Heroes of Shadow: Assassins, Hexblades, and Necromancers!

[The Human Target]

Another option came into my mind, though I doubt it will happen; A necromancer as a defender that defends from the back, summoning minions and other creatures to take the hits for the party; probably with a sort of spirit-companion like deal with his minions so he has to feed them his own lifeforce to sustain it. Would be breaking the mold, to be sure.

Yeah thats what my buddy was hoping for if they ever did one.

 

[Rechan]

I suddenly imagined a Necromancer who comes with a pet, much like the Ranger comes with a beast companion.

 

[circadianwolf]

I've been working on a pet-focused defender necromancer for quite a while, actually.

 

[Insight]

I've been working on a pet-focused defender necromancer for quite a while, actually.

I made a pet-focused controller (sorta like the Shaman in that the Necro would have a persistent focal point for his powers). But I gave up on that idea once Heroes of Shadow was announced.

 

[TerraDave]

The biggie on my own radar is the Monster Vault, because I loves me some monster tokens. Also, expanded fluff and updated stat blocks would be worth having in hard-copy.

With that said, I'm sure I'll peruse them at the local bookstore or FLGS to see what I think.

-O

I think lots of the "red box" will be sold to existing players for nostalgia, novelty, and way of getting others to play reasons. A lot.

Monster Vault, Rules Compendium, and the core set of tiles also offer a lot to current DMs.

The player books probably offer the least, except for course for those people playing those kinds of charecters that want the new options.

I'd need an excellent reason to buy any core Essentials books instead of just picking through the good parts with the Compendium and Character Builder.

But this is also why we may not see a PHB IV for a long while.

 

[Solvarn]

They've already done that; remember the martial power source? They could do it again.

I agree, I think that necro will be controller, hex will be defender, and assassin shadow. I don't think they will have a leader.

 

[Zaran]

Although I can't stand necromancy, I'd like to see the Necromancer be a defender. I think it fits them well. The City of Villians MMO lists their Mastermind Archetype as a tank class role because they use their pets to fight with and absorb damage leaving the rest of the group to stay back and do damage. Sounds like a defender to me!

 

[Rechan]

I do think a stealthy leader would be interesting. There was someone a few months ago bemoaning the lack of a stealthy leader.

 

[mneme]

They were, but then a few weeks later, Wizards published Primal Power -- which had a stealthy build for the Shaman. The eagle shaman can be amazingly stealthy; he just needs to train Stealth (either a background or a feat -- Twilight Adept would be ideal, but Warrior of the Wild, Montastic Discipline, or Shadow Initiate and/or Alcolyte of the Veil would work nicely) and he's good.

 

[Rechan]

he just needs to train Stealth (either a background or a feat

That goes for any class, doesn't it?