What is a controller?

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Rob Donoghue did a pretty "deep" LJ post about the wizard that analyzes this very issue. Definitely worth a read. The anti-leader is a good way of thinking about it and was, off the record, confirmed by Mearls. And, of course, all of this led to the upcoming witch doctor class, the first really "controllery" control class I've seen.

 

[DracoSuave]

I wouldn't say controllers have low defenses. Maybe compared to a plate-wearing Paladin, yes, but compared to non-defender classes, they're actually comparable and have the capacity to be better.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I wouldn't say controllers have low defenses. Maybe compared to a plate-wearing Paladin, yes, but compared to non-defender classes, they're actually comparable and have the capacity to be better.

The Wizard does have a high AC build. The rest are comparable to sub-par.

The issue I think is that none of the controllers - with the sort of exception of one Wizard Build and the sort of exception of the druid - do their jobs very well if they get stuck in in melee.

Controller Dependencies seem to be:

Needs defender to keep spanning ranged attacks and prevent too much hit point attrition.

Needs strikers to actually finish off enemies they've weakened.

Needs buffs from leaders for optimization. Everyone needs healing.

I need to find the DMG quotes on this issue, but that seems to be the basic breakdown thus far.

Most of the classes have 'secondary roles' that help break their dependencies - Paladins can heal a little, Fighters can do some hefty damage, and staff wizards can get some great AC and then spam thunderwave - but the core class structure still needs to reflect the dependencies.

Look at Druids, for instance, they get some great melee powers, but while they are using those melee powers they are explicitly forbidden to use their basic controller attacks.

 

[Quickleaf]

I've been wondering about a melee-based controller, and came up with a couple ideas of how it might be possible.

Personal Defense
Aura repelling/pushing/sliding weaker enemies (OA when moving adjacent to you)

Hit Multiple Enemies at Once
Area attacks ignore concealment

Change Battlefield
Create difficult terrain
Destroy existing terrain
Create hazard
Turn enemy’s superior cover into regular cover
Gain partial concealment from target (missed ranged attacks hit target)

Restrict Enemies
Do X this else Y
If you don’t do X then Y
Can’t gain line of effect/sight to allies
Target denied combat advantage against allies under condition X
Target denied ability to shift
Can’t use second wind
Target denied regeneration
Target’s forced movement provokes OA
Forced movement doesn’t require clear path – destroy object and push right on through?
Bull rush enemy into object for damage/knock prone
Interrupt to include enemy in attack
Strip temporary HP
Gain OA on reach attacks through your square/adjacent squares
Strip enemy’s morale/leadership bonus (mess with leader’s powers?)

Special
Can sustain power when you delay
Maintain grab when you are forced to move
Attacks missing you hit your grabbed victim
Don’t provide combat advantage when running
Use at-will power on OA
Temporarily gain threatening reach

 

[NMcCoy]

The sorcerer seems to be a better controller than the wizard in some ways. They get an effect that seems it would be great for a martial controller - the target is prevented from gaining combat advantage for a turn.

Certainly hoping that wizards get some better controllery at-wills in Arcane Power; some of them are decent but just not quite as solid as they could be. (The Invoker's Divine Bolts are totally stepping on the toes of what Magic Missile should have been!) Flaming Sphere and Sleep are super-controllery, though, and it seems "classical" in some ways that wizards truly shine with their encounters and dailies.

(Considering houseruling Cloud of Daggers to Sustain Minor, and Area Burst 0 so it can be Staff of the Warmage'd.)

 

[Iron Sky]

To make the four roles as simplistic as possible, here's how I'd explain each character's role in the party:

Defender: Take damage - force enemies to focus on you
Striker: Deal damage - take enemies down as quickly as possible
Leader: Enable party - let the party do things they otherwise wouldn't be able to do
Controller: Disable enemy - prevent the enemy from doing what they want