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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bacon Bits" data-source="post: 7862896" data-attributes="member: 6777737">The class as a concept first appeared in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniatures_Handbook" target="_blank">3.5e Miniatures Handbook</a> as the Marshall. Somewhat ironic because the revamped miniatures combat game is what became 4e. Anyways, this was the same book that Favored Soul, Healer, and War Mage appeared in. In many ways the class looks like a prototype of the Warlock that would appear in the next year's Complete Arcane. The class had medium attack bonus (Cleric/Rogue/Bard), Cleric saving throws, d8 Hit Die (Cleric/Monk), 4 skill points per level (Ranger/Bard), all martial weapons, and essentially all armor. The class's important ability scores were supposed to be Cha, then Con, then Int, but in reality it was almost exclusively Cha with Str or Dex if you actually wanted to attack yourself. The primary abilities of the class were:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">As an action, grant a move action to another character 1-5 times per day.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">As a bonus (swift) action, project 1 minor aura (add Cha mod to all checks for all allies in narrow categories like specific skills, one type of saving throw, etc.). You could learn up to 8 minor auras. The auras last until the Warlord ends them as a free action or activates a different minor aura.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">As a bonus (swift) action, project 1 major aura (add +1 to +4 to all die rolls for all allies broad or significant categories like all melee/ranged attack rolls, all damage rolls, all saving throws, all AC, all DR, extra squares of movement, etc.). You could learn up to 5 major auras.</li> </ol>The auras last essentially indefinitely and extend out large enough to cover basically the entire battlefield unless something strange is going on.The class was interesting, but not particularly good which is why it's not always remembered. The medium attack bonus, focus on Cha, and requiring lots of allies to really pop off meant in regular play it felt like you needed 4 or 5 good stats to do well. You felt like a bad Paladin in a lot of ways. Also, it wasn't a spellcaster, and in 3.xe that meant you struggled to keep up above level 6-8.In 4e, they appear as the Warlord in the PHB1. This class is still mostly cleric-like. Essentially, medium armor, martial weapons, medium HP gains. The class was focused primarily on Str with secondary focus (i.e., rider effects for powers) on Int (tactics) and Cha (inspiration). The class features were, basically:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A version of the Cleric ability that became healing word in 5e.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Give everyone a small initiative bonus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Get a bunch of powers that focus on tactical movement, granting bonus attacks, and sometimes healing or gaining temp HP.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">One of the at-will powers was, literally, "An ally of your choice makes a single melee attack against one target in your melee range. Add your Int mod to their damage." So you could take a spear (10 foot range), stand behind the highest damage attacker, and cause them to make extra attacks every round, dealing pretty high damage. This was the so-called "lazylord" because you never actually roll attack dice. You could have a very low Str and you'd do just fine, making it the only class in 4e that could ignore it's own prime requisite.</li> </ol>The 4e class wasn't amazing, but one thing it was really good at was rewarding system mastery. Even more so than the average 4e class. If you knew what you were doing, you could really do some gross things with this class. In the case of the Lazylord, often without ever rolling 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.Our most memorable 4e Warlord was a gruff dwarf lazylord that acted like a stereotypical high school football coach. "Come on, walk it off, walk it off." "Just rub some dirt on it. You'll be fine." "You've got to get in there and keep fighting!" "A little blood never hurt anybody." "Come on, lads, what have we been training for?" "Come on! There's no second place on the field of battle!" "There's no crying in combat!"</blockquote>

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