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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KidSnide" data-source="post: 5706533" data-attributes="member: 54710">I think the devil-in-the-details with this discussion is the question: to what extent are the powers an intrinsic part of the class?For example, I think we agree that arcane classes (Wizards, Sorcerers, Bards, SwordMages, etc...) would benefit from a certain shared power list.  For example, the game only need one encounter power that creates an enemies-only fire burst around the caster.  At least to me, that has the additional benefit of making these shared powers well-known arcane techniques in the gameworld, not just another random power.  Certainly, I'd like to see spellcasting monsters use abilities with the same flavor and similar effect.But right now, wizards get most of their "controllery-ness" through the powers.  Do they share those with the other arcane classes?  Or do wizards now get special condition meta-magic (e.g. once per encounter, I can immobilize with a cold power) to move the class differentiation into the class abilities?If they share powers, is a melee cleric different than a paladin, except that one marks and has more hit points and the other has better healing magic?  To be fair, I don't really know the difference between a paladin and a melee cleric in the gameworld fiction either.  Or are they really like the Knight and the Slayer - the same class as different roles?  I'm not sure that's OK.  I think most D&D players want more differentiation between the Cleric and the Paladin than we get between the Knight and the Slayer.You can say, as suggested upthread, that these classes don't completely share the same list.  Each might have a the same list of radiant melee smites (after all, how many radiant melee smites does the game really need?), but the Paladin also has access to some martial powers, while the cleric has access to some divine leader-y powers.  That's a reasonable answer, but it either results in a bunch of overlapping power lists (like the 3.x spell list), or a ton of small power lists (divine defender, divine striker, divine controller, etc...) that could be ugly to maintain and create a sense that each one requires separate support.Or maybe the non-power class abilities have to become seriously more interesting?  Does WotC have to write two dozen Essentials-style cleric domains?Just thinking out loud...-KS</blockquote>

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