PHB classes: fact or rumor

[Voss]

But if they do infact include all such effects for wizard powers then that would imply that they are dropping stat blocks in the middle of spell descriptions (which would be suprising), or radically changing how those spells are working.

After the PHII for 3.5, this wouldn't be surprising. Summoning and shapechanging spells in that book included the stat blocks for the summoned critter or altered form. I'm not surpirised they carried it on into 4e. Putting *all* the info for the spell (or power or whatever) in one place is a fairly sensible approach.

Its a lot better than the 3e core approach to the Summon Monster spells. 1- Look up the spell to find out what monsters you can summon. 2- look up said monster. 3- then look up the bloody template, and flip back and forth between the two to work out what abilities it actually had. Grrr.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Hmm. Good point I guess. Maybe druids are in?

Do I dare to dream something so intangible?

Tread softly, for you tread on my dreams.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I would laugh if all the classes were in and they were just sending up red herrings to keep us off the trail.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I would laugh if all the classes were in and they were just sending up red herrings to keep us off the trail.

that would be an amazing marketing strategy.

 

[HP Dreadnought]

After this discussion I'm thinking that there will be at least 1 more "suprise" class in the PHB I.

I would love it to be the Barbarian - if they've come up with a cool schtick for him that sets him apart sufficiently from the Fighter and Ranger. Barbarians make great NPCs. . . lots of hit points, good in combat, not much equipment!

 

[drothgery]

After this discussion I'm thinking that there will be at least 1 more "suprise" class in the PHB I.

If there's a 'surprise' class, I'd bet a lot that it's in the controller role; right now in the confirmed/strongly rumored classes we've got 3 strikers (ranger, rogue, warlock), 2 defenders (fighter, paladin), 2 leaders (cleric, warlord), and only 1 controller (wizard). Given the subtitle of PH1, it won't be something that would use a new power source (psion and illusionist are probably controllers, but the former is psi and the latter is likely shadow, and you could make a case for the caster side of druid, but the shapechanging side is primal).

I'd think a pure caster type with a divine power source rather than arcane would be it. Maybe a cloistered cleric / archivist type, or an elementalist type.

 

[arscott]

has there actually been any official mention of a "shadow" power source? I keep seeing it come up in discussion, but I don't recall hearing anything from official sources.

 

[hong]

I could see an arcane controller focusing on shutdown magic. Interrupt spells, inflict penalties to attacks, that sort of thing. Illusionist sounds a good fit for that.

 

[I'm A Banana]

has there actually been any official mention of a "shadow" power source? I keep seeing it come up in discussion, but I don't recall hearing anything from official sources.

Not officially. It's likely, given how "sexy" such a product is, but it's not confirmed. Even if there was a confirmed Shadow power source, an Illusionist might not be it (shadow as an illusionist thing is DEFINITELY one of those weird legacy issues they might be getting rid of).

Illusionist could work as another "arcane controller" in the PH.

I'd think a pure caster type with a divine power source rather than arcane would be it. Maybe a cloistered cleric / archivist type, or an elementalist type.

This could be likely, too.

Also, there could be some sort of "shaman" class as a diivine controller, using spirits and auras and the like.

The third possibility is an elementalist of some sort, which could either be arcane or divine. Given how big of a presence the Elemental Chaos has in the metasetting (home of the primordials, home of the archons), it wouldn't be too surprising. You'd have clerics of the Gods, and Elementalists of the Primordials, perhaps?

 

[Nahat Anoj]

If they do have a mystery class (I don't think they will, but it's cool pulchritudinous to speculate on it), I'm pretty sure it will have an Arcane, Divine, or Martial power source. My guesses would be Bard (Arcane Leader) or Monk (Martial or Divine Striker).