Comments on: The Lord of War http://d21-gaming.com/blog/2008/04/23/the-lord-of-war/ Five veteran gamers, plus special guests, share their insights, rants, and raves about all things gaming, especially board games and RPGs. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:06:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Smite http://d21-gaming.com/blog/2008/04/23/the-lord-of-war/#comment-51156 Smite Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:28:06 +0000 http://d21-gaming.com/blog/2008/04/23/the-lord-of-war/#comment-51156 <p><< However, it seems that this class is little more than a fighter with bardic/clerical feats. Is a separate class really necessary? >></p> <p>I would have to disagree. Under 3.0/3.5, I think it would have been grossly ineffective to try and bolster your fighter's battlefield leadership skills by virtue of picking up cleric or - Pelor help us - <em>bard</em> levels/skills/feats. Now whether or not the particualar thing represented by the warlord was actually a need that had to be addressed - that's a different question and perhaps a valid one. It certainly has some good NPC and monster potential, and might be one route out of the cul-de-sac that fighters inevitably find themselves in somewhere around 10th level, when the rest of the party makes a full-time meat shield something of a quaint reminder of less civilized times.</p> << However, it seems that this class is little more than a fighter with bardic/clerical feats. Is a separate class really necessary? >>

I would have to disagree. Under 3.0/3.5, I think it would have been grossly ineffective to try and bolster your fighter’s battlefield leadership skills by virtue of picking up cleric or - Pelor help us - bard levels/skills/feats. Now whether or not the particualar thing represented by the warlord was actually a need that had to be addressed - that’s a different question and perhaps a valid one. It certainly has some good NPC and monster potential, and might be one route out of the cul-de-sac that fighters inevitably find themselves in somewhere around 10th level, when the rest of the party makes a full-time meat shield something of a quaint reminder of less civilized times.

]]> By: KarasDjun http://d21-gaming.com/blog/2008/04/23/the-lord-of-war/#comment-51151 KarasDjun Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:51:10 +0000 http://d21-gaming.com/blog/2008/04/23/the-lord-of-war/#comment-51151 <p>I could be coerced into playing a dwarven warlord at some time in the future. However, it seems that this class is little more than a fighter with bardic/clerical feats. Is a separate class really necessary? Perhaps such a character is better suited to large-scale battles or miniature battles which is, I believe, where the marshal (the prototype of the class) originated. If the bard was not seen as enough of a class to make the core rules, how do they justify giving its abilities to a fighting class? If the only reason was to introduce a new class to the mix, then I'm not sold. I would rather see the system streamlined as is, eliminating less-than-unique classes that can be duplicated by multi-classing and feats selection. The warlock, on the other hand, is a radically different class that is a good replacement for the sorcerer - and as such is a viable addition.</p> I could be coerced into playing a dwarven warlord at some time in the future. However, it seems that this class is little more than a fighter with bardic/clerical feats. Is a separate class really necessary? Perhaps such a character is better suited to large-scale battles or miniature battles which is, I believe, where the marshal (the prototype of the class) originated. If the bard was not seen as enough of a class to make the core rules, how do they justify giving its abilities to a fighting class? If the only reason was to introduce a new class to the mix, then I’m not sold. I would rather see the system streamlined as is, eliminating less-than-unique classes that can be duplicated by multi-classing and feats selection. The warlock, on the other hand, is a radically different class that is a good replacement for the sorcerer - and as such is a viable addition.

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