"new" essentials class builds?

[WalterKovacs]

The Blackguard is a full blown variant, it's a striker instead of a defender.

As for the Warlord, while it may be presented in Essential style formatting, as a martial class that uses at-will/encounter/daily format, it would be very hard to call it an Essential Warlord. From what they've been saying, it sounds more like they are showing the original Warlord with all the changes (including some new ones) all packaged nicely, but aren't creating a new type of Warlord.

 

[Walking Dad]

...

As for the Warlord, while it may be presented in Essential style formatting, as a martial class that uses at-will/encounter/daily format, it would be very hard to call it an Essential Warlord. From what they've been saying, it sounds more like they are showing the original Warlord with all the changes (including some new ones) all packaged nicely, but aren't creating a new type of Warlord.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 03/28/2011)

At least Rule-of-Three doesn't correct the use of the term in the first question.

Where did you got that it will still uses the at-will/encounter/daily format?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think the OP understood what I wanted to say

'Essential Warlord' is short for 'Warlord build using the same guidelines introduced in the Essentials line'.

Yes, but this is wrong from what we have seen in the fighter preview. The essential warlord, as you want to call it, will be mainly a restructuring, with minimal errata added. The weapon master fighter not even replaced brute strike or weapon talent with better options.

I believe we are just having the choice of Archer warlord, Battlefront leader and Inspiring and Tactical warlord, and we get powers that are suited for each build from the designers point of view ordered under them. Which in turn makes creating a warlord in the CB much more convenient, because you don´t have to browse 10 powers if you don´t click on advanced options.

Edit:... which does not mean we may get a complete new built on top of that without dailies. And a scripted encounter power. (I really could see, that the essentials warlord will be similar to the essentials druid with an encounter, that resembles combined attack)

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 03/28/2011)

At least Rule-of-Three doesn't correct the use of the term in the first question.

Where did you got that it will still uses the at-will/encounter/daily format?

Where did you get that it won't?

They previewed (back in November?) the re-do of the "Weaponmaster" from PHB1 that was going to be in Heroes of Sword and Spell, and it was still the same old PH1 Fighter, complete with AEDU.

It's very, very likely that this is what we can expect (with errata and balance tweaks) in these upcoming articles. Perhaps, as UngeheuerLich has suggested, there might, maybe, be an E-style build.

I doubt it.

 

[buddhafrog]

I'm confused by this. I wasn't planning on buying Heroes of Shadows as it is hardcover (right?) and I thought standard 4e builds. Right now, I'm all in for Essentials and will buy this if in fact they are Essentials builds. There seems to be some confusion on this. For me, the use of daily powers likely puts it outside of Essentials.... Any confirmation?

 

[twilsemail]

I'm confused by this. I wasn't planning on buying Heroes of Shadows as it is hardcover (right?) and I thought standard 4e builds. Right now, I'm all in for Essentials and will buy this if in fact they are Essentials builds. There seems to be some confusion on this. For me, the use of daily powers likely puts it outside of Essentials.... Any confirmation?

The book will include material for 4e that could be called "Essentials" though it is not part of the Essentials limited run. It has two mage schools, a new domain for warpriests, a new Striker paladin build called the Blackguard and a Vampire racial class that is written in the same format as the classes presented in the HotF* books.

You can see a preview of the Vampire class here. If you want to check it out.

Also, note that there were several classes presented in the HotF* books that had daily powers.

 

[buddhafrog]

That Vampire preview looks awesome (and pretty powerful). I've had students ask to play a vampire but I haven't gotten around to building one - this looks real nice to me.

Somehow I got this book confused with The Shadowfell book.

The single class I disliked the most in 4e standard was the assassin. I just don't buy into the idea of shadow magic or whatever it was called. Of course many students have wanted to play assassins - I have directed them to play variants of rogues and have given them a few house-ruled assassin powers. It sounds like this book's assassin will be from the same vein as a magic-based character. Too bad for me.

Still, I'm likely to buy.

 

[WalterKovacs]

That Vampire preview looks awesome (and pretty powerful). I've had students ask to play a vampire but I haven't gotten around to building one - this looks real nice to me.

Somehow I got this book confused with The Shadowfell book.

The single class I disliked the most in 4e standard was the assassin. I just don't buy into the idea of shadow magic or whatever it was called. Of course many students have wanted to play assassins - I have directed them to play variants of rogues and have given them a few house-ruled assassin powers. It sounds like this book's assassin will be from the same vein as a magic-based character. Too bad for me.

Still, I'm likely to buy.

For what is in the book:

There is a new pact for the hexblade, a new domain for the warpriest, two new schools for the mage. There is also the Executioner assassin, the Blackguard paladin, the Binder Warlock [a controller build], and the Vampire.

For the Executioner assassin, it is very similar to the Scout ranger. It is martial for it's attacks, but has shadow powered utilities. So, it's not a full on magic based character, more of a rogue with a few tricks up his sleeves (some of the utilities are less magical than others, and a lot could be refluffed as sleight of hand trickery and alchemy ... which fits as the assassins do create poisons in place of normal daily powers)

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm confused by this. I wasn't planning on buying Heroes of Shadows as it is hardcover (right?) and I thought standard 4e builds. Right now, I'm all in for Essentials and will buy this if in fact they are Essentials builds. There seems to be some confusion on this. For me, the use of daily powers likely puts it outside of Essentials.... Any confirmation?

There are plenty of daily powers in Essentials. It's only the martial builds that are scrubbed of dailies entirely. HoS follows the Essentials model, sure, there are daily powers - there's only one part-martial build - but they're all for caster-types who 'deserve' them. All the classes are in the Essentials format.

 

[Walking Dad]

Heroes of Shadows has them (see the previews).
Vampire (striker)
Blackguard (striker)
Binder (controller)
Executioner (striker)

It seems this format is the new standard, so all new builds and classes will fall in the category. An essential warlord was already announced as Dragon content.

Hey, I just want admit that I was wrong with the warlord. It uses the standard at-will/encounter/ daily format.

Cannot wait to see the rest of these classes!!