WotC_Dave: Druid!

[Lonely Tylenol]

The "Hybrid" is going to be interesting...

It's a tough trick to pull off, being able to fill more than one role enough to really FILL the roles, but without making other characters from those two roles obsolete at the same time.

Somewhere between 3e's bard uselessness and 2e's elf fighter/cleric/wizard uberness lies a sweet spot that's hard to get for the hybrids.

Here's how I imagine they did it: I just figure he defaults to controller with his weather-themed spells, but when he uses wild shape he can assume either defender or striker builds. His powers are divided between spell-ish powers, defender enhancements and striker enhancements. He can't use his various abilities unless he's in the right form, which limits his power overall...i.e. no spells while wild shaping, and no striker powers when defending, etc.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I thought the idea of the ph2 wildhshape was a good idea, but I really liked having a animal companion. It wasn't worth the trade off.

I also like the idea of druids summoning and controlling elements. Even if all these elements need to be broken down into into paragon paths, I still think they should play a part in the druid design processes.

 

[kigmatzomat]

"eighty of ‘em at this point, give or take" - unless PHB n>1 classes get less, this tells us a bit about what to expect from the PHB I power selection as well

Not necessarily. Dave doesn't say so but being "prototype lad", it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't come up with quite a few extra abilities, knowing that some will be removed/merged/folded/spindled/mutilated during the overall design sequence for various reasons (flavor, rules balance, complex mechanics, panda attack, etc).

 

[Patlin]

In other words, he’s ready for playtesting. Anyone wanna DM?

Come on over, I volunteer. You bring the rulebooks, I'll provide the pizza!

 

[Lizard]

I rather like the concept of 'hybrid' roles, as it makes the role system much less likely to handicap future development. This is a good sign.

I wonder if there will be dual power source roles.

Sometime around 2011..."We introduce our latest class, an arcane-ki controller/striker" (Monkmage? Actually, there's quite a few leaping wizards in Hong Kong action films...)

 

[Bishmon]

I hope they have two seperate builds for the druid like they did for the rogue with trickster rogue/brawny rogue builds. Maybe something like shifter druid/mystic druid, where the former relies on shapeshifting while the latter relies on nature spells relating to weather, elements, and animals.

If the druid is primarily just a shapeshifter now, I'll be disappointed. If that's the case, I'll probably end up just cherry-picking the spellcasting powers from the class, combine those with some wizard spells and maybe spells from a fey warlock and package those in a nature spellcaster shell. It won't be perfect, but that'll at least give me a druid that I want.

 

[Nebulous]

..i.e. no spells while wild shaping, and no striker powers when defending, etc.

Oh please GOD i hope they take out spellcasting while you're a dire bear/hawk/lion. Maybe a self healing or something like that, but no raining down lightning.

 

[Baka no Hentai]

Oh please GOD i hope they take out spellcasting while you're a dire bear/hawk/lion. Maybe a self healing or something like that, but no raining down lightning.

This is the only way that I can see it being balanced... you would be a striker while in animal form, and a controller in your normal form, with spells primarily only available in your normal form.

It is probably very likely that the Druid builds would be split between one that enchances wild shaping abilities and another that enchances spell casting abilities... assuming that we only get 2 build choices per class, of course.

 

[Cadfan]

I have to wonder at just HOW hybrid we're talking. I mean, the current classes aren't completely role-purist. The currently-controversial Displacement is essentially a Leader power, there are obvious overlaps between Defenders and Controllers (size of said overlap being exactly as big as the number of squares the Defender can reach with his swordarm), the Paladin buffs and heals allies as a side job, and the Cleric has a degree of ranged single-target attacking built into him, even though he's not a Striker.

The druid is a tough one because, like "wizard," the word "druid" can mean almost anything to different people. It can be a nature shaman who controls the powers of storms, an herbs-and-poultices nature loving healer, or a feral shapeshifter. But if you put all of that in one class, you usually run into problems. I'll be interested in seeing how it works out.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm liking the notion so far...

* Call Lightning: Yes. Flamestrike: No.
* Forms give bonuses, the rest is flavor: (flying form could be a hawk, raven, or pteradactyl, but grant a fly speed, etc)
* Hybrids sound interesting. I wonder what other classes will be hybrids?
* A single tear for the loss of animal companions, but if Rodney's Economy of Actions says something, I doubt any 4e classes will have tangible buddies to accompany them (familiars, animals, mounts, homoculi, etc).