D&D 4E I'm confused - 4E and Essentials

[UHF]

Is this the case with Essentials classes their choices are locked down to just four possible options (using 10th level Utility as an example), so not only can they not use any previous 4th Ed Fighter utilities, they can't even use the Essentials Fighter Utilities of a different class? If so why did they call them Fighter Utilities and not Knight or Slayer Utilities?

I think all of your questions have been answered correctly.

Most of the information in the Essentials character classes is presented in a simpler form for its own sake.

I think the reason for the simpler presentation is to make players of other D&D more comfortable with the the character classes.

All the Utilities are shareable to all the fighter classes including Slayer and Knight.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Can a non-Essentials Wizard select a Mage's power? Can a non-E Wizard use Cantrips? Can a non-E Wizard trick the Devil into thinking he is dead?

 

[WalterKovacs]

Can a non-Essentials Wizard select a Mage's power? Can a non-E Wizard use Cantrips? Can a non-E Wizard trick the Devil into thinking he is dead?

A non-E wizard would not get Suggestion. It has no level, and it isn't in the list of cantrips that a non-E wizard gets.

A non-E wizard can't take the Enigmatic Mage paragon path, so he wouldn't get the powers tied to that path.

Other than that, all the powers available to the mage in the Essentials book are either At-Will Attacks, Encounter Attacks, Daily Attacks or Utilities, and all have levels which make it possible to choose them at those same levels when building a non-E wizard.

 

[Bagpuss]

Okay so as I understand it now,

The Fighter Utility powers that the Knight and Slayer get aren't available to the standard or variant fighters as At-Will choices because they don't have a level number.

Can a Human Fighter use his Bonus at-will power to select one of these?

Bonus At-Will Power: You know one extra 1st level at-will attack power from your class.

Are Fighter, Slayer and Knight separate classes or are they all Fighters? In which case they could technically (even with that sidebar) pick from each others lists.

 

[karolusb]

Okay so as I understand it now,

The Fighter Utility powers that the Knight and Slayer get aren't available to the standard or variant fighters as At-Will choices because they don't have a level number.

Can a Human Fighter use his Bonus at-will power to select one of these?

Bonus At-Will Power: You know one extra 1st level at-will attack power from your class.

Are Fighter, Slayer and Knight separate classes or are they all Fighters? In which case they could technically (even with that sidebar) pick from each others lists.

The slayer is a fighter, and anytime the slayer has an appropriate choice it could come from the PHB fighter. The actual stances I believe are presented in a pick from this list format, so they may not take Knight stances that aren't also on thier list (several are duplicates).

As to the bonus at-will, RAI is no (HOTFL humans don't get that race power). I think the logic would be since you don't get any you can't get additional (even think they said that as to why they gave humans the encounter power). RAW is harder, because we don't have a unified integration document. Individual DM's will probably vary, and I have seen nothing that is a formal ruling yet (though when it happens it will almost certainly be no). The classes are not built for it. Wouldn't hurt the wizard, but the Knight/Slayer and especially the thief, are incompatible with at will powers.

 

[Dalamar]

Notice that the At-Will stances that the Knight and the Slayer gain are neither Attacks nor 1st level. So no, a human can not get a bonus at-will from among those choices. Note that a human Knight could, however, pick a normal Fighter 1st level At-Will from those available to a standard Fighter if he wanted one of them instead of Heroic Effort (HotFL p.272).

Have to say, I'm not 100% sure on whether the Knight and the Slayer could poach Stances from each other. The Class Feature is called Fighter Stances for both, after all. By the letter, they can't, but I'd propably allow it in my games.

 

[kirby179]

Class Compendium: Heroes of Sword and Spell

"This book gathers five classes from the Player’s Handbook—the cleric, the fighter, the rogue, the warlord, and the wizard—and presents them in the new D&D Essentials class format introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, with rules updates and errata. It features rules that allow D&D Essentials characters to select non-D&D Essentials powers, and it grants non-D&D Essentials characters access to class features from Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. In addition, this book presents feats, rituals, and rules for multiclassing."

 

[kirby179]

Class Compendium: Heroes of Sword and Spell

"This book gathers five classes from the Player’s Handbook—the cleric, the fighter, the rogue, the warlord, and the wizard—and presents them in the new D&D Essentials class format introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, with rules updates and errata. It features rules that allow D&D Essentials characters to select non-D&D Essentials powers, and it grants non-D&D Essentials characters access to class features from Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. In addition, this book presents feats, rituals, and rules for multiclassing."

 

[TarionzCousin]

The Thief's Tricks look fantastic to me. I know the Rogue in our group will want them.

Is there any way for him to get them other than converting to a Thief?

 

[Klaus]

The Thief's Tricks look fantastic to me. I know the Rogue in our group will want them.

Is there any way for him to get them other than converting to a Thief?

There will be, once Heroes of Sword and Spell comes out, it seems.