Martial Power II: New Warlord Builds

[JPL]

Dragon will be previewing one of these new builds:

Insightful Warlord
You lead through careful observation and a knack for predicting your enemies’ actions. In combat, you keep your eyes open and quickly adapt your plan to changing circumstances. You show your allies how to identify enemy weaknesses and exploit those flaws. You are skilled at demoralizing foes and are an expert at interrupting their actions by issuing quick commands.

Skirmishing Warlord
You scoff at the notion that war takes place on the front lines. Your talents are akin to the skills of archers, sneaks, and scouts. You recognize that their contributions are as vital as the efforts of melee combatants. You help allies by sharpening their timing, directing their maneuvers, and pointing out targets with your own ranged attacks.

I wonder if Insightful Warlord will be a Str/Wis build? Skirmishing Warlord will certainly fill an interesting niche . . . I can imagine an all-elf party with a skirmishing warlord, a seeker, and three archer rangers . . .

 

[Rechan]

How'd you get these details?

Because I'm v. interested in what the Rogue's new build is.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

But why don't we first discuss the new Fighter build(s)?
http://wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ex/20100118

 

[JPL]

But why don't we first discuss the new Fighter build(s)?
Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Martial Power 2 Excerpts: Fighters)

Let's.

I like the idea. Works nice for a wudan warrior (mixing martial arts and swordsmanship), a swashbuckler, or a pit fighter. I've also had a notion to do a "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" type thing where the heroes are dangerous even when unarmed. Perhaps the monk multiclass feat will allow an unarmed strike to function as a (reasonably good) weapon?

I also see some potential synergy with last month's article on fighters who switch among various weapons. You could build a guy who's the opposite of the typically highly-focused kensai --- a fighter who can use any weapon at hand, while mixing in unarmed strikes, trips, wrestling holds, and other techniques they don't teach you at the eladrin academy of swordsmanship.

[Although there's another idea right there: eladrin fighter, longsword, no shield, and he DID attend the eladrin academy of swordsmanship, and guess what? It's not all High Elf Wu Shu there. They teach you how to kill the enemy using every available technique, and if a lot of people don't expect a graceful eladrin swordsman to grab them by the throat in mid-dual . . . that's because graceful eladrin swordsman don't leave witnesses.]

The warlord stuff is right here:

http://wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/january2010

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I like the idea, too. But I also wonder if this style focuses a lot on using the grab-option, or if it would also allow a kind of "Finesse" style, where you fight with one hand and don't use the second for anything obviously offensive stuff.

Regarding the Warlord build - I hope we will also get a "Int" Rogue as a build option. Though that has the problem in regards to weak Fort and Will defenses. In 3E, a lot of Rogues I made had a high Intelligence for the skill points and I kinda miss the "smart" Rogue...

 

[Piratecat]

I love that utility power where you drag a grabbed foe across the battlefield. That's really fun and flavorful.

Mustrum, one of my players also really wants a "smart" rogue. I hope we get one.

 

[JPL]

I love that utility power where you drag a grabbed foe across the battlefield. That's really fun and flavorful.

Mustrum, one of my players also really wants a "smart" rogue. I hope we get one.

A Dex/Int rogue makes a lot of sense.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

A Dex/Int rogue makes a lot of sense.

While they never needed Int before 3rd edition, 3rd *is* the most recent edition, so it certainly doesn't hurt.

OTOH, mechanically it kind of blows, as if they're raising Int to be a secondary stat, it competes with their primary stat for Reflex and AC. Though it's not like they let that stop them before.

Brad

 

[Rechan]

OTOH, mechanically it kind of blows, as if they're raising Int to be a secondary stat, it competes with their primary stat for Reflex and AC. Though it's not like they let that stop them before.

Playing a Prescient Bard (Cha/Wis), I can say they definitely did it before. (not to mention every class that's Str/Con focused).

Despite this, I too would like to see a Dex/int build. But I also would just like to see a benefit for having a high Int.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Playing a Prescient Bard (Cha/Wis), I can say they definitely did it before. (not to mention every class that's Str/Con focused).

Despite this, I too would like to see a Dex/int build. But I also would just like to see a benefit for having a high Int.

My "fix" for the doubled up defense "problem" an Int-secondary rogue would have would be to allow their Int mod to be used in place of Wis or Cha when determining Will. This would be part of the Int-secondary Rogue Talent, whatever it's name would be. I'd call it "Slippery Mind."

Similarly, for a prescient bard, they could have done something like "Prescient Reflexes," where when you select the Virtue of Prescience you get to add your Wis in place of your Int or Dex when determining your Reflex defense.