Stupid question needs intelligent answer.

[King Nate]

I’ve been looking at the Knight, Slayer, and Fighter (PHB) and I’m confused about something.

Heroes of the Fallen Lands says when a player chooses a new power they can choose a new power from any powers as long as they are from;
1. Same class
2. Same level
3. Same type (attack, utility).

Does this mean that a Slayer and Knight can choose any of the At-will Stances from either list? I’m thinking not since they don’t meet the requirements by not having levels.

If so, does this mean they can only choose them when they get new powers only or from the start of the game.

Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but just need some clarification please. Thanks.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Does this mean that a Slayer and Knight can choose any of the At-will Stances from either list? I’m thinking not since they don’t meet the requirements by not having levels.

The Knight and Slayer fill different roles, and some of their stances and other class features reflect that. A stance like Defend the Line makes it harder for an enemy to move away from a Knight, for instance; while one like Unfettered Fury helps the Slayer do more damage.

Given the rules you quoted, it would seem you're right. (But, it's not like I have HotFL memorized, for all I know it could say somewhere else that Knights & Slayers can swap stances. They call it 'exception-based design' for a reason.) 'Legal' or not it probably wouldn't break the game to allow it. Worse-case you get a Knight that's a bit more secondary-striker, or a Slayer that's a bit more secondary-defender.

 

[Aexalon]

Null != Null

Slayers can take the stances that their build mentions (Battle Wrath, Berserker's Charge, Duelist's Assault, Mobile Blade, Poised Assault, Unfettered Fury), and Knights can take stances that their build mentions (Battle Wrath, Cleaving Assault, Defend the Line, Hammer Hands, Measured Cut, Poised Assault). Slayers can't take Defend the Line, nor can Knights take Duelist's Assault.

The quote about what powers you're allowed to choose from does not apply, since, while they are from the same class (fighter) and of the same type (utility), they are NOT of the same level. For something to be of the same level as something else requires 3 things:
* it has to have a level
* the other thing has to have a level
* those two levels are the same
The first two conditions are not satisfied, thus, no swapping.

As far as I can see, the only powers Slayers and Knights can select outside their builds are utility powers.

 

[IanB]

The simple answer is "look what the character builder will let you do."

In this case it is restrictive; slayers can't take knight auras and knights can't take slayer auras, and neither can take regular fighter at-wills.

Some of the other essentials classes are not restrictive that way, though. Sentinel druids, for example, can pick from all the druid at-wills when you check the 'show additional options' box. Picking a beast form one would be pretty dumb, of course, but it does let you do it.

 

[Jhaelen]

The simple answer is "look what the character builder will let you do."

Unfortunately, the simple answer is rarely the correct one. If the CB is actually correct in this case I'd consider it a lucky coincidence. In general it's a lot more likely the CB doesn't allow stuff because it wasn't implemented properly/yet.

 

[Nullzone]

The stances aren't interchangeable because they're class features, not powers. Knight and Slayer both specifically state "You can select two of the following" when pointing out the stances.

Plus, as mentioned, they have no level, and thus can't be exchanged easily. (Though once the new integration rules get published in Dragon later this month, that may change.)

 

[Larrin]

The rules do not give permission for a slayer to take knight stances, but they overlap, function compatibly, add further customization to classes with limited options, and don't tip the power curve unfairly. I would encourage any DM to allow it. Same goes for hunter vs scout aspects of the wild (which are almost identical anyway).

Rules say No, I encourage Yes.