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[DnD 4E Discussion] Staff Fighter and Pyromancer essentials builds released on time!

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Posts

  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I was trying to build a Swordmage with a Glaive, once.

    I gave up pretty quickly.

    Kay on
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    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    To be fair, Katars are hella sexy.

    and good for a tempest fighter, what with him making lots of attacks and it having ye high crit property

    unfortunately (and i'm not sure why this is) they are one-handed and not off-hand weapons so there's some damage to miss out on there with the tempest build

    and it's not as if the previous dude's upsetedness over certain feats can't be retrained

    Horseshoe on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Kay wrote: »
    I was trying to build a Swordmage with a Glaive, once.

    I gave up pretty quickly.
    The basic realities of the class make it really hard to qualify for any relevant feats. Int isn't terribly useful when it comes to reach weapons.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    To be fair, Katars are hella sexy.

    and good for a tempest fighter, what with him making lots of attacks and it having ye high crit property

    unfortunately (and i'm not sure why this is) they are one-handed and not off-hand weapons so there's some damage to miss out on there with the tempest build

    and it's not as if the previous dude's upsetedness over certain feats can't be retrained

    This would not be an issue normally just this one player will take this stuff (and keep it) then not use it ever. Previously her character was a sword and board fighter optimised for...sword and board (her choice) but most (if not all) of the time she uses a greatspear.

    Bringing up the idea of changing stuff around just garners confused looks and quotes like "But what if I want to use it later?"

    I let her do what she wants, nobody else cares too much (or hasn't brought it up) and it's her character but it's just painful to look at her sheet and answer questions when she's confused why her character isn't performing as well as the others.

    Sipex on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    swordmage powers seem to be more suited to reach 1 weapons anyway

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Sipex wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    To be fair, Katars are hella sexy.

    and good for a tempest fighter, what with him making lots of attacks and it having ye high crit property

    unfortunately (and i'm not sure why this is) they are one-handed and not off-hand weapons so there's some damage to miss out on there with the tempest build

    and it's not as if the previous dude's upsetedness over certain feats can't be retrained

    This would not be an issue normally just this one player will take this stuff (and keep it) then not use it ever. Previously her character was a sword and board fighter optimised for...sword and board (her choice) but most (if not all) of the time she uses a greatspear.

    Bringing up the idea of changing stuff around just garners confused looks and quotes like "But what if I want to use it later?"

    I let her do what she wants, nobody else cares too much (or hasn't brought it up) and it's her character but it's just painful to look at her sheet and answer questions when she's confused why her character isn't performing as well as the others.

    Well in that case the answer to her questions is "because you wanted it that way".

    There's a good chance that she's just not the optimizer type (like many D&D players) and really isn't going to be.

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • Foolish ChaosFoolish Chaos Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Infidel wrote: »
    Foefaller wrote: »
    Swordmage Warding does not work with two handed weapons.

    It does, you just get only +1 AC instead of +3

    In essence, you lose your "heavy shield" bonus just like most other two-handing defenders, and the base +1 is just to bring you up to par in general.

    In my experience swordmages don't really need bringing up to par. Their defenses are pretty amazing.

    Well at least our party swordmage has 3 more AC than what would be possible for a fighter.

    Foolish Chaos on
  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    streever wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    mrflippy wrote: »
    Third session in our game tonight. I hope the players get out of town and start doing stuff.

    blow up the town... it's the only way.

    and I'm still trying figure out the mindscrew that is "I know what homebrew is and I don't want to it or ask my DM to just let me but I'm playing my homebrew race and I'm just going to make up a homebrew feat to do what I want to do anyway" Is there something there that I missed?

    The part where I asked a question and two people gave me answers to a completely different question because they think I don't know what question I want the answer to.

    In fairness, he is hoping to publish his homebrew through Wizards as he said--so, it seems he is trying to minimize rules changes as much as possible. An additional "race" could conceivably get published by wizards--if he can minimize other changes, that makes sense, because 4e is very balanced. It's possible that there is a feat combo meaning that if you just let them use spears as swords they will get all types of crazy min/max benefits that he isn't seeing.

    It's a reasonable question!

    Sure it is streeve, but the question gets lost in the silly situation created... I mean if he actually explained what he wanted it wouldn't have been huh y'know? but instead of that, he makes a point of saying how long he'd been playing and that he doesn't homebrew or whatever. then comes the reveal that he's just playing with his homebrew content. bam! right out of left field and all.

    but eh, maybe I'm crazy. ;p

    Maybe...

    But the thing is that the first response to the question "does A exist?" was evidently* interpreted as "homebrew it moron**" to which the entirely appropriate response was "I know I can do that already; any chance you could answer the actual question now?" to which the next response was another couple of rounds of "lol hombebrew" which lead to quite frankly understandable irritation and the post you are querying.

    Also there's the part where Incenjucar has been working on his hombrewed races for months now and has explained it more than once.


    *Based on initial reaction and later responses.
    **May not be what was actually said, but SkyCaptain can comes across like that sometimes, regardless of intent.

    Mr_Rose on
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  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    Kay wrote: »
    I was trying to build a Swordmage with a Glaive, once.

    I gave up pretty quickly.
    The basic realities of the class make it really hard to qualify for any relevant feats. Int isn't terribly useful when it comes to reach weapons.

    Int isn't terribly useful when it comes to any weapon, really. Making a Swordmage that takes advantage of any of the Mastery feats is a little... hard.

    Kay on
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    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Kay wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    Kay wrote: »
    I was trying to build a Swordmage with a Glaive, once.

    I gave up pretty quickly.
    The basic realities of the class make it really hard to qualify for any relevant feats. Int isn't terribly useful when it comes to reach weapons.

    Int isn't terribly useful when it comes to any weapon, really. Making a Swordmage that takes advantage of any of the Mastery feats is a little... hard.

    I found Swordmage to be the clunkiest class I've ever played.

    Rius on
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    They are a lot of fun, though. Totally different mechanics to any other Defender too, I feel! I love being able to mark something, then skip over to the other side of the battlemap and ignore it for a while, only to teleport it into an advantageous position if it hits someone especially hard.

    Kay on
    ew9y0DD.png
    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    They do lend themselves quite nicely to Ranged Defending; I would have liked it a little better if there were a way to mark a target further than 2 squares away. I think a properly built Swordmage|Wizard could be a sight to see.

    Rius on
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Rius wrote: »
    They do lend themselves quite nicely to Ranged Defending; I would have liked it a little better if there were a way to mark a target further than 2 squares away. I think a properly built Swordmage|Wizard could be a sight to see.

    If Atherton gets to level 11, he'll be able to mark two enemies in Close Burst 5.

    Kay on
    ew9y0DD.png
    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Kinda seems like Wandering Swordmage was written for Atherton, doesn't it?

    Rius on
  • Hexmage-PAHexmage-PA Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    Hexmage-PA on
  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Mr_Rose wrote: »
    QUOTES

    Maybe...

    But the thing is that the first response to the question "does A exist?" was evidently* interpreted as "homebrew it moron**" to which the entirely appropriate response was "I know I can do that already; any chance you could answer the actual question now?" to which the next response was another couple of rounds of "lol hombebrew" which lead to quite frankly understandable irritation and the post you are querying.

    Also there's the part where Incenjucar has been working on his hombrewed races for months now and has explained it more than once.


    *Based on initial reaction and later responses.
    **May not be what was actually said, but SkyCaptain can comes across like that sometimes, regardless of intent.

    Well the first response to his post was far more uhm... constructive than his (SC's) "just homebrew it" reply. I mean saying that they wouldn't be swordmages then does far less to answer his question than saying just DIY or ask... but yea, I figure part of the reason behind the response lay in the who rather than the what as it usually does here sadly. Not that SC doesn't have a history of contributing to the very positive and enlightened discussions that have occurred in past versions of this thread and all but still...

    And I dunno about the latter part as crazy donuts is of the mindset that it's silly for anybody that homebrews stuff (myself included) to presume that a general population cares enough about their content that one can make the leap you're talking about, especially if they need to ask questions.* ;p

    but we're horribly off-topic here! So... let's just leave it at that, I guess. the issue resolved itself anyway.

    edit: I don't think he did that mind you, but the thought remains the same.

    tastydonuts on
    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • HachfaceHachface Not the Minister Farrakhan you're thinking of Dammit, Shepard!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    RPG.net is a den of malcontents and social retards.

    Hachface on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hachface wrote: »
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    RPG.net is a den of malcontents and social retards.

    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Rius wrote: »
    Kinda seems like Wandering Swordmage was written for Atherton, doesn't it?

    It really does! Atherton's sorta like a more studious and personable version of Kane, from Kung Fu.

    I just wish I could have boosted his Wisdom some, but I needed a lot of semi-decent stats to round out the character. Kinda wish I'd not tanked Str or Dex, either. But there you have it.

    Kay on
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    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • HachfaceHachface Not the Minister Farrakhan you're thinking of Dammit, Shepard!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    I don't get Risus and Wushu.

    They are not even games.

    Hachface on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hachface wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    I don't get Risus and Wushu.

    They are not even games.

    Depends upon your concept of games.

    Their rules are deliberately loose, and their "stats" are player-defined.

    I've had some fun with Wushu. It takes a bit more creativity to create a character with Wushu than with D&D IMO.

    That said: I prefer D&D... I like a well defined balanced ruleset, so it works for me.

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • streeverstreever Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    Hachface wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    I don't get Risus and Wushu.

    They are not even games.

    Depends upon your concept of games.

    Their rules are deliberately loose, and their "stats" are player-defined.

    I've had some fun with Wushu. It takes a bit more creativity to create a character with Wushu than with D&D IMO.

    That said: I prefer D&D... I like a well defined balanced ruleset, so it works for me.

    He could just play the one-page "D&D" games. Those are a lot of fun and very much what he is describing. I've always wanted to do one PBP.

    Horseshoe: Actually, I am pretty-sure the Katar is off-hand. I just looked at that this morning. +3 prof. weapon with high-crit plus tempest fighters +1 bonus means it's going to land a lot of hits.
    Only problem is there aren't that many 2 weapon attack at-wills. Just Dual Strike and it's of little use on a solo or against any enemies that follow a strategy beside "surround the defender"

    streever on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    He sounds like he'd enjoy Freeforming.

    He must be summarily purged with fire from the earth because of this.

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • legionofonelegionofone __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2010
    Hey guys, this thread has got me really interested in playing in a 4E game. Is there an online meet up database somewhere that has classifieds for gamers?

    I'm in the Phoenix metro area, so finding a game shouldn't be a problem, its just where to start that is.

    legionofone on
  • ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    meetup.com has groups for most metro areas.

    Chanus on
    Allegedly a voice of reason.
  • ironzergironzerg Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    If you added something in there about hating pencils and paper, as well as an absolute repulsion to dice, minatures and battlemaps, I think you'd have a pretty good start to a hilarious D&D satire.

    Bonus points if the guy refuses to use any dragons or dungeons in his game.

    ironzerg on
  • ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Also, if you check out the Wizards site, you should be able to put in your Zip Code and find a hobby/comic/game shop near you that hosts events. Those are usually a good place to meet people.

    New D&D Encounters season starts Wednesday, and it's Essentials-based, so basically it's made for first-timers.

    Chanus on
    Allegedly a voice of reason.
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Aegis wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    He sounds like he'd enjoy Freeforming.

    He must be summarily purged with fire from the earth because of this.

    I kinda liked Everway for a while when I played it..?

    It was pretty, well. Out there, I guess. But you had stats! Sort of.

    Kay on
    ew9y0DD.png
    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    ironzerg wrote: »
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    If you added something in there about hating pencils and paper, as well as an absolute repulsion to dice, minatures and battlemaps, I think you'd have a pretty good start to a hilarious D&D satire.

    Bonus points if the guy refuses to use any dragons or dungeons in his game.

    And thus was born WotC's new product "Forests and Faeries", playable LARP-style in the Forest Preserve near you!

    Rius on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    ironzerg wrote: »
    Hexmage-PA wrote: »
    I've just read the most mindboggling thing on RPG.net. It's a thread about some guy claiming he wants to like D&D, yet:
    I have a ton of issues with the whole of combat. I don't like how initiative works, I don't like how it feels like chess, I don't like how maneuvers other than attacks are handled. I don't like hit points. I don't like the flat distribution of rolls. I don't like task resolution. I don't like the advancement scheme and the reward cycle. I don't like how the mechanics and the fiction feel disconnected. Tons of other stuff. I want to learn to love the bomb.

    I don't like the players' reliance on their character sheets. If they don't have something on the sheet that would help them in the situation, they feel lost. I must nudge them into figuring stuff out in the fiction.

    I could run a game with the players having only the six stats, a name, some description of the character and a short list of gear. That would be my ideal way to play D&D.

    So he's basically saying "I want to like D&D, but I hate absolutely everything about it". Oh, and he's actually talking about 3.5/Pathfinder, not 4E.

    If you added something in there about hating pencils and paper, as well as an absolute repulsion to dice, minatures and battlemaps, I think you'd have a pretty good start to a hilarious D&D satire.

    Bonus points if the guy refuses to use any dragons or dungeons in his game.

    We're going to play D&D. But my homebrew luddite version with no maps, no minis, no dice, no books, no character sheets, no writing implements, no artificial lighting, and no furniture of any kind.

    Other than that it's just like D&D.

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    streever wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    Hachface wrote: »
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    it ain't the best of things ever, i'd definitely say that

    as for this dude's complaints

    it sounds as though he'd rather be playing Risus or Wushu or something like that

    I don't get Risus and Wushu.

    They are not even games.

    Depends upon your concept of games.

    Their rules are deliberately loose, and their "stats" are player-defined.

    I've had some fun with Wushu. It takes a bit more creativity to create a character with Wushu than with D&D IMO.

    That said: I prefer D&D... I like a well defined balanced ruleset, so it works for me.

    He could just play the one-page "D&D" games. Those are a lot of fun and very much what he is describing. I've always wanted to do one PBP.

    Horseshoe: Actually, I am pretty-sure the Katar is off-hand. I just looked at that this morning. +3 prof. weapon with high-crit plus tempest fighters +1 bonus means it's going to land a lot of hits.
    Only problem is there aren't that many 2 weapon attack at-wills. Just Dual Strike and it's of little use on a solo or against any enemies that follow a strategy beside "surround the defender"

    If your method of defending involves getting enemies to surround you

    and they try to do otherwise

    make them surround you

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Something that's slightly amusing that never really came up in the last few days;

    Many complain that the Essentials Assassin article is "long winded" or "fluff heavy", that it's too hard to find the relevant information. Boy, are they going to be angry when they pick up a Heroes of the X Y book; the whole thing is written like that =) I kind of like it, actually.

    Rius on
  • LitejediLitejedi New York CityRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Swordmages are fine, glaives are fine. Expand your horizons mans!

    First of all, mastery feats are irrelevant to swordmages. If for some reason you absolutely must have a 19-20 crit, because as a defender you feel that big numbers are more valuable than the amazing hard, soft and intermediate control that shielding swordmages bring, you can take Swordmage Implement Expertise, which requires int 21 and either strength or con 17. Secondly, as a swordmage it is pretty easy to qualify for a lot of feats with stat requirements because your secondary stat (con/str) is virtually unimportant wrt riders on powers and class features. Thirdly, glaive (and to a lesser extent, two-handed weapon) wielding swordmages are awesome because reach is great, and perhaps more importantly, having a "hittable" AC, providing the SM as an alternative to the squishier members of the party who's AC is much less than the stratospheric values found by one-handed users.

    Finally, the obvious benefit wrt polearm gamble and heavy blade opportunity cannot be discounted, especially if there is a multiclass fighter feat in there and you pick up polearm momentum. In fact, there is an at-will slide that you can combo with rushing cleats to have a knock prone slide 2 whenever a target moves (not shifts) to a square adjacent to you. Even without that combo, hitting someone with a frigid blade with white lotus riposte up and sudden roots (from MC warden) can enter the realm of significant action denial. Don't diminish the wonder and beauty of the glaive, philistines.

    Edit: All of my stuff applies to all flavors of swordmage, though for obvious reasons the assault one is relegated to second-tier and the ensnaring is pretty laughable.

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  • HachfaceHachface Not the Minister Farrakhan you're thinking of Dammit, Shepard!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Rius wrote: »
    Something that's slightly amusing that never really came up in the last few days;

    Many complain that the Essentials Assassin article is "long winded" or "fluff heavy", that it's too hard to find the relevant information. Boy, are they going to be angry when they pick up a Heroes of the X Y book; the whole thing is written like that =) I kind of like it, actually.

    <3 the return of fluff.

    Hachface on
  • PsykmoePsykmoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The only thing I don't like about swordmages is that apparently you can't sub in any at-wills for a MBA. I am talking as a warlord of course. I don't like being teamed up with people who have shitty MBAs in case they didn't take the melee training feat.

    Psykmoe on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    can you not give the MBA's to a striker?

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  • PsykmoePsykmoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    There is a non-trivial number of encounter and daily warlord powers that give out basic attacks to multiple party members, though. For at-will enabling I can just fall back on the rogue anyway.

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  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I never asserted that it was non-trivial.

    Just suggesting that there might be other party members that you can give the MBA to if you want to increase the chance of them succeeding.

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  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    There are assault swordmage powers that qualify as MBAs, but most of these queue off of using them as part of one's Aegis reaction and/or a charge.

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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Aegis wrote: »
    There are assault swordmage powers that qualify as MBAs, but most of these queue off of using them as part of one's Aegis reaction and/or a charge.

    Also Assault Swordmage's secondary stat is Strength so MBAs aren't a problem for them.

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