So we got the sheets, let's calculate the crunch!!

[Spatula]

Give that man a beer.
Makes sense to me: The human cleric only has the +1 as a feat. So all humans don't get it. Whereas all halflings are small and get +1 to all saves (and as Ref + armour =AC means they are harder to hit)

I edited my original post. Basically the human and the halfling both have a mysterious extra +1 to all defenses. Could be a feat that isn't listed, as its effects would already be incorporated into the stat block. And I do believe there's a feat with that exact effect in SW SAGA. But I'm wondering if it's a coincidence that the two characters with this extra defense bonus are also the two divine classes...

 

[mach1.9pants]

I edited my original post. Basically the human and the halfling both have a mysterious extra +1 to all defenses. Could be a feat that isn't listed, as its effects would already be incorporated into the stat block. I believe there's a feat with that exact effect in SW SAGA. But I'm wondering if it's a coincidence that the two characters with this extra defense bonus are also the two divine classes...

Yeah, who knows? Anyway keep the beer!

 

[Voss]

The difference is that a fighter can go anywhere in the Multiverse, rip off a chair leg, and start bashing people with it. Yeah, he's not as accurate or damaging, but he can still use most of his powers (though not the shield-bash one and presumably not the weapon-type-centric ones that were talked up in that ancient Design & Development article but are noticeably absent from the dwarf fighter character sheet).

Now, if a wand/staff is just an appropriately sized stick, the wizard's on equal footing. But if wands are mystical items that require the left pinky toenail of a gold dragon to craft, he's LONG-TERM screwed if he loses his wand in the middle of the wilderness.

Also, the fighter apparently benefits from his sword or other weapon, both in accuracy and damage. The warlock gets zip for having to be dependent on his stick. It isn't adding anything to her attack rolls, which are straight charisma bonus for everything but the inexplicable wizard power, which is straight int bonus. It doesn't seem to have any relationship with damage either. So its just a penalty.


Speaking of penalties, the fighter's marking ability is straight up awful, to the point that it fails at its purpose. -2 to attack rolls? oh no. That will make me... still attack the warlock, wizard or cleric, since even with the -2, the fighter's AC is 3 or more points higher, so I still have a better chance of hitting the squishy guys with less hit points.
At least the paladin's mark has a chance of killing the enemy before he kills off your buddies.
Kinda sad.

 

[Spatula]

Also, the fighter apparently benefits from his sword or other weapon, both in accuracy and damage. The warlock gets zip for having to be dependent on his stick. It isn't adding anything to her attack rolls, which are straight charisma bonus for everything but the inexplicable wizard power, which is straight int bonus. It doesn't seem to have any relationship with damage either. So its just a penalty.

No different than the cleric & paladin's reliance on a holy symbol. Seems like implements are the new material components.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Also, the fighter apparently benefits from his sword or other weapon, both in accuracy and damage. The warlock gets zip for having to be dependent on his stick. It isn't adding anything to her attack rolls, which are straight charisma bonus for everything but the inexplicable wizard power, which is straight int bonus. It doesn't seem to have any relationship with damage either. So its just a penalty.

Yeah the 'every power needs an implement' warlock worries me. I can see house-ruling for that sort of stuff coming out (-2 to all rolls without implement- attack roll, damage roll, etc)

Speaking of penalties, the fighter's marking ability is straight up awful, to the point that it fails at its purpose. -2 to attack rolls? oh no. That will make me... still attack the warlock, wizard or cleric, since even with the -2, the fighter's AC is 3 or more points higher, so I still have a better chance of hitting the squishy guys with less hit points.
At least the paladin's mark has a chance of killing the enemy before he kills off your buddies.
Kinda sad.

Yep Paladin mark looks good, and all over the Paladin has come back from the dull horsey boy of 3E. But -2 to attack a much lower AC target, hell yes!

 

[mach1.9pants]

No different than the cleric & paladin's reliance on a holy symbol. Seems like implements are the new material components.

Which was fine in 3E, spells were much better than an attack. However, now all the powers are balanced, why should spell/prayer users be so badly penalised by the lack of the right implement? A fighter or paladin (and I suppose Rogue with some of his powers) will do less damage when using a table leg for their powers. But the DDXP Warlock will be unable to use his powers at all, sans wand. Less effective is much better than being totally unable to use any powers at all.
Powers are the 'be all and end all' of 4E and the implement requirement is not at all balanced

oh and ps: wands are so lame. Tiny little sticky thingys! Staves, yes, orbs, yes, daggers, yes wands-pathetic IMO

 

[Stalker0]

Yeah the 'every power needs an implement' warlock worries me. I can see house-ruling for that sort of stuff coming out (-2 to all rolls without implement- attack roll, damage roll, etc)

Yep Paladin mark looks good, and all over the Paladin has come back from the dull horsey boy of 3E. But -2 to attack a much lower AC target, hell yes!

Yeah the mark seemed lame, however, its the free AOO any time you try to move over and attack my buddy that sells it for me

 

[Spatula]

What could a 3e wizard do without his material components, vs what a fighter could do with a table leg? Not a whole hell of a lot... So I don't see much change on that front. The spells are still more powerful than the fighter's powers, as they're ranged attacks that target base defenses instead of AC (touch attacks, more or less), and some hit multiple opponents.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yeah the mark seemed lame, however, its the free AOO any time you try to move over and attack my buddy that sells it for me

Only when an adjacent enemy shifts. 4E's massive 30x40+ encounter areas lessens the impact of that. Any tactically aware baddies are going to do their best to not get adjacent and one of them (4 normally) having -2 to attack for the privilege ain't bad.

 

[mach1.9pants]

What could a 3e wizard do without his material components, vs what a fighter could do with a table leg? Not a whole hell of a lot... So I don't see much change on that front. The spells are still more powerful than the fighter's powers, as they're ranged attacks that target base defenses instead of AC (touch attacks, more or less), and some hit multiple opponents.

What worries me is no that a fighter (depending on level, the higher the bigger the reduction in effectiveness due to lack of items, even in 4E) is still reasonably effective with a club- or whatever. Magic item bonuses are not as important in 4E and his powers still work with whatever he has to hand. It is that if Warlock powers are almost totally implement based, as it seems from the DDXP, the are next to useless. Why should a pact with a power rely on a stick to enable power use? But more importantly it puts a heavy implement user at a massive disadvantage in situations which remove a characters items. Happens a lot to PCs IME