Leading Awesome

Lets talk Leaders. They are the heart of the party; keeping the Controllers controlling, the Defenders defending, and the Strikers striking. Leaders are more than just healbots, however. Good Leaders don't just keep their buddies alive, they make them better. What makes the Leader awesome? During battle, you are command central. The Defender keeps you and the Controller safe while the Striker(s) relies on your powers to keep them kicking ass.

Number Seven: The Runepriest
"I have a hammer... And WORDS!"
So far, I think I've done a good job of explaining the good points of each class. I've tried really hard to sell even the classes I don't like or understand (ie: The Invoker and The Warden). This will be the only time I do it, but I have to cop out on the Runepriest. I just don't understand the class at all. Most importantly, I don't understand why. The Runepriest appears to simply be a more complex Cleric. Part of the beauty of the Cleric is its relative simplicity. Why in the world would you want to mess with that?

But it gets... better?: Sure, the Rune States let you swap between offensive and defensive focuses. Plus, you're weapon-based which is cool. Still, the warpriest build for the Cleric does both without the complexity of swapping states. The Runepriest has two builds on top of the two rune states and I have to ask "why?" The whole class makes no sense to me. If you play one or if you're fond of it, let me know in the comments. I'm willing to try to understand.

Awesome Powers: Word of Diminishment, Beacon of Vengeance, Gathering Storm Intonation, Word of Healing Assault, Brand of Death's Gate

Number Six: The Shaman
"Dude, stop panicking. The ghost bear just wants to heal you."
The Shaman is an interesting Leader. Their powers call to the spirit world to bring death to their enemies and sweet buffs to their allies. They're similar to the Druid in their execution, although they do lack the awesome "I'm a bear now, bioch" feature. They're protectors of the natural world, like all members of the Primal power source (except, perhaps the Barbarian. Who knows what that lunatic's doing?).

But it gets better: Spirit companion. Seriously, the thing is amazing. Not only does it give you an alternate origin square for many of your abilities, it functions as a pseudo-tank with the ability to hamper opponents who attempt to just stroll on by. Not only that, but each type of spirit companion has its own attack (Zoinks, Scoob!). One increases damage, one increases healing, and another allows your ranged character to attack forever. The Shaman doesn't just heal, it organizes the party into a more effective engine of punishment.

Awesome Powers: Spirit of the Tempest, Massive Companion, Explosive Sacrifice, Mighty Spirit Leap, Spirit of Bedlam
Number Five: The Ardent
"Why do you all have to be so EMOTIONAL!"
The Ardent lead a troubled childhood, filled with high school rejections and bad poetry. To make matters worse, the Ardent also developed the gift of empathy to ensure that all those around it would also be wracked with the pangs of angst. The Ardent's abilities are a portfolio of fun flavor; inspiring your allies with good vibrations while crushing your foes with depression. Unlike the other member of the Psionic power source, however, they don't tend to explode people's brains that much. Upsetting, I know. Still, there's something great about making your foes relive their awkward teenage years before introducing them to the business end of ole' stabby.

But it get better: An Ardent heal doesn't just heal what ails you. Depending on the mantle your brain-priest has chosen, you may also be getting a boost to attack rolls or defenses or speed (yes, speed). Also, while some healers are content to stand behind the fray and casually toss spells over their melee friends, the Ardent simply wades into combat. Every Ardent is armed with an encounter power that goes off when they become bloodied. This is a leader who likes to play dangerously.

Awesome Powers: Ire Strike, Karmic Bonds, Disbelieve Danger, Falling Sky, Image of Doom

Number Four: The Bard
"I wrote a song! It goes, Falalalala lala you're dead!"
In 3.5 the Bard was an especially interesting class. The "Bardic Knowledge" class feature ensured that you knew basically anything and everything and your spell selection could be excellent for out of combat problems. Once combat began, however, things got... challenging. In fourth edition, where everything is about combat (you can expect a future post on that topic), something had to change. The Bard is now quite capable in combat and also one of the best classes when it comes to situations that can't be solved with weapons.

But it gets better: The Bard is great no matter how you build it. You can focus on movement, temporary hit points, or some serious debuffs. In addition, you can choose between melee or ranged weapon attacks or you can use an implement. The Bard's heal is pretty standard with a little extra love based on your build. But perhaps the greatest thing about being the Bard is that you're, well, the Bard. No other class has as much reason to make terrible puns, sing awful songs about other party members, and hum the melody to the latest pop disaster all night.

Awesome Powers: Vicious Mockery, Unicorn's Charge, Distracting Shout, Mind Game, Saga of Foretold Doom

Number Three: The Artificer
"Yeah, that's a nice axe. But it should have more 'on fire,' don't you think?"
The Artificer is the king of buffing. Its heals aren't the best, but it has an amazing ability to improve the defenses and the damage output of its allies. Its a little like the gadget guy every good spy has; happily tinkering away at weapons and armor before watching grumpily as the hero smashes them to bits. The Artificer is happy to do the work, however; having a huge warrior as a buddy is the best way to keep the Kobolds from shoving him into a locker. And if that means busting out the chemistry set to brew your buddies some "healing infusion," so be it!

But it gets better: If the Artificer ever finds itself without allies, it can simply make a few! Many of this tech-head's powers create little machines to run about the battlefield. These devices are, for the most part, exactly like tiny little Artificers. They give bonuses to attack and defense and provide crappy heals. If your foes aren't running in fear from your army of tiny chatter-teeth, it might be time to bust out Magic Weapon. This attack is the ultimate power of the Artificer and its an at will. Why boost only an attack or damage roll, when you can crank up both? Did you miss the attack? That's alright, Magic Weapon gives the same bonus whether the attack hits or misses (apparently).

Awesome Powers: Aggravating Force, Dancing Weapon, Unstable Infusion, Living Caltrop Swarm, Tactical Detonation

Number Two: The Cleric
"Praise Kord from whom all smashings flow. He'll kick your ass to the Plane Below..."
The Cleric is your traditional healer. If you need a powerful dose of HP, he's the best man for the job. He can also do some solid buffing, of course, but the Cleric shines when your HP total needs raising. Even better, the Cleric can either go the traditional white mage route and stand in the back slinging spells, or you can pick up a melee weapon and start bashing in some heads. Either way, you can expect to do plenty of radiant damage.

But it gets better: The Cleric is extremely well supported when it comes to feats, paragon paths, and powers. Its really easy to build exactly the cleric you want. Sure, there's melee and implement support, but there's also a splash of support for bow-wielding Clerics. There's even support for a Cleric that does no damage in favor of really potent healing (Pacifist Healer, which will be featured in a planned post about Awesome Builds).

Awesome Powers: Gaze of Defiance, Divine Juggernaut, Destined Duel, Scourge of the Unworthy, Breath of the Stars

Number One: The Warlord
"You call that an attack? Let me show you how me and the boys did it during the war..."
If you're asking, "Why is the Warlord at the top of this list?" you're asking the wrong question. The right question is, "Why haven't I ever played a Warlord?" If you've ever been a Warlord, or just been in a party led by one, you know why he's here. Bards can sing, Ardents can screw with emotions, and Runepriests can suck, but only the Warlord can deliver this much awesome in a leadership package. Sure, Clerics can pump out more healing per ability, but only the Warlord has a feat that allows him to use his healing power once more per encounter. That means that after sixteenth level, you can heal four times per encounter.

But it gets better: The Warlord isn't really concerned with healing, however. He's a combat leader and he wants to make sure you hit harder, better, and more often. He hands out basic attacks like an "End of Days" Christian hands out pamphlets in a New York subway. Unlike Mr. Doom and Gloom, however, everyone loves what the Warlord is pedaling. Add into that the fact that this leader is actually a reasonably capable combatant on his own and you have a beast of a team captain. Sure, you could also hand him a bow, but what's the fun in that? If I'm playing a grizzled veteran of some unnamed war, I want him smashing stuff up close and personal.

Awesome Powers: Brash Assault, Flattening Charge, Knock Them Down, Warlord's Doom, Stand Invincible

Defending Awesome

(Note: My more astute readers may look at this blog's title and wonder why the last one wasn't named "Controlling Awesome" and the answer is simply YOU CAN'T CONTROL AWESOME!)

Now we turn our attention to Defenders; the meaty, meaty meat-shields that keep the Controllers and Leaders chowing down on the dirt. What makes the Defender Awesome? Good Defenders never die, but the best Defenders go down time and time again to make sure their teams can continue to enjoy the fun side of zero hit points. The Defender looks the dragon in the eyes and says, "Bring it on, scaly." Controllers have pizazz, but Defenders have balls.

Number Five: The Battlemind
"Attack my buddy, will you? TASTE THE WRATH OF BRAINFREEZE!"
The Battlemind is the Psionic defender: a class designed to stop enemies in their tracks with nothing but the power of their minds. A nimble defender, the Battlemind shifts and teleports his way around the map, marking foes and causing their brains to explode (a common theme among the Psionic classes). More specifically, the Battlemind's mark allows him to deal the damage his allies take right back to his enemies. Not exactly sure how it works, but I imagine its rather traumatizing. Poor monster thinks he's getting a snack, but he's really getting a one-way ticket to therapyland.

But it gets better: Fun fact: the Battlemind's attacks use constitution for attack and damage rolls. Do you know what else uses constitution? Your hit point total! This is what makes the Battlemind such a powerful (and awesome) defender. The more hp you stack on the sucker, the harder he hits. I'm not entirely sure how one weaponizes their ability to resist damage, but we'll run with it.

Awesome Powers: Demon Dance, World-Slipping Advance, Living Fortress, Immortal Endurance, Omniscient Strike

Number Four: The Warden
"Silly monsters, your attacks will not work me! I'm the Warden!"
Lets get something out of the way: the Warden is the best Defender. Statistically speaking, at least. You can slow enemies, you can grow to twenty something feet tall, you can give yourself the AC of Jesus, and you can make a a saving throw at the beginning of your turn. Being a Warden and playing it well is one of the best ways to really irritate a DM because the Warden is like The Juggernaut. He will not be stopped and he will kick the crap out of every monster on the field. Even when the DM gets sneaky and uses controller monsters and environmental hazards to try and slow him down, he just makes his extra saves and keeps on going, trusting his ridiculous HP to soak up what his defenses don't stop.

But it gets better: Lets talk about the Warden's mark. Each turn, as a free action, the Warden marks each adjacent enemy. There's no need to make an attack- it just happens. And getting marked by a Warden is kind of like walking into high school wearing goofy, thick glasses. You don't know when its coming, but your pretty much guaranteed to feel the hurt. Wardens have options when you hit their allies: they can either go the traditional route and smack them in the face with their weapon, causing the enemy to grant combat advantage out of pants-wetting terror, or, if the enemy runs out of range, they can slide them a square and slow them for a round. You don't run from a Warden. It just doesn't happen.

Awesome Powers: Weight of Earth, Violent Bolt, Form of the Frenzied Wolverine, Guardian's Wrath, Form of the Erupting Volcano

Number Three: The Paladin
"I'll break your face! For justice and stuff."
The Paladin is a personal favorite. I find the good old righteous crusader to be fun and filled with role-playing potential. Once the Paladin marks you, you stay marked for as long as he stays in your grill. The Paladin is also the only class to start off with access to plate mail; the strongest armor in the game. Don't feel like attacking the Paladin that's got you marked? That's fine, you'll just explode.

But it gets better: What really makes the Paladin a keeper is his ability to work as an off-Leader. The Paladin's Lay on Hands can really pull a party out of some sticky situations when their surges are low. Many of the Paladin's powers also have little buffs built in. You can bolster a nearby ally's defenses or even send a little more health to a struggling friend. Even while beating a beastie's face in, the Paladin still finds time to help a buddy in need.

Awesome Powers: Holy Strike, Fearsome Smite, Unrelenting Punishment, Here Waits Thy Doom, Day of Reckoning

Number Two: The Swordmage
"These aren't the heroes you're looking for."
The Swordmage is lightly armored, darts around the battlefield with amazing speed, and deflects attacks. Give him a radiant sword that glows green, a set of disappointing prequels and what do you have? A Jedi. Making the "Vooom" sounds when you attack is purely optional. The Swordmage may not be the stickiest Defender, but it could very well be the coolest. Seriously, there's a feat that lets you call your sword to you from something like one mile away. That's shenanigans.

But it gets better: Once again, it comes down to the marking. Swordmages mark at range thanks to "maaaagic" (totally not The Force). When the unfortunate victim goes for an ally, The Sworgmage either drags them to itself or pops on over to the beastie and smacks it in the face. Unfortunately, the Swordmage can't do anything if an enemy decides to run away. With its wide selection of teleports, however chase it down, the Swordmage will.

Awesome Powers: Lightning Lure, Booming Blade, Blade of Judgment, Dazzling Display, Obliterating Blaze

Number One: The Fighter
"I've got a weapon for every occasion. Well, except ranged combat, but that's a stupid occasion."
All hail the Fighter, lord of combat. With her mighty array of skills and endless possibilities for weapons, she wades into battle with neither fear nor significant planning. And though her hit points may not be as impressive as the Battlemind or Warden's, the Fighter can still take a great deal of punishment (if the DM happens to be on a crit-streak or something). The Fighter's mark is single target and requires an attack (although, not a hit). Once she got your attention, however, the Fighter can lock you down for even moving away.

But it gets better: Again, it comes down to versatility. The Fighter has so many options these days that its hard to imagine a melee character concept she can't fulfill. You can pull a little extra accuracy with one or two handed weapons, you can fight with a pair of weapons, you can even build a rampaging warrior. And lets not forget the brawler: not only can you hit enemies with your weapons, you can send them to the floor with your fists.

Awesome Powers: Brash Strike, Slash and Pummel, Come and Get It, Indomitable Battle Strike, Titan's Hammer

Awesome Control

For my first four/five posts, I want to look at what makes DnD classes awesome. We'll go through them by role, starting with the Controllers and ending with the Strikers. Being the opinionated person that I am, these discussions will take the form of lists. I'll start with the "least" awesome and move to the "most" awesome. This is not a Tier List, however. Tiers are for dirty optimizers (clean ones, too). The list is based solely on my own opinions and you are allowed (encouraged, even) to disagree in the comments. Just be civil and I'll be happy to debate the issue.

First up, Controllers! What makes controllers awesome? Well, its all in the- Whoops, you're halfway across the map! Oh, now you're stunned and slowed! You're standing in a group? Delicious! Oh my, it seems you're thirty-five feet in the air over a chandelier and another enemy two sizes smaller than you. Clumsy me!

Number Five: The Invoker
"Targets? I pick... everyone in the room. Also, one of the guys in the next room takes four damage."
Coming in both buffing and debuffing flavors, the Invoker is the Divine controller. Its also what happens after a drunken night of passion between the Wizard and the Cleric. The Invoker is a direct manifestation of their deity's wrath. They don't need to pray for their powers, they just point and smite. Eliminates the middleman and makes the whole process of obliterating the nonbelievers much more streamlined. Efficiency is the Invoker's first priority, after all. Furthermore, they don't even use holy symbols to channel their divine might. They use rods and staffs. Rods and staffs! Those are things you use to beat people over the head!

But it gets better: How many times have you entered combat only to face the horrible dilemma of who in the room to actually target? The Invoker can walk into the same encounter and just say "I attack everything." They are the undisputed champion of multi-target attacks. Bursts, blasts, one-two-or-three target spells; if it hits everyone in the room, the Invoker's got it covered. Goblin hoard charging through the door? Now they're on fire. Pair of brutes laying the smack down on your defender? One way ticket to the other side of the room. Pair of artillery in opposite corners of the room? Taste my lightning.

Awesome Powers: Mantle of the Infidel, Visions of Blood, Knives of the Soul, Invoke the Absolute Dark, Apocalypse from the Sky

Number Four: The Seeker
"Miss? What is this 'miss' you speak of?"
When the Seeker came into controller class, he was still a little buzzed from his adventures the night before (probably with the Wizard, that hussy). He passed out halfway through the class and woke up in Striker 101. As a result, he's a little fuzzy on how to be a controller. Status effect? Check. Area of effect spells? Yeah, more or less. Holycrapdamage? Wait, what? The Seeker seems to believe that healthy dps is part of being a balanced controller. To be fair, I suppose "death" is about the most effective debuff you can put on an enemy.

But it gets better: Not only does the Seeker deal massive damage, it also has a neat little mechanic where, on a miss, you can make a basic attack against another target (once per encounter, recharges when you spend an action point). This is pretty cool, especially when you consider that many of the Seeker's At-Will attack powers can be used as basic ranged attacks. As you level, the shenanigans get crazy: an encounter power that targets two enemies and can be used as a ranged basic attack. A feat that deals dex modifier damage on a missed ranged attack. A feat that lets you make two ranged attacks when you miss. The Seeker's motto is: "If I miss one enemy, I should get to attack everyone else."

Awesome Powers: Stampede Shot, Rabid Shot, Slavering Sentinels, Devouring Arrow, Uttercold

Number Three: Psion
"IM IN UR BRAIN CHANGIN UR THOUGHTS!!!1!!"
Psionic classes have always had an interesting place in Dungeons & Dragons. In good 'ole 3.5 edition, it was left to the DM to decide whether psionic and magic were essentially the same thing, or if they were two entirely different systems (of course, if the DM wanted to make them different systems, there was no template for how to do that). The Psion is the perfect example of WotC's approach to psionics in fourth edition: a mind-wizard with an especially complex At-Will and power point system. Unlike the Wizard, however every Psion spell ends with "And then their brain explodes."

But it gets better: The Psion is exceptionally good at putting enemies into places they don't want to be. A telekinetic Psion gets a free action encounter power that throws an enemy across the battlefield. A telepathic Psion's free action reduces enemy's minds to goo and gives your Rogue the combat advantage he craves. Shaper Psions can fake out the very environment! With pushes, slides, and teleports, the Psion make forced movement look easy.

Awesome Powers: Dimensional Scramble, Mind Thrust, Id Insinuation, Shred Reality, Ravenous Singularity

Number Two: The Druid
"Reinforcements? I'm a one-man Bear Calvary!"
This one might strike some people as a little odd; "What's The Druid doing so far up the awesome scale?" You see, the Druid does all the classic controller things like area of effect, status effects, and forced movement. It just happens to do them by animating the very ground beneath their foes or throwing raw elemental fire. At first level you can take "Thorn Whip," an attack which drags an enemy closer to you. I dare you to try and use that without yelling "Get over here!" The Druid is a one-character artillery of murder and horticulture who will drag your enemies into a clump, set them on fire,...

But it gets better: ...And then turn into a bear and eat them. In the old editions, the Druid's ability to become an animal was something you got weakly at level eight (I think) and that grew both in power and size as you leveled. In fourth, they've eliminated the wait. The best part of the Druid is now immediately available for your use and abuse. Even better, the beast form powers are decidedly more Striker than Controller, giving you the ability to swap between role as the situation (or, more likely, your whim) requires. Unlike the Seeker, however, Druid remembers her roots and can quickly and easily shift back to her true role in the party.

Awesome Powers: Savage Rend, Storm Spike, Call Lightning, Fungal Eruption, Whirling Firestorm

Number One: The Wizard
"Ooo, an encounter? You die, you die, and you can't do anything for the next three turns."
The Invoker is a divine Wizard, the Psion is a mind Wizard, the Druid is a primal Wizard, and the Seeker doesn't count. At their heart, every Controller is just an attempt to mimic the original. And who could blame them? Wizards are just freaking awesome! Fireballs, sheets of ice, and Magic Missiles (for when it absolutely, positively has to hit!) are but toys in the Wizard's arsenal. For every problem, the Wizard has a solution and that solution usually involves friendly fire. Seriously, I think the Wizard has the most spells that target "creatures" rather than enemies. The dude likes to party hard.

But it gets better: What really sets the Wizard apart is the sheer versatility the class brings to the table. You want to focus on dealing reliable damage to groups of enemies? Take the Wand of Accuracy implement expertise. If, on the other hand, you want to deflect attack while screaming "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" once per encounter, the Staff of Defense is more your style. And if you just want to be an ass to your DM, there's the Orb of Imposition. And they've added so many more! The Wizard also gets to pick multiple Dailies and Utilities, choosing one as the encounter demands. If that wasn't enough, there's a feat that lets you pick even more of them! The Wizard is the true embodiment of a Controller; an AoE machine that adapts to any situation and still finds space in his spell slots for nonsense like "Prestidigitation."


Awesome Powers: Cloud of Daggers, Nightmare Eruption, Force Ladder, Disintegrate, Summon Balor

Welcome to the Fisher

In a world gone mad with power, no one is safe from the corrupting touch of optimization. Even in the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, an edition that literally oozes flavor and description, many heroes have stopped choosing powers and items because they are cool and started looking for the "best" options. Many start looking at forums in the name of raising their mythic "dps" to levels unheard by the internet.

It must be stopped.

This blog is dedicated to combating the forces of raw optimization with the power of pure awesome. I will discuss what makes certain races and classes awesome, how you can be an awesome player, and many other things regarding awesome and the fantastic game that is Dungeons and Dragons. I will also discuss my own DnD experiences where relevant.

Feel free to read, comment, and share. I'll do my best to respond to all feedback (excluding trolls. Trolls will be dipped in acid and fire).