D&D 4E In D&D 4e, is there any ability by Enemies that will silence a caster?

[On Puget Sound]

Resist or Immune: radiant is an example of a thoroughly 4e way to challenge clerics and force them to use different (and probably weaker) options, without completely incapacitating them. These abilities normally only appear on a few Immortals, but they could be grafted onto other monsters if the DM really wanted to.

 

[jbear]

I think if your having to build your character in a certain way because you are worried that you will be continually 'screwed over' then you have a problem.

If your DM makes it difficult on specific occaisions for certain characters to be as useful as they would be under usual circumstances but builds in different ways for them 'to be useful' or 'resolve the situation' then there is no problem at all. But a certain class shouldn't be picked on more than others just because they are casters. Nor should the challenge be simply, 'none of your powers work here'.

I'd be interested to know from the OP if the initial fear that the cleric could be 'screwed over' if he doen't invest in some melee ability was from his experience with this specific DM's play style, or was it just a projection of certain difficulties casters faced in other editions he has played.

In any case, if it is a problem with a simple feat called 'melee training' those problems are swiftlly resolved.

 

[Minifig]

I'd be interested to know from the OP if the initial fear that the cleric could be 'screwed over' if he doen't invest in some melee ability was from his experience with this specific DM's play style, or was it just a projection of certain difficulties casters faced in other editions he has played.

Neither actually.

It was just a friendly debate between a Warden (myself) and a weaponless Cleric (at the time.. he's now changed to a Mage), who disagreed with me that being Weaponless wasn't such a big deal because he'd "Always have his spells", and I brought up the fact "What if we run into something that "silences" you and makes it so you can't use your spells for an extended period of time? While everyone else may have weapons, you'll be sitting there twiddling your thumbs.. unless you plan to throw some rocks at things... "

It was me seeing a potential flaw in the Character that the Cleric had built (because he said he didn't even want to take a dagger) even when I mentioned dropping down from chain-mail as to not over-weigh himself and grab an at least somewhat decent weapon (to which he also disagreed as he said dropping down armor would make him easier to kill)..

But I degress, if he didn't want to listen to a Warden who saw a valid concern, he frankly deserves to die.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Except that in this case he was right that your advice was more likely to get him killed.

 

[malraux]

One of the more interesting approach to the "how to make life tough for the casters" that I've seen was the Skeletal Arcane Guardian For those without DDi, the creature has an immediate reaction to shift 8 and make 2 attacks whenever someone uses an Arcane power. It doesn't stop a character from using arcane powers, but makes life really really rough when you do.

 

[Chris Knapp]

But I degress, if he didn't want to listen to a Warden who saw a valid concern, he frankly deserves to die.

In my (limited) experience, I've seen a great deal more problems with melee types who fail to bring along a ranged weapon than I have seen with casters who fail to carry a weapon at all.