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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nibelung" data-source="post: 6709453" data-attributes="member: 74499">Originally posted by RayjeEliwan:Themes:The Runepriest has two major weak points: it is not very mobile, and it has no way of granting allies saving throws. No theme directly solves the saving throw problem (though Order Adept comes close), though a few themes can help with the mobility problem. That said, there's plenty more to themes than just shoring up weak points.Show[sblock]Knight Hospitaler (D399): For a WIS build, this can add a good bit of healing, asking for only your relatively unused immediate actions in return. Runepriests have a reputation for being worse at healing than many other leaders, and it's entirely possible to build them that way; if so, this theme helps a bit with the gap. The level 2 optional power lets you grant a saving throw on a daily basis, but it's not amazing. The other powers are mostly forgettable.Guardian (D399): In addition to the obvious benefits of an extra MBA every encounter with a relatively easy trigger, this theme strengthens the Runepriest's pseudo-defender focus. Furthermore, Guardian's Counter can be useful to intentionally trigger Runic Artistry. The power swaps aren't especially noteworthy, though.Ironwrought (HotEC): This theme may be overused, but it's overused for a reason. While Rune of Mending and your rune states might be effective no matter what, when it comes to your really flashy powers, if you don't hit, you don't matter. Inevitable Strike makes it far less likely for you to waste, oh, Rune of the Astral Phalanx. The power swaps aren't really better than your native powers, but that's not what we're here for. The resistance when bloodied is just gravy, really. Honestly, if you're looking to make yourself better at what you're already good at (as opposed to trying to branch out a bit), this is probably tied with Noble Adept for the best theme you can pick. Accuracy is just that important.Cultist (BoVD): This is a little bit unusual, but it's worth looking at if you're tired of Ironwrought and the like. Master's Eye isn't terrible (though the minor action cost can be pretty hefty; your every action matters), but what we're really here for are the level 5 and level 10 features. Leaders tend to draw a lot of fire, and both of these features help with that. Sure, it's that much more to keep track of, but you're not playing a Runepriest because you hate keeping track of fiddly bonuses, right?Cipher (D414):You're a melee-based character in heavy armor with very little extra mobility from your class. Getting an extra move action at the start of combat really, really helps, especially if your GM likes using big maps. Getting to spend an extra AP once per day isn't bad, either.Fey Beast Tamer (HotF): There are a number of Runepriest powers that are more effective based on how many of your allies are in the vicinity, usually specifically adjacent to the target. This lets you stack that particular deck in your favor. Do note that the bonus damage from the owlbear is a power bonus, so it's nearly useless to you. Choose one of the other ones. I will note that your pet does have a basic attack, so if you don't have enough allies to enable, this might help. I always feel weird enabling my own pet, but you might not have any such reservations. Either way, CON builds will generally find this more useful than WIS builds will, since it can be heavy on your surges, depending on your GM.Order Adept (D399):The granted power (Argent Rain) is totally useless to you unless you pick up implement proficiency somehow (and even then, it's not an especially good power), but what you're here for is the ability to get level 2 Wizard utilities. Specifically, Herbal Healing. A minor action saving throw grant on an encounter basis plugs a huge gap in your repertoire, and the fact that it can be used to grant a second wind isn't to be ignored entirely. Plus, a power bonus to Will is nothing to be ashamed of. You won't get any benefit out of this until level 5, so if you're starting at level 1, take a more immediately useful theme and retrain later.Earthforger (HotEC): The level 10 feature is the best part of this theme; enemies that mess with positioning can mess with your rune states, so making it harder for them to do that isn't a waste of time. Stone Panoply isn't a very leadery power, but it's decent enough to have in your back pocket.Windlord (HotEC): This adds a little bit of mobility to you (especially if you go for Enlightened Word as your PP), though not as much as I'd like. Wind Fury Assault is, like most theme powers, not especially leadery, but it does offer a lot of mobility and, eventually, a heftier slide than you're likely to get from your class powers. If you find forced movement to be a tool you often want in your toolbox, you could do worse than to take this theme.Dune Trader (DSCS): This is a Dark Sun-style theme, which means that you can actually swap your lackluster Runepriest dailies for rather nicer ones. In particular, Blunt Force Strike is probably better than most Runepriest dailies at level 5. Quick Formation, the granted power, is also decent for party mobility. The other powers aren't likely to be better than your class powers, though Sly Gambit can be tempting if your party is set up right. Finally, the Caravan Master PP is actually pretty decent, providing a solid AP benefit, increasing your mobility and that of your party, and offering a very tempting encounter power.Primal Guardian (DSCS): As I said with Dune Trader, the main benefit here is swapping unfulfilling Runepriest dailies for nicer ones. This theme makes you more of an off-defender, which is certainly a niche that a Runepriest can fill if they so desire.Elemental Initiate (HotEC): It's kind of an edge case, but if you want to use implements for some reason (either from power-swaps or from a PP), using a ki focus can keep costs down. Skill training is nice, and a bonus to Will is not unwelcome, but I would mostly consider this to be important only if you really want ki focus proficiency for some reason.Scholar (D399): This is a total edge case, but it's fun when it works. Without some investment, you aren't likely to be INT-heavy enough to benefit much from making Arcana or Religion checks (though each is a class skill for you), but you can be pretty good at Nature or Dungeoneering if you're WIS-based, and in Heroic if nothing else, that's a pretty big chunk of enemies you're likely to face. Anyway, if you can reliably get Use Vulnerability to trigger (either through investing in other knowledge skills, knowing that your GM favors monsters that are based on Nature or Dungeoneering, or whatever), a +4 bonus to defenses right when the big guns are coming out is nothing to be ashamed of, and it can definitely shape the course of the first round. (If you happen to be Defiant Word, this is even better.) The level 5 and level 10 features are pretty nice for roleplaying and skill challenges, if you're into that sort of thing. Inimical Lore is party-dependent, but it can actually be really good for pulling out exactly what you need at exactly the right moment. (Great if your GM favors trolls or other similar monsters!) The fact that you kind of have to invest in things you wouldn't otherwise invest in to get your Arcana and Religion checks up keeps this from being rated higher than purple, but when it works, it's very satisfying.Sidhe Lord (HotF): As is always the case with this theme, you want exactly one thing: the level 2 power. It's an absurd way to generate and shuffle action points, and it's not unleaderly, either. If your PP has an amazing AP feature, this can be pretty worthwhile. Also, it's an edge case, but Temporary Fey Pact can make using Protective Scroll easier, though that obviously won't work until level 16, since it requires two level 10 powers.Sensate (D414): Making the leader sturdier is rarely a bad idea, though since THP don't stack, most Serene Blades will find one set of THP or another going to waste. The level 2 power kinda-sorta helps with the saving throw issue, but it comes at a nontrivial price.Pack Outcast (NWCS): Getting a bonus to speed and easy-mode CA is nice. Losing the ability to use shields when you take advantage of this bonus to speed is less nice. If you weren't planning on using a shield anyway, or if you have an ally with Devoted Protector Expertise, this theme isn't terrible.Halaster's Clone (D409): Obviously, you'll want to train in a theme that does something for you immediately, then retrain into this theme around level 5 or so. Mobility is nice; Alter Time is acceptable ally movement (though it's not as great on you as on a ranged class), and A Skip In Time can help if your GM just loves big maps (or even just as a way of moving on a turn when you use Rune of the Astral Winds). Even the level 2 power is pretty nice, though of course giving up too many in-class utility powers is hard, since Runepriest utilities are awesome. Add in as big a bonus to initiative as you're going to get from a theme, and you've got a reasonably solid package, even if it doesn't directly increase your offensive capabilities. I should note that while everyone benefits from an initiative bonus, CON builds arguably benefit more, since they have fewer ways to boost their initiative at all than WIS builds do.Werewolf (D410): If your GM is relatively lax about letting you walk around in hybrid form most or all of the time (instead of forcing you to take a minor action in combat to activate it), a +2 bonus to speed is pretty nice on the otherwise slow-moving Runepriest. Plus, the ability to wear Claw Gloves hardly sucks. That said, if you have to spend a minor action in combat to turn it on, well . . . it's probably not worth it. Either way, it's definitely not worth it until level 10 (when you get hybrid form), so if you're starting at a lower level, take something else and retrain later.Noble Adept (DSCS): I've said it over and over, and I'll keep doing so: if you don't hit, you don't matter. You're probably going to ignore everything this theme has to offer other than the granted power, but the granted power is a doozy, either on yourself or on your friend. That said, Enforced Competence isn't bad, so it might be worth swapping for that. Having a power point does open up a few options for feats and items, but those are mostly outside the purview of this guide. Regardless, even if you get nothing out of this other than the granted power, it's still an awesome leader theme. I'd go so far as to call it a top contender for best theme for you; accuracy really does matter just that much, and the flexibility of using it on yourself or on an ally is huge.[/sblock]Races:Two bumps:Show[sblock]Dwarf: The same things that make dwarves good for other classes make them good here. STR/CON works well with CON builds, though it's totally possible to have a WIS build on a dwarf and be just ducky. Resistance to forced movement, in particular, is very nice, since forced movement can make your rune states less effective. Second wind as a minor is as good for you as for any other melee class. CON builds who use Protective Scroll will especially love taking Dwarven Durability.Goliath:No matter whether you go WIS or CON, goliaths have the right stats for you. A bonus to Will is never amiss, and their racial power is very nice on a role that tends to absorb a lot of heat. No amazing feat support (though Kord's Resilience is decent, as is Markings of the Victor), but they're solid. The fact that Stone's Endurance takes a minor action is kind of a downer, since your minors tend to be in high demand, but they're by no means a bad race.Minotaur: The same stats as goliaths, an extra healing surge, and some bonuses when things go south. Goring Charge is a waste (darn poor scaling), but the feat Bloodied Ferocity is fun on anyone. You don't get too much besides good stats, but sometimes that's all you need.Orc: Well, they've got STR/CON, but that's about it. You probably won't charge all that much, and a standard action racial power that only heals you doesn't really excite me.Longtooth Shifter: STR/WIS is a good mix, but Longtooth Shifting doesn't wow me. They have some unusual feat support, so you can make it work, but they're not my first choice.Warforged: STR/CON. They have a solid set of racial features and a solid set of racial feats, so they aren't a bad choice. Warforged Faith can kind of alleviate the saving throw problem, though of course ongoing damage isn't really the worst thing you can have to save against.Mul: Incredible Toughness is a great racial power, and honestly, they're worth looking into for that alone. STR/CON is useful, and they can access your favorite human feats or dwarf feats (hint: dwarf feats tend to be better on most builds). I'm sold, even if you want a WIS build. All else being equal, I'd call this the best choice for a STR/CON race.Bladeling: STR/WIS is good, acid resistance is passable, but everything else sucks.Svirfneblin: With a speed of 5, you pretty much NEED to be Serene Blade with an 18/18 spread so you can wear hide armor. That said, the stats do make such a thing possible. Small size is a bit of a disadvantage on a weapon-using class, and the racial power is good but not great. Still, they're the only fey race with a STR bump, so if you need the fey keyword for some reason (Sidhe Lord, perhaps), the little guys are worth a look.[/sblock]STR only:Show[sblock]Dragonborn:The CHA is mostly wasted, but there's enough goodies here to make them be worthwhile. You can't do much with breath shenanigans (though you can stack some beautiful bonuses if you MC Warlord and get Inspiring Breath), but the extra healing surge value is really great if you're planning on using Protective Scroll. Using the new variants from Dragon 421, Murderous Eye is not a bad idea, and I personally feel like you'll get more use out of Toxic Saliva than Dragon Breath, but that's probably a toss-up. I wouldn't trade away your increased surge value, though, since that's pretty much the entire point of being one of these things.Human: An extra feat is great, bonuses to defenses are nice, and Heroic Effort is a lifesaver (say it with me: if you don't hit, you don't matter). The extra at-will can also be useful if you like having backup tools, but Heroic Effort is where it's at in the long run.Bugbear: You don't really gain much from this. You aren't a striker, and you'd do well to remember that.Genasi: Such an oversupported race is sure to have some tricks for you. They have the easiest time using elemental shenanigans of any race (Shocking Flame is ridiculous), and if you can't find a racial power you like, you're not looking hard enough.Half-Orc: Most half-orc support is uninspiring for Runepriests, but they're not a bad race.Thri-kreen:They're fast, they've got built-in quick-draw fun, and they're giant desert bug-men. Why not? Thri-Kreen Claws does benefit from a few of your own damage boosts, too, so that's not wasted.Vryloka: You're not likely to be the one landing big-ticket hits on an enemy, so Lifeblood will mostly be wasted. The bonus to speed is nice, and the necrotic resistance will probably come up now and again, but I wouldn't call them a primary pick.[/sblock]Secondaries only:The Runepriest doesn't rely on its secondaries as heavily as some other classes do. If you really want something specific, it's not a death sentence to play a race without a racial STR boost and buy the 18 STR. It's easier with a WIS boost, though, because you do want to be able to afford Superior Will.Show[sblock]Elf: WIS only, but their racial powers are pretty darn sweet. I wouldn't do this unless you have a specific trick in mind, but it can be made to work.Halfling: CON only, small, and not a ton to show for it. Next.Half-Elf: Bonus to both CON and WIS, and more importantly, Knack for Success. You heard me. No Dilettante. Knack for Success. Why? It grants a saving throw. Bam. It's a hard choice to make, since you really do have to buy up to an 18 STR, but it's not an automatically terrible idea.Tiefling: CON only. Most tricks that make tieflings cool aren't really applicable to Runepriests, but you can always have fun with Secrets of Belial or whatever. Not great, though.Drow: WIS only, and not much in return.Githyanki: CON only. A bonus to initiative doesn't suck, and Telekinetic Leap is cool, but probably not worth the loss of STR.Githzerai: WIS only. I like the bonus to initiative, I like the bonus to saving throws, and Iron Mind can make Defiant Word more likely to trigger if you care about that sort of thing. There's enough support for them to be worth a second look, though again, you probably need to have something specific in mind to make up for the loss of STR. Githzerai Healer just might be that thing, if it comes to it.Gnoll: CON only. Bonus to speed, and you do benefit from having allies around, but not enough.Hobgoblin: CON only. Initiative is nice, Hobgoblin Discipline is nice, but you'll be better off just being a Mul, I think, especially since the fact that it's a free action rather than a non-action means that it can't shed stunned or dominated. (That seems like an obvious oversight to me, though, so check with your GM.) That said, if you want to spend a feat on Warrior's Sacrifice, you DO get a free-action saving throw grant. Worth it? Tough call, but it's not the worst possible option.Kobold: CON only. Nothing spectacular here, at least not enough to make up for the Small size and lack of good stats. Their power is slightly leadery, but don't do this to yourself.Shadar-Kai:WIS only. I guess a bonus to Fort is worth mentioning, but not really worth pursuing. The racial power is decent enough on a relatively mobility-challenged class who draws a lot of fire, but not enough to make them seriously good.Razorclaw Shifter: WIS only. Nothing to see here.Deva: WIS only. Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes is a pretty nice power, and they have some decent feat support. Probably playable, if not optimal. If you're starting with Epic in sight, Soul of the World is a superb ED, but most games don't see Epic.Bullywug: CON only. Really?Duergar: CON and WIS. Nothing else.Wilden: CON and WIS. A bonus to defenses is nice, and their racial power isn't bad. Nothing special, but not bad for not having STR.Kalashtar: WIS only. Telepathy is a heck of a lot of fun in the right campaign, and Bastion of Mental Clarity is often amazing at the start of a tough encounter. You can still probably do better, though.Revenant:CON only. Be whatever you want to be! Or just be the real thing, since it's unlikely to be less applicable.Shardmind: WIS only. As I said with kalashtar, telepathy is fun, but there are probably easier ways to get it. That said, the feat We Were Once One is a pretty good way of getting saves on the field. Buying an 18 preracial STR hurts a bit, but believe it or not, I can sorta see this working.Hamadryad: WIS only. Decent racial power, nice bonus to saves, nothing else really excites.Satyr:CON only. Built-in forced movement is nice, but this is really nothing special.Hengeyokai: WIS only. Not worth your time.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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