D&D 5E Pick only one: What should the next class be?

[TiwazTyrsfist]

So, what, your actions revolve more about supporting others to be more effective in combat? Similar to a bard or something?

The Warlord, mechanically, is a heavily armored Melee combatant that grants allies combat bonuses and tactical combat buffs.

A Fighter gets to make extra attacks. A Warlord creates an opening that grants an Ally an extra attack.
A Rogue gets a bonus for 'flanking' (yes I know flanking isn't a thing anymore), a Warlord grants their Allies a bonus by Flanking.

If we had Tactical feats like Pathfinder, a Warlord would grant their allies the benefits of the Warlords tactical feats...

 

[Lanefan]

A warlord isn’t a caster. They are a shouter

Good point - I read 'Warlord' and my mind somehow got 'Warlock' out of it...

...need more coffee...

 

[Garthanos]

If they are doing Darksun it should be the Psionicist (there could even be a reason to put the Warlord in there) I seem to remember Mike Mearles in his Warlord videos mentioning adding them in to an expansion and not sure why but I think it was Darksun, I think Birthright would be even better.

So, what is the difference between a Fighter and a "Warlord"?

I've never played or even seen the class, so I am honestly curious...

For me the Warlord is a specialist in what a certain type of Battlemaster fighter is a dabbler, he is the party wide enhancer everybody gets their initiative boosted (and maybe the Warlord can do some swapping around initiative tricks) because of her prompting, everyone gets more out of action points they spend. Many of his abilities affect all allies enabling a charge (or theoretically a retreat) in theory he should also have abilities that mess up the enemy in mass a bit more than the 4e warlord did (but that was perhaps a function of the leader role not also manipulating the enemy so much). the Battlemaster is like a subset of Warlord who is focused in on one enemy or helping one allie not bad but also not quite the whole enchilada. The Warlord is often the smart analytic and strategic type. I think the feat in 5e that gives everyone temp hit points is actually evocative of the Warlord. I have a number of threads on here that describe different flavors for the Warlord some are even pretty ironically magical (in a bloodline style evocative of Birthright). The Warlord might make a super awesome strike but its often timed to make sure an ally sees it and gets an awesome opening.

a single d20! On top of that, the class was much more fun to play (IMO and IMX) than the Cleric even though it didn't heal quite as well (though it could come very close). Like with most of the martial classes in 4e, the game did a good job of making you feel like Dolemite and The Avengers.

Very fun

 

[Garthanos]

Mearles identified the Warlord as Odysseus.... his build is pretty evocative I would like to see it finished.

2018.3.6 (Warlord)
2018.3.13 (Warlord)
2018.3.20 (Warlord)
2018.3.27 (Warlord)

Heck I find myself wanting to call this Warlord a Chessmaster Build and in that regards it reminds me of my Hector Warlord designs.

 

[Aldarc]

Mearles identified the Warlord as Odysseus.... his build is pretty evocative I would like to see it finished.

That is the same character I have cited as a great inspiration for the Warlord. Odysseus is the Warlord to Ajax's Barbarian and Achilles's Fighter.

 

[Ashrym]

Pffft. Demodocus made Odysseus cry.

 

[Garthanos]

There's plenty of elements all around in 5e that could make an interesting Warlord build if gathered in the same character, but mashing them together via MCing is a terrible idea that would just give you a subpar mess of a character.

Yup .... and multiclassing is a trap.

 

[Undrave]

Looking at the poll again - I'm not familiar with what a 'Warden' is but it occurs to me the other five options are all spellcasters* of one sort of another. Aren't there enough caster options already?

* - the Psion, by the sound of it, will be a caster by a different name.

The Warden was the Primal Defender in 4e. It let primal spirits into its body and transformed in all sorts of ways, not just animalistic.

The Warden was 'sticky' by making the space around them difficult terrain, they basically WERE difficult terrain you wanted to avoid.

They could sprout vines and slide people around, and their dailies were powerful forms that granted them buffs and a one time special move. You had forms with evocative names like "Form of the Mauntain's Thunder", "Form of the Dread Serpent", "Form of the Walking Conflagration", "Form of Winter's Herald", "Form of PAradise's Bounty", "Form of the Oak Sentinel" and so forth.

The Warden used either WIS or CON for his AC instead of DEX or INT (as was the default in 4e). 4e also had a ton of conditions that had the mention 'save ends' and basically would keep going until you rolled a 10 or higher on a d20 at the end of your turn. The Warden had an extra roll at the START of his turn, making it FAR more likely to shake off debilitating effects than other classes.

Basically, If I was to make it in 5e I think a subclass of Barbarian COULD do it, provided it was capable of protecting allies and its rage would transform them like Forms.

But a full class could also be possible with the subclass giving access to specific forms and general bonuses.

 

[Lanefan]

The Warden was the Primal Defender in 4e. It let primal spirits into its body and transformed in all sorts of ways, not just animalistic.

The Warden was 'sticky' by making the space around them difficult terrain, they basically WERE difficult terrain you wanted to avoid.

They could sprout vines and slide people around, and their dailies were powerful forms that granted them buffs and a one time special move. You had forms with evocative names like "Form of the Mauntain's Thunder", "Form of the Dread Serpent", "Form of the Walking Conflagration", "Form of Winter's Herald", "Form of PAradise's Bounty", "Form of the Oak Sentinel" and so forth.

The Warden used either WIS or CON for his AC instead of DEX or INT (as was the default in 4e). 4e also had a ton of conditions that had the mention 'save ends' and basically would keep going until you rolled a 10 or higher on a d20 at the end of your turn. The Warden had an extra roll at the START of his turn, making it FAR more likely to shake off debilitating effects than other classes.

Basically, If I was to make it in 5e I think a subclass of Barbarian COULD do it, provided it was capable of protecting allies and its rage would transform them like Forms.

But a full class could also be possible with the subclass giving access to specific forms and general bonuses.

Thanks for the write-up.

You suggest this might be a sub-class of Barbarian but this write-up makes me think more of some sort of cross between Ranger (as in the 1e version that was more Fighter than Rogue) and [Druid or Nature Cleric]. It'd get the fighting (Defender) prowess from the Ranger side and the transformations as a variant on Druid wildshape.

Or, it could end up as a variant of Shaman which is another option in the poll.

 

[Ashrym]

Thanks for the write-up.

You suggest this might be a sub-class of Barbarian but this write-up makes me think more of some sort of cross between Ranger (as in the 1e version that was more Fighter than Rogue) and [Druid or Nature Cleric]. It'd get the fighting (Defender) prowess from the Ranger side and the transformations as a variant on Druid wildshape.

Or, it could end up as a variant of Shaman which is another option in the poll.

Traditional shaman concepts are pretty much covered in bards, druids, and clerics. I would expect the warden to fall under the druid subclasses but I'm intrigued by the barbarian concept and can see it.