Role Features... Controller left out?

[keterys]

So:
Strikers get bonus damage (Quarry, Curse, SA)
Defenders get marking and associated bonuses (divine challenge, combat superiority, etc)
Leaders get healing and buffs (inspiring, healing word, commander, etc)

What do controllers get? Well, unfortunately we don't have a lot of comparison points, but looking at the wizard the only thing he gets that is actual control (even for damage as control) is if he's orb specced.

I mean, I love the cantrips, the spellbook is very useful, but... what _defining feature(s)_ for his role does he get? The only things that seem controllery are his at-will options. And spell focus at paragon tier.

Anyhow, this was kinda nagging me for a bit in all the discussion of multiclassing, getting class features, what to pick, etc, etc, so figured I'd say it out loud. I'd have expected to see something more like a generic -1/-2/-3 to saves at tiers or a 'increase the size of all burst and blast by 1' or 'double the range of all area' or whatever.

I think this is a major reason why people end up so critical of the wizard powers, when comparing to cleric or whatever. They didn't get their 'Role feature'.

 

[Rith the Wanderer]

Well, I love the wizard, and I've only played about 6 hours of 4.0, but I definitely didn't get the feeling I was behind in usefulness compared to anyone, including the cleric.

I do kind of agree with you about the specific controller ability, but I also think controller is the least defined of the roles. It just doesn't seem to stick to its "thing" (magic missile, singe target damage spells in general) and other people also gain stuff under its purview pretty regularly, in the form of area attacks and such. What defines the wizard is that hes the best at what he does and has good status effects which are probably more rare compared to areas(oh and area+damage+status effects, those are awesome).

Also the spellbook and rituals are all part of what defines the wizard as a controller. I think in lieu of one ability that really pushed their role they just threw in a bunch of features that were controllerish, and it comes out feeling like your controlling the battlefield.

 

[Andur]

Their "role feature" is the vast array of Burst 2, 3, 4, and 5 powers they have, both ranged and close versions. Whether the Wizard wants DoT or Spike damage is up to them, and of course there are the non/less damaging "environmental/terrain control" AOE's as well.

 

[keterys]

Let me clarify that I'm not saying the wizard is _bad_, just that his features don't have anything to do with being a controller - only his powers and one of his feats.

And, of course, that by 'feature' I mean that literally. The section in your character called 'Character Features' that includes cantrips, implement mastery, spellbook, and ritual casting, for the Wizard.

 

[Particle_Man]

The Epic Feat Spell Accuracy (so you can cast those bursts and blasts for control even when your friends are in the thick of it) helps with control.

 

[Zerakon]

Let me clarify that I'm not saying the wizard is _bad_, just that his features don't have anything to do with being a controller - only his powers and one of his feats.

Only his powers? That's like saying "The Red Sox don't have that many things that score runs. Their uniforms, the stadium, and front office personnel never do. Only their players score runs."

The wizard powers are plenty enough control.

 

[keterys]

Except, the cleric also has area effect powers - talking close blasts and burst, plenty of other classes have give options. The wizard's advantage at the moment for control is a greater breadth of options and his at-will options. So, really, all he's got going for him are his at-wills because it's only a matter of time before there are a lot more powers added for every class.

Pretend for a moment you have the following choices:
1) Be a warlock/epic seeker
2) Be a wizard/epic seeker

The warlock/epic seeker is clearly better at dealing damage (being a striker) due to his class features. The wizard is _not_ a better controller due to his features. Only by taking feats (which anyone can do, even if they have to take arcane of the initiate first)

That's really odd, that they moved the wizard controller features into feats, and gave him none at Heroic tier, isn't it? Except his at-wills - it is hard to get those, at least.

 

[burntgerbil]

I found the fey pact warlock to be more literally control oriented - like an enchantress or beguiler. I was kind of hoping to see a little bleed over from this to the wizard also. No Charm Person (or no hold person for the cleric, for that matter) ? The earliest mental power the wizard gets is Mesmeric hold (13th) the only others I see are Maze and Confusion. I haven't become intimately familiar with the wizard, but I would have liked to see more mental attacks and more battlefield shaping powers (stone to mud, anyone ?)

 

[keterys]

Only his powers? That's like saying "The Red Sox don't have that many things that score runs. Their uniforms, the stadium, and front office personnel never do. Only their players score runs."

This signals a misunderstanding of power balance in 4E. Much like the fighter and ranger can have equal level powers where the fighter's does more damage while the ranger's lets him move more, and a cleric might have an AoE with a better control while the wizard has an AoE that does more damage (or vice versa), powers are balanced against each other not just 'Oh, the ranger powers all do more damage because he has less hp than a fighter' or 'The wizard AoE are all better than a cleric's because he's the wizard'. Everyone can get different powers via feats, epic destiny, or even just plain old power swapping, but they're all roughly balanced against each other (barring a couple mistakes, yeah, yeah)

Features are really what separate out the classes. They're what you can't get casually. And _every single class_ but wizard follows that rule. The wizard gets nothing for his role as a class feature, while the others all do.

Which makes it much easier to multiclass or epic seeker with wizard, I suppose.

 

[Eldorian]

Features are really what separate out the classes. They're what you can't get casually. And _every single class_ but wizard follows that rule. The wizard gets nothing for his role as a class feature, while the others all do.

AoEs as at will powers are a class feature of the Wizard. No one else gets em. No one else CAN get them, without a paragon multiclass. And let me tell you, the party in my game could really use some AoEs at will to take care of minions.