Your experience with WotC's non core classes

[Krug]

So what's your experience with WotC's non-core/non-Oriental classes such as the Hexblade, Warmage, Favored Soul and so on?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The only one I've actually seen in play is the Marshal. The PC who loved the character and he was a great asset to the party. Well...until a wraith killed him, but that was more from player bravery(stay behind and fend them off while others run) than a problem with the class.

I allow the others, and have used the classes for some NPCs, too. Well, except for Favored Soul and Swashbuckler. But this isn't an "I hate these classes" thread so I won't derail it in the first reply.

 

[Christopher Lambert]

Well I'm a big fan of the psion and the artificer. I've played the former and seen a friend play the latter.

I haven't used the others but the marshall looks kind of cool. For flavor reasons I would trade out the supernatural abilities for extraordinary ones, if that's the case. (really, there's no reason why an officer should be magical.) I think an aristrocrat/marshall makes a pretty good king, too.

I will reserve some venom for the samurai, after seeing someone play one. They got tossed into jail and the party had to rescue them (impending execution). They refused to leave because they couldn't get their swords back

During the argument some guards came by and shot him with crossbows. Eventually we dragged his unconscious behind out of the jail, against his will, and he moped about until we retrieved his swords.

Such a stupid class!

 

[scourger]

None.

I don't use WotC's non-core D&D classes. I don't even use the prestige classes in the DMG. What's the point? I believe any character concept can be realized by a player using the PHB.

 

[Nightfall]

Then why play D&D? Sounds to me you're better off with Warcraft or EQ. I mean come on, there's more to paladins that just picking that feat or this feat and having skills hither and thither. Some times you need an archmage or loremaster.

 

[Django]

We've gotten some good mileage out of the Favored Soul. One of the players in my game multiclassed (rogue/favored soul) into it and it has worked out real well. He's mostly rogue, so his spells aren't so powerful in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly comes in handy to have that occasional CLW.

 

[Victim]

Someone in our group went Swashbuckler 3 for the damage bonus, then stopped. You don't really get good abilities after that until around the last 5 or so levels of the class. Instead, they took a few fighter levels for feats then went Duelist. The class doesn't seem to be designed very well, especially with the duelist around. Oh boy, single target dodge bonuses!

Our other game has a fighter/hexblade NPC. He acts like a fighter normally, wearing fullplate armor and using a greatsword; with full BaB and HP, his combat ability doesn't really suffer much. His first 2 spells were Endure Elements and Alarm; useful spells that aren't really affected by arcane failure. I don't recall what other spells he picked up. The curse didn't come into play too often, since it was usually forgotten. But as a free action, it's still hard to beat. Still, most of this character's effectiveness stems from his status a strong greatsword guy. Presumeably, as a PC, the player would be better about using his abilities.

Warmage fits the background of one of my characters, but I couldn't deal with loss of all versatility. A Wizard focused on combat magic is almost as good at it as the Warmage, and poses a serious strategic threat in warfare. They can scout around with magic, move at high speed in battle, teleport, etc. That's going to be a lot more dangerous than someone who can just blast away.

 

[Acid_crash]

Warmage fits the background of one of my characters, but I couldn't deal with loss of all versatility. A Wizard focused on combat magic is almost as good at it as the Warmage, and poses a serious strategic threat in warfare. They can scout around with magic, move at high speed in battle, teleport, etc. That's going to be a lot more dangerous than someone who can just blast away.

I think the Warmage should have been a prestige class, it's so focused in what it does that being a core class.

 

[Particle_Man]

I got to try a ECL=0 Blue Psion and enjoyed it but the campaign fizzled.

I just started a warlock. My DM nerfed it a little.

If Warlocks scare NPC's as much as unnerfed Warlocks scare DM's, then Warlocks must be fearsome indeed!

 

[Pseudonym]

I'm playing a swashbuckler in an Eberron campaign. Still only first level, but so far so good. I'm only planning on going to fourth level before jumping off to dragonmarked heir, so I'll miss the mid levels of the class.

We also have a favored soul in the party, who seems to be enjoying things.