What Classes/Roles Are Revealed So Far?

[Irda Ranger]

I'm pretty sure they also mentioned a druid would be a leader either explicitly or implicitly by saying they can heal and can sub for a cleric, and that the barbarian:druid relationship is analagous to paladin:cleric.

That's news to me. Any source handy?

The problem with pegging the Druid is that he's so multi-talented in 3E he really could end up in any 4E Role by just tilting him one way or the other. I kind of like him for Controller, if only because that's one Role we really need some more options in. Likewise, everyone keeps calling the Barbarian for Defender, but I don't think Striker is out of the question. In 3E he's much more about mobility and bringing the hurt than holding the line.

Commonblade: good calls on the Shadow power classes. I hadn't given them a lot of thought yet, but I think your guesses are good ones. I particularly like Necromancer as a Leader; an interesting twist. I'm surprised you didn't mention Bard in your list of guesses though. And I think their Primal Controller will be called Sorcerer, not Geomancer, for marketing reasons if nothing else.

 

[drothgery]

That's news to me. Any source handy?

Not on hand. I'm pretty sure the 'druids can heal' and 'druids can sub for a cleric' was GenCon reports, and the bararian is to druid as paladin is to cleric relationship was in the Races & Classes preview book, but I'm just going by my untrustworthy memory here.

 

[Nyeshet]

Any one else notice this:

Feywild - a place high in Arcane magic
Astral Sea - the domains of which hold the deities that are the source of Divine magic
Shadowfell - the source of Shadow magic
Elemental Chaos - possibly the source of Primal magic?

Leaving only Martial, Ki, and Psi without a major plane for their source. (And I'm still uncertain as to whether or not they might fold Ki and Psi into each other as one power source, although I can see them contrasting the two as physical / mental power sources.)

 

[Sadrik]

Has it been confirmed what the (three?) classes in the Martial book will be?
My bet is:
Barbarian (Defender)
??? (Leader) Possibility: noble, knight, bard* etc
??? (Striker) Possibility: assassin, monk* etc
??? (Controller) Possibility: grenadier, artificer* etc
*Probably not

Also, if the Feywild is the source of Arcane magic I can totally see the Druid flopping over to Arcane. They kind of make sense that way anyway.

I have also heard that there will be an Illusionist and a Necromancer. Illusionist will likely be a Controller and the Necromancer who knows? a "Pet" class? Conjurer could simply be a paragon path for any of the "arcane" classes.

Feywild - a place high in Arcane magic
Astral Sea - the domains of which hold the deities that are the source of Divine magic
Shadowfell - the source of Shadow magic
Elemental Chaos - possibly the source of Primal magic?

So, that is:
Arcane
Divine
Shadow
Elemental/primal

Leaving only:
Psionic
And possibly a "tech" Artificer type (I would prefer this rolled into the martial source)

I am not a big proponent of a myriad of power sources. Limit them and it will make the game overall better.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Has it been confirmed what the (three?) classes in the Martial book will be?
My bet is:
Barbarian (Defender)
??? (Striker)
??? (Controller)

Actually, we don't even know that there will be ANY new classes in the Martial Powers book. It could be just Feats, Talents, Paths and Destinies that are applicable to all Martial powered classes (both in PHB I and future PHB's). In fact, it could be their model that new class writeups are only provided in "Core" books and Campaign Settings.

 

[Sadrik]

Actually, we don't even know that there will be ANY new classes in the Martial Powers book. It could be just Feats, Talents, Paths and Destinies that are applicable to all Martial powered classes (both in PHB I and future PHB's). In fact, it could be their model that new class writeups are only provided in "Core" books and Campaign Settings.

True, but it seems to me that they have a lot more classes that they would like to get out. More than just the once per year.
Do you really want to wait a couple of years for something that seems so core to the game (druid, barbarian, monk, sorcerer)?

 

[drothgery]

Actually, we don't even know that there will be ANY new classes in the Martial Powers book. It could be just Feats, Talents, Paths and Destinies that are applicable to all Martial powered classes (both in PHB I and future PHB's). In fact, it could be their model that new class writeups are only provided in "Core" books and Campaign Settings.

It could be, but I think the PHBx books are going to introduce classes based on new power sources, not new ones based on existing power sources. Which means new Arcane classes in the Arcane book (which seems like the home for bard, sorcerer, and swordmage), and probably new martial classes in the martial book. Though that might be needless symetry . Really, until we see the fighter, ranger, warlord, and rogue write-ups we won't know what martial archetypes aren't covered well by them and so what niches might be best filled by other martial classes.

 

[Gloombunny]

I'm pretty sure they also mentioned a druid would be a leader either explicitly or implicitly by saying they can heal and can sub for a cleric, and that the barbarian:druid relationship is analagous to paladin:cleric.

The video where they first explained the roles concept talked about druids subbing for clerics, but they didn't say that 4e druids will be able to sub for 4e clerics. They talked about how the 3.5 druid looks like a good substitute for cleric but doesn't quite cut it as a sole healer, as an example of the kind of problem 4e's role-based class design would solve. But they didn't actually say anything implying that 4e would solve that specific case by making druids as good as clerics at healing - it's just as possible that they fixed the problem by making sure no one would ever look at druid and think of it as a good healer.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I think a good argument could be made for the Druid being a Defender, if he's shapeshifting into bears and the like, while the Barbarian could easily be a Striker. Let's recall some of the role's functions:

Defenders "soak" damage (Appart from high HP, Barbarian's low AC negate this)
Leaders heal & buff
Strikers move about the field well, and strike hard on single targets (Barbarian, anyone?)
Controllers change the battlefield itself, everyone's placement, and do big AoE damage.

A druid that is mostly a shapeshifter would likely be a defender, soaking damage, or a striker (flying in as a bird and then turning into a crocodile to lash out at a baddie.)

Also, the "Plane" that supports the Martial power is the Prime Material Plane, or the standard setting (the physical world in the game.)

Fitz

 

[Lackhand]

I think a good argument could be made for the Druid being a Defender, if he's shapeshifting into bears and the like, while the Barbarian could easily be a Striker. Let's recall some of the role's functions:

Defenders "soak" damage (Appart from high HP, Barbarian's low AC negate this)
Leaders heal & buff
Strikers move about the field well, and strike hard on single targets (Barbarian, anyone?)
Controllers change the battlefield itself, everyone's placement, and do big AoE damage.

A druid that is mostly a shapeshifter would likely be a defender, soaking damage, or a striker (flying in as a bird and then turning into a crocodile to lash out at a baddie.)

Also, the "Plane" that supports the Martial power is the Prime Material Plane, or the standard setting (the physical world in the game.)

Fitz

You could make the argument... but you'd be wrong
Races and classes page 82, from the barbarian entry, states Paladin : Cleric :: Barbarian : Druid.
So unless the Paladin is a striker, no dice, sadly. Of course, roles are admixed: Druids are perhaps _more_ defendery, Barbarians _more_ strikery, than Clerics and Paladins, respectively.

And from Worlds & Monsters (my copy finally arrived today!), the new Prime Material Plane's name is The World or the Middle Realm or the First Creation (Prime Material, eh?).

Welcome to EN World!