New Essentials Builds!

[Aegeri]

The Staff Fighter and Pyromancer are out now. Both have options for new builds for the Knight/Slayer and the Mage, plus some feats that anyone can take. Looks decent enough on an initial look.

Edit: Holy this makes fireball useful

When you use an area or close arcane fire power that is not already a zone, the area of the attack becomes a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn. Creatures that end their turns within the zone take fire damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

An area burst 3 fireball is now a pretty good control power for anything trying to end their turn within it (though sadly not starting their turn or moving through it). None the less, that means scorching burst is an at-will area burst 1 zone! That's fantastic.

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

The Staff Fighter and Pyromancer are out now. Both have options for new builds for the Knight/Slayer and the Mage, plus some feats that anyone can take. Looks decent enough on an initial look.

Edit: Holy this makes fireball useful

An area burst 3 fireball is now a pretty good control power for anything trying to end their turn within it (though sadly not starting their turn or moving through it). None the less, that means scorching burst is an at-will area burst 1 zone! That's fantastic.

I can see pyromancers working well alongside characters with a lot of immobilize powers. I wonder if all existing Wizard powers will be given schools.

I do like the Staff Fighter options for the Knight. It allows you to make a good Little John type character that fights with a stick.

 

[Aegeri]

The paragon path level 20 power is utterly hilarious.

My kudos to Mike Mearls for that one, burning an opponent for 100+ damage and let's be honest, you AP before you use that while burning yourself for 50% of your HP is totally worth it.

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

The paragon path level 20 power is utterly hilarious.

My kudos to Mike Mearls for that one, burning an opponent for 100+ damage and let's be honest, you AP before you use that while burning yourself for 50% of your HP is totally worth it.

Apparently you can hate something with the fire of a thousand suns.

 

[AngryMojo]

Edit: Holy this makes fireball useful

That was my exact first impression. Suddenly, that huge area is amazing.

 

[Aegeri]

The real winner is scorching burst, which is now an at-will zone.

 

[Obryn]

Holy crap - two great articles.

The Staff Fighter article means ... well, staff fighters are suddenly viable And Thieves can share the love, too!

And Pyromancy? LOVE. IT. The Level 20 Daily is awesome.

-O

 

[AngryMojo]

The real winner is scorching burst, which is now an at-will zone.

Which I like. It's not too much more damage, and it's avoidable damage.

 

[Mengu]

Which I like. It's not too much more damage, and it's avoidable damage.

Except for your allies who want to walk over there and attack something. To add insult to injury, you ignore their resistance too. Your melee buddies probably will not like this zone.

Not a fan of either article. My favorite thing out of the two is War Wizard's Staff. An attractive choice for Burning Spray and Thunderwave users. As much as I like staves and pyros, I guess I was hoping for non-Essentials articles. But I suppose this is the new direction.

 

[NMcCoy]

Oh heck yes, staff thief for the win. Once this hits CB I'm rebuilding one of my older characters to a thief rather than monk.

Also my dragon sorcerer needs that War Wizard's Staff feat, but he's really starved for feats right now.