Marshal: Who likes this class, and why?

[brehobit]

I find the class a bit weak in general, but with a lot of potential.

In a Gestalt game the class is very powerful indeed. Because his primary abilties are "always on" it stacks wonderfully with anything. Most powerfully with a bard (the bonuses overlap) or paladin, but sorc. or any high-CHR class will work just fine.

It also works well in a party with lots of combatants. If you have lots of PCs, a few cohorts and a summoner or two the Marshal is crazy powerful (as is a bard potentially). As a 4th party member, I find them weak.

A full BAB would be just fine in a non-Gestalt game. Were I to house rule them (again for a non-Gestalt game) I'd keep their BAB the same, give them 6 skill points and provide bonus feats at levels 3, 6, 10, 15 and 18. The list would be leadership, battlefield inspiration, improved initiative, danger sense, daunting presence, goad, or any tactical feat. (Must meet the requirements of the feat). That would keep the class fairly useful/interesting while keeping the favor pretty nicely. I don't think it would even be a bit overpowered (IMO the marshal doesn't gain enough as it goes up levels, but is actually pretty good at levels 1 and 2).

 

[Remathilis]

I'd make them full BAB and d10 hp, but everything else seems fine.

 

[Arc]

The Marshal, to me, is only a good dip class - just enough to learn a minor aura or two. Paladins and bards can get great use of some auras because of their already high cha. For everything else... the class isn't that great. I'd never consider playing it straight, or even taking multiple levels, as it's written now.

 

[Nyaricus]

The marshal (note the single "l")...

I shal go change that now

 

[airwalkrr]

Everyone who says the marshal is a weak class is wrong. I have seen the marshal played many times in many ways and it is horridly abusable. The biggest problem is the comparative benefit for a dip. There is no good reason for a bard, paladin, or sorcerer to NOT take a level of marshal, for the initiative bonus if nothing else. If the PCs all win initiative more consistently, they drastically alter the odds of the battle in their favor, especially at high levels where the winner gets to drop the "bombs" first so to speak.

I have seen marshals played in three campaigns as a single class. I have seen at least four players in various campaigns "dip" into one or two levels of marshal. I have never seen it be anything but grossly powerful. Unless your Charisma sucks, this class is might indeed. My best guess is that those who say it "looks weak" have never actually seen it in play and beheld the awesome cheesiness that it is.

Not to say it is a bad class; it just needs some minor tweaks. If the minor aura were not based solely on the marshal's Charisma modifier, that would probably fix a majority of problems with the class.

 

[MadMaxim]

I like the less magical nature of the Marshal's auras and the fact that they can be both heavily armed and armored unlike the Bard. I haven't seen one in play yet, but I'd like to give it a shot, especially that Marshal/Paladin combo

 

[Garnfellow]

I like the marshal conceptually, but as Whizzy just mentioned, it's pretty weak. (Compare it to the dragon shaman in PH2.)

QFT.

I used a few NPC marshals in different spots and they really didn't hold up. The concept is fine, though. The Noble class from Green Ronin's Black Company Campaign Setting might work better in this niche -- it's essentially a magic-less bard. (It's also not the same as the noble base class from GR's Noble's Handbook

 

[Solarious]

People who say the Marshal is weak haven't seen someone's initiative bonus get pumped up to +23, mostly thanks to a +12 bonus from the multiclassed Paladin's Motivate Dexterity aura.

Then comes the flood, which consists of a UMDed Time Stop, followed by UMD Solid Fog, UMD Silence, and layered Wall of Fires and possibly Evard's Black Tentacles if the situation calls for it. The Wall of Fire is half non-fire, and the Evard's Black Tentacles do 2d6 cold/turn too, just for kicks.

For some reason, these tactics are really effective against undead... okay, okay, most encounters.

 

[Drowbane]

I've played a Marshal as it was meant to be played, with a large party and the leadership feat!

It was a blast! I normally don't go in for the support-types (hate bards), but the marshal is cool by me.

edit: Not that it couldn't benefit from a Good BA and d10 HD.

 

[brehobit]

Everyone who says the marshal is a weak class is wrong. I have seen the marshal played many times in many ways and it is horridly abusable. The biggest problem is the comparative benefit for a dip. There is no good reason for a bard, paladin, or sorcerer to NOT take a level of marshal, for the initiative bonus if nothing else. If the PCs all win initiative more consistently, they drastically alter the odds of the battle in their favor, especially at high levels where the winner gets to drop the "bombs" first so to speak.

I have seen marshals played in three campaigns as a single class. I have seen at least four players in various campaigns "dip" into one or two levels of marshal. I have never seen it be anything but grossly powerful. Unless your Charisma sucks, this class is might indeed. My best guess is that those who say it "looks weak" have never actually seen it in play and beheld the awesome cheesiness that it is.

Not to say it is a bad class; it just needs some minor tweaks. If the minor aura were not based solely on the marshal's Charisma modifier, that would probably fix a majority of problems with the class.

I agree with a lot of this. If you have high stats, the abilities are huge. Too huge. With a 32 point point-buy you will probably only be given +3 or +4 bonuses at 1st level, and getting close to +7 by 10th level (+1 from levels, +2 from item). If you are playing wacky ECL types with huge CHR bonuses it gets silly....

So let's add that a marshal's minor aura bonus can't be greater than 1+level/3 (round up). So +2 at levels 1-3, +3 at 4-6, hitting +8 at level 19. (still huge).

Add in the BAB or my suggested bonus feats, and I think you have a winner.