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[NiGHTMARE]

In case any pen 'n paper D&D fans have missed the news, over the new few months WotC are going to be releasing a series of products under the "Essentials" label. These are intended to be substitutes - although not replacements - for the traditional Dungeon Master's Guide, Player's Handbook, and Monster Manual. Their goal with these products is to make 4th Edition more accessible to new players, as well as to try to attract some of the fans who've so far refused to switch to the new edition. Of interest to players are Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdom and Heroes of the Fallen Land

To do this, they're simplifying and/or clarifying various elements of the game (although it should be noted that the Essentials products are intended to be full compatible and balanced with previous 4th Edition books), and re-introducing certain elements of previous editions (though more as flavour, rather than directly re-introducing old rules).

One of the most striking examples of both is the new approach to classes. With most classes in D&D, normally you would have to choose all of your at-will powers, encounter powers, daily powers, and utility powers; there are of course exceptions to this, such as the warlock (no choice in at-wills) and the three Power Point-using psionic classes (no encounter powers). This can be somewhat overwhleming due to the sheer number of options, especially if the DM allows material from outside the Player's Handbook. In the Essentials books, some classes eliminate one or more of these categories entirely, while others will dictate which powers you gain based on your choice of build and/or class feature. For example, fighters and rogues no longer have encounter or daily powers, while clerics now receiver encounter powers based on their domain.

Essentials also simplifies the way many powers work. For instance, fighter and rogue at-will powers are no longer attacks. Instead, the fighter receives at-will minor action stances that modify his basic attacks until he ends the stance (which means they affect his opportunity attacks). The rogue receives at-will move actions, which modify the next basic attack he makes during the current turn (so they don't affect his opportunity attacks, but if he spends an action point he can have two active at once.)

Builds appear to be being designed to appeal to old school fans, e.g. the aforementioned cleric domains, one of the fighter builds being called the knight, one of the rogue builds being the thief (the thief even has an ability called backstab!), and one of the wizard builds being the mage. Heck, even the class overviews in the previews resemble the 3rd Edition style previews .

Here are the current previews, freely available even to non-subscribers:

Cleric: Warpriest
Fighter: Knight, slayer
Rogue: Thief
Wizard: Mage


Personally, I both like and dislike the changes. I like the new approach to fighter and rogue at-will powers, but dislike the removal of their encounter and daily attacks. I like the re-introduction of cleric domains as a class feature, but I dislike the fact they dictate your encounter powers - they really should just add bonuses to certain powers instead, just like the Rogue Tactics and the warlock's Eldritch Pact class features. Oh, and WotC including the word 'Forgotten' in the name of any product not to do with the Forgotten Realms is just downright silly .

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 18 August 2010 - 03:01 AM.

[NiGHTMARE]

One of the (most likely unintended) benefits of the Essentials style classes is that it's much quicker & easier to come up with your own homebrewed builds, or even entirely new classes. Here's a quick attempt at an Essentials version of the warlock (an official one will be appearing in Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms). Like the previews, I've only described the 1st level features . 3rd Edition players should notice the reintroduction of a couple long-lost class feature.


Theurge

Arcane Striker

Key Abilities: Charisma; Constitution or Intelligence

Class Traits

Hit Points: You start with hit points equal to 12 + your Constitution score. You gain 5 hit points each time you gain a level.
Bonus to Defenses: +1 to Reflex, +1 to Will
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, hand crossbow, shortbow, short sword, sling
Implement Proficiencies: Rods, wands
Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Bluff (Cha), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Religion (Int), Streetwise (Cha), Thievery (Dex)
Trained Skills: Four from the list of class skills

THEURGE HEROIC TIER

Level 1 - Eldritch blast, Eldritch Essence, Eldritch Pact, Prime Shot, Warlock's Curse
Level 2 - Theurge Implement Talent, Shadow Walk, Utility Power
Level 3 - Boon encounter power
Level 4 - Ability score increase, Extra Eldritch Essence
Level 5 - Eldritch Shape
Level 6 - Utility power
Level 7 - Boon encounter power, Extra Eldritch Essence
Level 8 - Ability score increase
Level 9 - Improved Pact Boon
Level 10 - Utility power

Level 1: Eldritch Blast

(Same as Player's Handbook, except damage dice are d6's instead of d10's)

Level 1: Eldritch Essence

As a warlock, you do not use at-will spells in the same manner as other wielders of arcane magic. Instead, you possesses a repertoire of abilities known as eldritch essences, which allow you to modify your eldritch blast in a wide variety of ways - from increased damage, to different damage types, to penalties.

Benefit: You gain two of the following powers of your choice

Spoiler

New Keyword

Essence: An essence power lasts until the start of your next turn. You can only have one essence power active at a time.


Corrupting Essence
At-Will
Arcane, Essence
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: The next time you attack an enemy with your eldritch blast or eldritch strike, you target that enemy's Fortitude instead of his or her Reflex. If you hit the target, he or she takes a -2 penalty to saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Hellfire Essence
At-Will
Arcane, Essence, Fire
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: The next time you attack an enemy with your eldritch blast or eldritch strike, the power deals fire damage and gains that keyword. If you hit the target and then take damage before the end of your next turn, the target takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier.

Potent Essence
At-Will
Arcane, Essence
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: The next time you attack an enemy with your eldritch blast or eldritch strike, increase the damage dice by 2 sizes (for example, 1d10 instead of 1d6).

Scouring Essence
At-Will
Arcane, Essence
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: The next time you hit an enemy with your eldritch blast or eldritch strike, you can use a free action to place your Warlock's Curse on either the target or another creature within 3 squares of the target.

Level 1: Eldritch Pact

(Same as Player's Handbook, except it doesn't determine your at-will power; instead, it determines your encounter powers)

Level 1: Prime Shot

(Same as Player's Handbook)

Level 1: Warlock's Curse

(Same as Player's Handbook)

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 18 August 2010 - 07:33 AM.