Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arlough" data-source="post: 5909388" data-attributes="member: 79335">I should clarify then.I learned back in 3e that when I wanted a ranger, what I really wanted was a great archer with some nature skills.  And if I wanted to make a great archer from the PHB and nothing else, I was better served by making a fighter with archer feats and abilities than by using the ranger.So I started looking at builds by what they do rather than what they are called.  I could build for a certain way of doing things, and then flavor those things however I wanted, and the given class name was nothing more than a keyword that told you what feats and the such you were restricted to.In fourth edition, they had a better understanding of what components had made up parties over the years, and announced it in roles.  Problem was they were still tied to class names for tradition's sake. (as well as the problem of conflating buffing and healing as being the same function, thus resulting in the "leader" role for all your healing needs.)So, under this system, all I had to do was decide what role or function in combat I wished to fill, and what kind of means I could use to do that.As for the the statement that you could make a monk with two katars and call it a ranger, you could.  But it would not be like the two blade ranger.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Artificer = Arcane Leader (Enhancer)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Avenger = Divine Striker (Lurker)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Barbarian = Primal Striker (Brute)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bard = Arcane Leader (Enhancer/Debilitator)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cleric = Divine Leader (Healer)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Druid = Primal Controller (Striker)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fighter = Martial Defender (Brute)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Invoker = Divine Controller (Controler/Debilitator)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monk = Psionic Striker (Skirmisher)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Paladin = Divine Defender (Healer)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ranger, Archer = Martial Striker (Artillery)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ranger, Two Weapon = Martial Striker (Brute)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rogue = Martial Striker (Lurker)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Runepriest = Divine Leader (Enhancer/Soldier)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Seeker = Primal Controler (Debilitator)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shaman = Primal Leader (Soldier?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sorcerer = Arcane Striker (Artillery/Brute)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Swordmage = Arcane Defender (Controler/Soldier)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Warden = Primal Defender (Debilitator)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Warlock, Fey = Arcane Striker (Debilitator)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Warlock, Infernal = Arcane Striker (Artillery)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Warlord = Martial Leader (Enhancer)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wizard = Arcane Controller (Striker)</li> </ul>They both are strikers, but one is all about big damage output at the cost of being very vulnerable to hits, while the other is about effects and movement with a large amount of battlefield control.So, if you are looking for a class that darts in and out, making cuts and being hard to hit, then the Psionic Striker (Skirmisher) will serve you best, and you can take nature as a skill and call yourself a Ranger.But, if you are looking for Drizzt, then you probably had best go with the Martial Striker (Brute) and a crapload of plot armor.On the other hand, you may have a concept of a Monk that uses two tonfa and wants to hit harder at the expense of being easy to hit, then yes, you could build a Martial Striker (Brute), give him two Katars (I don't know why you would waste the feat, but whatever) and re-skin them to be millstone handles whenever you describe them, put the guy in a gi suit and call it a day.It would not play the same at all as the class called "monk", but it would still be a perfectly acceptable build and there is nothing that says you have to look a certain way to be in a certain class.Just because both ladders and stairs increase your elevation one step at a time does not mean that one obsoletes the other.</blockquote>

Verification