Some musings on the topic of amping the paladin up into a more respectable, less-psychotically-MAD defender has led me to a realization: I don't like classes having attacks that rely on multiple ability scores (i.e. paladins attacking with both Str and Con, clerics with Str and Wis, warlocks with Con and Cha). It can't help but promote MAD, and leads inevitably to things like the now-infamous level 9 paladin, who has no options at all (currently; I'm sure divine power will change this) if he's focused on Strength-based powers.
I think it's telling that, out of all the classes released for 4E thus far, only three have multiple attack stats: the cleric, the paladin, and the warlock. Of those three, lots of folks seem to agree that the paladin and the warlock are at or near the bottom tier for their particular roles. Clerics, I think, tend to be okay, but I still prefer the cleaner model of "one primary attack stat, two build-related secondary stats," so I'm going to see what I can do with them, too. We'll start with paladins, though, because that's what I've been thinking about most:
Paladin
The paladin remains a divine defender, but becomes a pure Charisma-primary path. The two paladin builds, avenging paladin and protecting paladin, favor Strength and Wisdom, respectively.
- All paladin attack powers use Charisma for attacks and damage.
- Divine Mettle gives the target a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier instead of your Charisma modifier.
- Powers with secondary effects based on another ability score are reassigned. I don't feel like doing an itemized list right now, but in general, any offensive power uses Strength for its secondary effects, and any healing or defensive power uses Wisdom.
- Divine Challenge: Choose one of the following options:
Divine Wrath Paladin Feature
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, searing it with divine light if
it ignores your challenge.
At-Will ✦ Divine, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until it is dead, or until you use this power against another target, or until you make an attack that does not include the target. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
While a target is marked, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. Also, it takes radiant damage equal to 5 + your Strength modifier the first time it makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a target before the start of your next turn. The damage increases to 10+ your Strength modifier at 11th level, and to 15 + your Strength modifier at 21st level.
You can use divine challenge once per turn.
Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn’t rely on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It’s a magical compulsion that affects the creature’s behavior, regardless of the creature’s nature. You can’t place a divine challenge on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s divine challenge.
Divine Martyrdom Paladin Feature
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, suffering its fury in your allies' stead.
At-Will ✦ Divine, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until it is dead, or until you use this power against another target, or until you make an attack that does not include the target. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
While a target is marked, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. If that attack hits and the marked target is within 10 squares of you, as an immediate reaction you may choose to suffer all damage from the attack instead of any one creature. Reduce this damage by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier. At 11th level, reduce the damage by 5 + your Wisdom modifier. At 21st level, reduce the damage by 15 + your Wisdom modifier. The original target of the attack still suffers any other effects of the attack. No power or effect can reduce the damage you take any further.
You can use divine challenge once per turn.
Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn’t rely on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It’s a magical compulsion that affects the creature’s behavior, regardless of the creature’s nature. You can’t place a divine challenge on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s divine challenge.
Cleric
The cleric gets a less-drastic makeover, but becomes a Wisdom-based divine leader with two builds, the battle cleric and the devoted cleric, favoring Strength and Charisma, respectively.
- All cleric powers use Wisdom for attacks and damage.
- Turn Undead uses Charisma instead of Wisdom. (I'd like it if there was a nice counterbalancing power for Strength, but Divine Fortune doesn't really fit.)
- Cleric powers generally already adhere to the theme for secondary abilities; melee-boffing powers use Strength as a secondary ability, laser-cleric type powers use Charisma.
Warlock
Warlocks are already pretty diverse, with most of their build distinctiveness coming from their pact rather than which secondary ability score they favor. Given that, I'm pretty much okay with warlocks being a straight up Charisma primary, Intelligence secondary class. I suppose one could make, say, Star Pact and Dark Pact warlocks use Con for secondary effects, but IMO it's not necessary.
- Warlocks use Charisma for all attacks and damage. (Yes, Virginia, this means tieflings are no longer better feylocks than burnlocks.
)
I think it's telling that, out of all the classes released for 4E thus far, only three have multiple attack stats: the cleric, the paladin, and the warlock. Of those three, lots of folks seem to agree that the paladin and the warlock are at or near the bottom tier for their particular roles. Clerics, I think, tend to be okay, but I still prefer the cleaner model of "one primary attack stat, two build-related secondary stats," so I'm going to see what I can do with them, too. We'll start with paladins, though, because that's what I've been thinking about most:
Paladin
The paladin remains a divine defender, but becomes a pure Charisma-primary path. The two paladin builds, avenging paladin and protecting paladin, favor Strength and Wisdom, respectively.
- All paladin attack powers use Charisma for attacks and damage.
- Divine Mettle gives the target a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier instead of your Charisma modifier.
- Powers with secondary effects based on another ability score are reassigned. I don't feel like doing an itemized list right now, but in general, any offensive power uses Strength for its secondary effects, and any healing or defensive power uses Wisdom.
- Divine Challenge: Choose one of the following options:
Divine Wrath Paladin Feature
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, searing it with divine light if
it ignores your challenge.
At-Will ✦ Divine, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until it is dead, or until you use this power against another target, or until you make an attack that does not include the target. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
While a target is marked, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. Also, it takes radiant damage equal to 5 + your Strength modifier the first time it makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a target before the start of your next turn. The damage increases to 10+ your Strength modifier at 11th level, and to 15 + your Strength modifier at 21st level.
You can use divine challenge once per turn.
Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn’t rely on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It’s a magical compulsion that affects the creature’s behavior, regardless of the creature’s nature. You can’t place a divine challenge on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s divine challenge.
Divine Martyrdom Paladin Feature
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, suffering its fury in your allies' stead.
At-Will ✦ Divine, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until it is dead, or until you use this power against another target, or until you make an attack that does not include the target. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place.
While a target is marked, it takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include you as a target. If that attack hits and the marked target is within 10 squares of you, as an immediate reaction you may choose to suffer all damage from the attack instead of any one creature. Reduce this damage by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier. At 11th level, reduce the damage by 5 + your Wisdom modifier. At 21st level, reduce the damage by 15 + your Wisdom modifier. The original target of the attack still suffers any other effects of the attack. No power or effect can reduce the damage you take any further.
You can use divine challenge once per turn.
Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn’t rely on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It’s a magical compulsion that affects the creature’s behavior, regardless of the creature’s nature. You can’t place a divine challenge on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s divine challenge.
Cleric
The cleric gets a less-drastic makeover, but becomes a Wisdom-based divine leader with two builds, the battle cleric and the devoted cleric, favoring Strength and Charisma, respectively.
- All cleric powers use Wisdom for attacks and damage.
- Turn Undead uses Charisma instead of Wisdom. (I'd like it if there was a nice counterbalancing power for Strength, but Divine Fortune doesn't really fit.)
- Cleric powers generally already adhere to the theme for secondary abilities; melee-boffing powers use Strength as a secondary ability, laser-cleric type powers use Charisma.
Warlock
Warlocks are already pretty diverse, with most of their build distinctiveness coming from their pact rather than which secondary ability score they favor. Given that, I'm pretty much okay with warlocks being a straight up Charisma primary, Intelligence secondary class. I suppose one could make, say, Star Pact and Dark Pact warlocks use Con for secondary effects, but IMO it's not necessary.
- Warlocks use Charisma for all attacks and damage. (Yes, Virginia, this means tieflings are no longer better feylocks than burnlocks.
)
)
