Preview: The Warden

[Fallen Seraph]

Well, here it is the second last of our Primal classes for PHB2. The Warden:

D&D Warden, Levels 1-3

Wow, those Forms are pretty neat. I didn't expect, wasn't really hoping (though wasn't hoping against) shapechanging. But the fact they went with partial-shapechanging is awesome, I always liked partial shapeshifting.

 

[catsclaw227]

Reading it now.... I am starting a new Scales of War campaign on Jan 17th, so the new classes are certainly optional. Druid, Barbarian are already both being considered, so I am curious if Warden or Invoker might draw some interest.

 

[catsclaw227]

Huh... Thorn Strike is a Melee 2 attack. That means you can reach out two squares with your weapon even if you don't have reach? Interesting.... Do other classes have this ability?

I like the class features, BTW, and Nature's Wrath and Font of Life are pretty cool too.

And Dailies with the Polymorph keyword that allow you to take on a Guardian Form.

 

[Vael]

I like the class, it's intriguing. I like the free action mark, Font of Life is sweet, and the daily powers are flavourful and nifty. I like the semi-shifting dailies.

I just noticed this on the second pass ... the Warden has a new hitpoint scale, it gains 7 hp per level, trumping the previous classes.

 

[Cadfan]

Short review: Nature Gish.

I'm cool with that. Seems like they took the 3e druid's non-wild shape melee powers, and made a whole class out of them.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

wow...

some of the daily's that do ongoing 5 on a hit do ongoing 2 on a miss...I think that iss new don't most misses say no ongoing...oh and did you see th HIT POINTS!!!

 

[Cyronax]

At first read this class seems to be way over the top. It is way more durable than the fighter or the swordmage ... and it seems destined to slow down game play in the hands of certain players and DMs that have trouble paying attention to the battlefield/round-to-round enemy repositioning.

Ugh. I've DMed and play a lot of 4e so far, and this is the first official class I've seen that I really have misgivings about.

 

[Cadfan]

Does anything stop you from assuming multiple forms at once?

 

[FireLance]

I just noticed this on the second pass ... the Warden has a new hitpoint scale, it gains 7 hp per level, trumping the previous classes.

More hit points seems to be the hallmark of the Primal classes. The barbarian (striker) has hit points as a defender, and the druid (controller) has hit points as a leader/striker, so it's not surprising that the warden (defender) gets the most hit points of all.

 

[FireLance]

At first read this class seems to be way over the top. It is way more durable than the fighter or the swordmage

1 hp + 1 hp/level is "way"?

and it seems destined to slow down game play in the hands of certain players and DMs that have trouble paying attention to the battlefield/round-to-round enemy repositioning.

Yes, there are a few push/pull/difficult terrain/damaging terrain effects, but they don't seem out of line for a controller, and the warden is supposed to be able to have a controller secondary role, after all.