or to actively fight on the Shaman's behalf. That kind of thing.

The Arcane roles are most likely filled by the Bard and the Swordmage, but you've got me when it comes to a Martial Controller (it may just be an implausible role/powersource combination).

 

[deathdonut]

Maybe what we're having here is an imperfect understanding of the Controller's role. As I understand it, the controller is about manipulating the battlefield and not necessarily dishing out damage. Most of us think of the battlefield as consisting of the physical state of the ground and the features, but really the important aspects are the locations and states of the combatants. This is why I think a Judo-style monk specializing in throws, AE sweeps, grapples, etc could possibly fill the void. I agree it's a bit of a stretch though.

I think if we start tossing out shamanistic, druidic and witch-doctor style effects we've probably crossed the line from Divine to Primal.

I was almost sold on the idea of an engineering based class, but I suspect they would implement it as an entirely new power source rather than relegate it to martial just because it doesnt use "magic".