Martial Controller = Truenamer?

[BrokeAndDrive]

Everyone hated the Truenamer for several very good reasons. But I have to admit: I love love looooved the fluff. And the artwork of a guy pointing at a giant and tossing him backwards is hilarious. A shame they wasted it on a class that, with heavy amounts of min/maxing, STILL result in an average character at best.

Anyway, one day I was thinking about what they did: they spoke these words that caused stuff to happen. It doesn't seem to be magical, it just happened, like a nail being driven into wood with a hammer. Speaking... a purely physical exercise... resulting in buff/debuff/BC... *flash* martial controller! (assuming martial = physical effort powering... powers)

It could be argued that the wizard is just waving his hands about, but he's tapping into some unseen force. A Truenamer just says these things and it happens. Granted, you have to say it just right, but then again you have to formally train for years to be able to pop a dragon in the mouth and make it actually hurt. Then again, the Truenamer was listed in the Tome of Magic, but there's nothing wrong with changing things a bit (like making the monk a psionic class).

It's difficult to explain in words -- I have this problem all the time -- but for some reason this makes sense in my head. Or I'm crazy and this is a completely ridiculous notion.

What do you think? Does this make you think "Uh no," or is it the same sort of lunacy that turned heat/fire/explosions into an alternative to the horse and carriage?

 

[Stalker0]

I think you could make a truenamer martial in nature...the question is why is he just a martial controller?


In other words, what does learning truenames have to do with martial combat? Is there some ancient connection that occurs in battle where two warriors suddenly gain intense insight into other?

That's what you have to solve flavorwise, what allows a martial guy access to the truename knowledge that would be denied a wizard learning about magical forces?

 

[dangerous jack]

I'm not familiar with the original source, but I'm getting a picture in my head of an interesting arcane ranged defender rather than a martial controller.

 

[Saeviomagy]

To me, the truenamer was always a user of arcane magic. I mean it's pretty much the definition of "arcanist": you learn secrets and change the world with them.

I think a martial controller would be very similar to how some of the warlord powers take them, creating zones of tactical disadvantage rather than outright imposing damage or effects.

 

[the Jester]

Say a word and a giant flies back is not what most people think of as martial.

Arcane, psionic, maybe even divine, sure. Martial- I just don't see it.

 

[Aoirorentsu]

I actually think this is a really cool idea. Here's why:

First, read the description of the martial power source (which appears on PHB pg 54): http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/glossary.aspx?id=72

(need insider to access, i think)

So, martial powers are:
1) not magic, but can get beyond the capabilities of ordinary mortals.
2) based off a person's own strength (broadly defined) and willpower.
3) require training and dedication.

Second, read the description of the arcane power source (PHB pg 54):
http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/glossary.aspx?id=60

(still need insider access for the link, i think)

So, arcane powers:
1) draw on energies permeating the cosmos.

Looking at arcane classes, not all arcane casters get their abilities by years of training and study. Sorcerors are sort of natural conductors of the arcane energies, while warlocks are granted the ability to manipulate those energies through their pacts.

However, inherent to the martial concept (at least as defined by the game) is training and perfecting techniques until you go beyond the norm of other people. Fighters are great at using different types of weapons to full effect. Rogues train to find, create, and seize opportunities (and have lots of skillz to help them with that). Rangers train to take advantage of natural terrain through archery and mobility. Warlords train to understand tactics and how to make the best use of the persons under their "command."

In a world that assumes that there is a language (Supernal) that can be understood by everyone and truenames that can be used to bind a demon lord to service (see Demonomicon), all without requiring arcane powers, it suggests to me that in the 4e-verse truenames are not an exclusively arcane phenomenon.

I go into why i think the other power sources wouldn't work below, but that idea of meticulous and perfectionist study and training and practice that seems to be a core component of the truenamer seems to me best suited for the martial power source. It is admittedly a bit of a different take on training and there's an issue of the definition of martial involving fighting, I think it's pretty clear that what they really mean is training, dedication, practice honing oneself to do something really really well.

To make the truenamer feel distinct mechanically from other controllers (and to answer Stalker0's perceptive question of flavor), you'd want powers that were untyped damage, per most martial powers. You're not blasting them with cold/fire/acid/evil thoughts/divine awesomesauce, you're literally reshaping reality into one where the person is now bloodied and 10 feet away from where they thought they were. You might also have a theme where powers have different effects based on what languages you know, representing your combination of slightly bastardized variations on truespeech. Other effects might allow you to treat a target as bloodied even when it's not below half hitpoints, and other changes to how the rules of the game (read: laws of the universe) work. Might be a cool take.

And so as to not be incomplete, let's look at other power sources:

So, why not divine? Well, it might be okay, but there is no indication as far as I can tell that the gods grant truenames or are immune to their effects. Truenaming is different from praying or covenanting (besides which, the divine power of words is sorta covered by the malediction invoker, which is the closest thing yet to a truenamer-type class).

Psionic? Well, insofar as words and language are the product of thoughts, maybe. Truenaming could be speaking the thoughts of reality itself, maybe? Doesn't quite fit to me.

Primal? Well, I get the sense that the primal power source is more connected to the material world and the spirits that protect it than the fundamental nature of the universe itself. Doesn't speak truenaming to me.

Shadow? Well, I could actually shoehorn my mind behind this concept if I tried really hard. Like, maybe the Raven Queen has a book of truenames of everyone who's going to die and how (can you tell I just watched the live-action deathnote movies recently?), and the truenamer sort of piggybacks onto the energy of the shadowfell to manipulate what's in the book - so it's not divine, it's actually sort of anti-divine - rather than the RQ granting you power, you're sort of stealing some of hers. Might be a cool plot device actually, but I think I took some significant liberties there.

/ridiculously long post - thanks for reading!

 

[the Jester]

Certainly, do whatever house ruling you like; however, I am pretty sure that most people see "martial" as meaning, you know, basically powers that a normal person in our real world could mostly attain.

Seriously- just about any other power source would be better.