What is the 2nd controler ?

[Kintara]

The Monk as an expert wrestler that ties up an enemy, and gets him to throw errant punches at his friends, or trip him on top of them. Add in some terrain manipulation and maneuverability, and good ole' stunning attack, and I think you could definitely do the Controller role.

 

[Rechan]

I'm sorry, I've just always seen the Monk as a striker. He's effective against one target at a time, be it tripping, stunning or grappling or smacking around. The Warlock can move one guy around the battlefield and he's a Striker.

If anything, the monk is a striker with a dabbling of Defender so he can front-line if he must.

 

[tresson]

The Monk as an expert wrestler that ties up an enemy, and gets him to throw errant punches at his friends, or trip him on top of them. Add in some terrain manipulation and maneuverability, and good ole' stunning attack, and I think you could definitely do the Controller role.

Turn the Flurry of Blows turn into a 3x3 aoe attack the can cause little damage but effects the enemy in some way and you're well on you're way to a controller.

 

[Kintara]

Turn the Flurry of Blows turn into a 3x3 aoe attack the can cause little damage but effects the enemy in some way and you're well on you're way to a controller.

I want a daily resource ability that allows me to dash across the battlefield and trip every enemy I pass.

 

[The Right Word]

I think they have too many martial characters already, and I don't think they'll go with a druid or a monk because it helps sell books in the future, and further allows for new power sources (Ki and Nature). We might see something totally different in the first PHB.

Right now, you already have an arcane controller in the Wizard. Four martial characters (Pally, Rogue, Fighter, Ranger). That leaves a divine controller. Huh. Maybe they turn something like the oracle into a core class, or go with something like the Unearthed Arcana Cloistered Cleric?

Of course, just speculation for now, but it does make for a good fit when you consider all of the roles and power sources.

Oh, and first post! Lurker no more.

 

[Remathilis]

Well, what classes could be a controller?

Druid seems easy, but unless the druid spells are going to be a mis-mash of cleric and wizard, he'll have few unique spells (esp of warlock invocations take up a lot of room). Still, it has heritage...

Some additional manner of specialist wizard (beguiler, necromancer, summoner) might work just as well, but that skews heavily arcane then. A beguiler does crowd control via charms and illusions, necromancers through undead and negative energy, summoners through monsters.

Bards are very much leaders, but its possible a bard kills the beguiler and takes his role...

Monk as martial controller doesn't seem to fit, he's very much a striker. Ditto with ranger. Barbarian is certainly not a controller. Sorcerer might work, but I'm not sure how much sorcerer will be different than wizard these days...

Hexblade was killed by warlock and its curses taken.

For the same reasons I don't see sorcerers coming back right away, I don't see mystics or favored souls. For the opposite side of the same coin, no archivist either.

Samurai, Sohei, Ninja, Wu Jen, and Shugenja are most certainly going to be in a later book (like OA).

Scout, Knight, Marshal, Healer, Warmage, Swashbuckler, Spellthief, and Binder all got canabalized for parts for the other 8 classes.

Duskblade seems the template for whatever arcane/swordmage is coming up. Its possible...

No psionic or incarnum classes in PHB1.

Dragon Shaman or Dragon Acolyte (latter in Dragon Magic) are both possible, but highly doubtful. A Dragon shaman is very much a leader, and the Acolyte is just a dragon warlock.

So, at the end of the day, I think the only real options are a druid, duskblade, bard, summoner, or beguiler. Anything else is getting left to later books or the dust bin.

 

[Nifft]

Mire of Minaros sounded Controller-ish. Could the Warlock be the 2nd Controller?

Cheers, -- N

 

[JohnSnow]

I actually think that having an illusionist in the book would make for a pretty interesting second controller. It would be, potentially, another arcane controller and would allow us to see another example of two classes with the same power source in the same role (possibly like the ranger & the rogue).

On the other hand, they might be making the ranger an arcane class and the druid might be the surprise controller in the PHB. Ranger as arcane would, in my opinion, be more interesting and true to the old concept than ranger as divine.

 

[Rechan]

Mire of Minaros sounded Controller-ish. Could the Warlock be the 2nd Controller?

Cheers, -- N

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that your Role does not set you in stone. A role is just what the Class is designed to do at its base; what your class does automatically. The Defender Defends because it has lots of HP and has a high Fort save and AoOs and so on. The Striker's class is structured to do oodles of damage to one target. This is before powers come into play.

Powers may let you customize, and dip into other roles. That cleric who heals naturally can do his Leadery thing without wasting any of his actions - his actions may be devoted to getting in the monster's face, and he heals as an afterthought.

The Warlock may do more damage to certain opponents, but he could pick a power or two that also lets him control. Etc.

 

[Intrope]

I'm sorry, I've just always seen the Monk as a striker. He's effective against one target at a time, be it tripping, stunning or grappling or smacking around. The Warlock can move one guy around the battlefield and he's a Striker.

If anything, the monk is a striker with a dabbling of Defender so he can front-line if he must.

THIS. If you're reaching out and puttin' the hurtz on *one* creature, you're a striker, not a controller. Even if what you're doing is redirecting that creature.