Picked Up Some Wizard Powers

[Scribble]

He was playing a warblade/warmage in the 3rd Edition game, which didn’t really convert at all. Fortunately, he was able to pick a class that was focused on tactics, and he picked up some wizard powers to feel similar to the old character

What exactly does that mean? He picked up some wizard powers... Seems different then multiclassing. Is this similar to how the new PRCs will work differently (in that you remain in your base class...)

Will 4e allow you to sort of grab some abilities here and there, but not take an entire class?

 

[Simplicity]

No, I think it means that he kludged his character together my choosing to have some wizard class-abilities (which the DM allowed). I really hate this playtest example.

 

[Glyfair]

What exactly does that mean? He picked up some wizard powers... Seems different then multiclassing. Is this similar to how the new PRCs will work differently (in that you remain in your base class...)

Will 4e allow you to sort of grab some abilities here and there, but not take an entire class?

Clearly anything you see here is going to be speculation, since WotC has said that race and class details will have to wait for the "preview books."

My take:

Speculation is that the "class that was focused on tactics" is the Warlord. We don't really know what the Warlord is or does, beyond that it's a "leader." Maybe it has the ability to pick a few abilities from a list, some of which are "wizard powers."

 

[Njall]

I'll copy paste my impressions from another thread:

I find quite interesting this quote from the latest playtest report:



The "class that was focused on tactics" sounds a lot like the new "warlord" to me (maybe the aforementioned warblade was focused on White Raven maneuvers...), and I find interesting that he was able to "pick up some wizard powers" without actually being a wizard. Does this mean magic in 4e is handled much like the force in SWSE so that any class can use magic to a degree, or is it just a house rule?

 

[TarionzCousin]

"...and he picked up some wizard powers to feel similar to the old character...."

In 4E, there are going to be fewer magic items, so some powers will just by laying around in dungeon rooms waiting to be picked up. Start practicing your pick-up lines now.

"Is that a scorching ray in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"

 

[RSKennan]

It could just mean that he took a few levels of wizard for the powers he needed.

 

[Scribble]

It could just mean that he took a few levels of wizard for the powers he needed.

Possible... But it kind of seems like so far the clues and articles have been pretty careful on what they say, and how they say it. They've already mentioned people multiclassing and taking levels of certain classes for the effect...

In this case they said "picked up a few wizard powers..."

 

[brehobit]

Here's my guess.

There is an "ability tree". Everyone buys abilities (past some fixed class abilities) from the ability tree. Spell casting, at least in part, will be on the ability tree.

Mark

 

[FireLance]

As brehobit said, it could be a general ability tree, or a number of specific multiclassing talent trees for each class, or even a feat-based system which allows characters to gain the ability to cast specific spells (similar to the Bo9S Martial Study feat).

 

[Masquerade]

a feat-based system which allows characters to gain the ability to cast specific spells (similar to the Bo9S Martial Study feat).

This is something I would be very glad to see! I believe the concept originated in Magic of Incarnum (Shape Soulmeld feat, IIRC) as a way of letting characters take advantage of the new "power source" without redirecting class levels, and I'm glad that it returned in the Bo9S (Martial Study feat) and in Tome of Magic (Bind Vestige feat, IIRC). Now that I think about it, even d20 Modern's version of Wild Talent worked similarly, letting the PC use a single power without taking levels in a psionic class.

There's no reason a similar feat couldn't work for spells. (In fact, I may be house-ruling one into my 3.5 game...)