Preview: The Warden

[Rechan]

So to not drag the thread too off-topic shall just say I plan to sooner or later make a brainstorming/what you think? Thread about the setting. It will quite a lot of text I must say

Should be fun. Your settings are always cool.

BACK TO THE WARDEN.

It's amusing that the Genasi doesn't jive with the Warden's ability scores, given that they're all elemental. Sure, the Str will emphasize the actual attacks, but the Int boost doesn't help the Warden in the least.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I am glad there doesn't seem to be much of a concern in 4e for specific races to match classes mechanics and fluff wise.

I do wonder though/would be willing to bet. That races like Genasi and Shifters will get some Feats focused on Primal classes, Shifters obviously more pertaining to the shapeshifting aspect of some of them and Genasi the nature side.

Hmm... Any races in the past that have a legacy of dealing with/interacting with spirits?

 

[Rechan]

I found something amusing.

In the text of the Form of the Fearsome Ram, it says:

In addition, when you hit a target with an at-will attack, you push the target 1 square. If the attack already pushes the target, the distance of the push increases by 1 square.

None of the Warden's at-wills push. So, what use is that note?

 

[Rechan]

I am glad there doesn't seem to be much of a concern in 4e for specific races to match classes mechanics and fluff wise.

Well, I disagree. Many races have natural fits.

I mean, many, many dwarven clerics for the +2 Wis. Tiefling and Eladrin wizards due to the +2 int. Need I mention the Elven rangers with +2 Dex and Wis? Or Halflings wiht +2 Dex/Cha and artful dodger rogues. Not to mention Half-elves being The Warlock race for the +2 Con/Cha.

In the MM, the longtooth shifters get +2 Str/Will. Which will make them a prime fit for Wildblood Wardens. The MM Razorclaw shifters got +2 Dex/Wis, which fits well with the mobile druid.

 

[Mengu]

Free extra save at the beginning of your turn nicely counteracts any ill effects your slightly lower AC and defenses might cause.

Compared to the barbarian who is a striker, I think the warden feels balanced in being a defender. I can now see some of the design decissions behind the barbarian a little bit better. Compared to PHB fighter or paladin, the warden feels a bit strong, but compared to MP fighter or Swordmage, it feels reasonable. I see a bit of power creep, but not game breaking so far. The class still fits into its role, and does it well enough without making other classes feel obsolete.

I'm liking a dwarf warden. I think the extra hit points can go a long way, especially considering you can stack Toughness on top of the nice boost in hit points. A Dwarf Warden with 16 Con could easily start with 38 HP's. Strength of Stone will provide a nice stream of temporary hit points. And dwarves love to use their second wind every encounter, which gains some additional benefit from a class feature.

 

[Mad Mac]

Hmm... Any races in the past that have a legacy of dealing with/interacting with spirits?

Not that I know of. We're getting Shifters, Half-Orcs, and Goliaths with the PHB 2 though, so I'm sure we'll see a good number of primal feats for these three.

Racial Feats are going to be a tricky issue going forward, I think. They might wait until Primal Power to introduce a lot of Primal Feats for all races, as they could run into space issues otherwise. Bad enough to introduce 8 new classes and 5 new races with at least some support for existing races and classes, much less every other race that has been released up to that point.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I found something amusing.

In the text of the Form of the Fearsome Ram, it says:

None of the Warden's at-wills push. So, what use is that note?

Future powers and feats that may add a push.

 

[Rechan]

Since the PHB2 won't have to have all the game rules, I'm sure there would be more room for feats and new stuff.

But then, I'm hoping there's just a lot of general feats, that work for all classes.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I found something amusing.

In the text of the Form of the Fearsome Ram, it says:

None of the Warden's at-wills push. So, what use is that note?

Multi-classing & item powers.

Edit: My bad, didn't read the original description close enough. That is a puzzler, but good for any future expansions.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

How does that work?

Every game I've been in, the player says what power they are using so the DM understands what they're doing.

Most of the time, we do it this way, too. But if you think about it - why? It is not like the DM will know the power in detail. If he asks because he thinks something is wrong, you still can point to the actual power. An option might be to announce the real name on the powers first use, so everyone knows that there it is not all made up.