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