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3 years ago ::
Dec 16, 2009 - 5:21PM
#61
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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Psions are really strong controllers. The interesting thing about them is that you can often really bump or spike the control on an already good power. Take an at-will like Dishearten. Like scorching burst, but -2 to attack rolls for each target. Now you can spend one augment and they can't take OAs, or spend two and each target takes more damage and a penalty to attack rolls equal to your charisma.
The flexibility of the Psion is perfect for a controller, allowing the PC to tailor the control to the situation.
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3 years ago ::
May 02, 2010 - 6:15AM
#62
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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A note on a control effect that I didn't see in there. Denying OAs (ala winged horde) is a flank preventer, according to page 285 of the PHB. A nice little action denier (the OAs) and a buff/debuff at the same time.
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3 years ago ::
May 02, 2010 - 8:42AM
#63
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Date Joined:
Apr 13, 2008
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A note on a control effect that I didn't see in there. Denying OAs (ala winged horde) is a flank preventer, according to page 285 of the PHB. A nice little action denier (the OAs) and a buff/debuff at the same time.
I did not know that. Looked it up because I didn't believe you, but you are quite right.
D&D 4e Party Roles For Dummies:
Striker - Smack the enemy
Defender - Get smacked by the enemy
Leader - Make it impossible for your party to lose
Controller - Make it impossible for the enemy to win
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3 years ago ::
May 02, 2010 - 2:17PM
#64
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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I didn't know that either until I read the rules that you just learned thread in the Q&A forum and had to go look it up. One of those tiny little things that makes a huge difference in things.
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3 years ago ::
May 03, 2010 - 9:14AM
#65
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Date Joined:
Sep 15, 2005
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My wizard uses winged horde almost exclusively. It pisses off our riposte based rogue.
Use the extend area feat with it, make it a blast 2, you might not do damage at low levels, but the effect still applies.
in fact the dev's nerfed it becuase it's one of the few wizard AE powers that doesn't hurt party members.
With correct feat selection, it's one of the most underrated even with the nerf.
Amazed at how obtuse people can be since 1972.
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2 years ago ::
Jan 23, 2011 - 9:43PM
#66
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Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2008
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Psions are really strong controllers. The interesting thing about them is that you can often really bump or spike the control on an already good power. Take an at-will like Dishearten. Like scorching burst, but -2 to attack rolls for each target. Now you can spend one augment and they can't take OAs, or spend two and each target takes more damage and a penalty to attack rolls equal to your charisma.
The flexibility of the Psion is perfect for a controller, allowing the PC to tailor the control to the situation.
I have to agree with this. I switched from a Wizard to a Psion a few months ago (same character, essentially, just changed class [DM's permission, of course.]) I don't feel very "one trick pony-ish" at all. Even at "only" level 5, the 4 power points per encounter allow me some decent leeway in exactly how I apply my effects.
If I want to slow a group of enemies until the end of my next turn (EMNT), there's Force Hammer. If I augment it with 1 point, they're slowed and unable to shift until EMNT. If I opt for the big blowout and spend 2 PP, they're knocked prone.
Alphastream already mentioned Dishearten.
Mindthrust is your RBA, and unaugmented, has no status effects. It is also single target, while the other two are Area Burst 1 within 10 squares. Pump it up with 1 PP, and your target takes a penalty to Will equal to your CHA modifier until EMNT. Pump it up 2 PP, and the base damage doubles (from 1d10 to 2d10), and lowers all defenses equal to CHA modifier until EMNT.
As a Telekinetic focus, I get the Encounter power "Forceful Push." Range of 10, no attack roll; I get to slide a target 1 square, but not into hindering terrain.
As a squishy, I opted for "Transport Self" for my Level 2 Utility. It's an Encounter Move Action that allows you to teleport yourself 1 plus your WIS modifier squares.
Hand of Caution is a nice Daily for Level 3. Range of 10, it targets Reflex, doing decent damage (2d8 + Int), half on a miss. The important thing is its effect: Until the end of the encounter, you can use a Minor action to push the target 1 square when it is within 5 squares of you. The effect ends if the Psion ends his/her turn next to the target.
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2 years ago ::
Jan 24, 2011 - 8:53AM
#67
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Date Joined:
Apr 16, 2009
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I'd like to put in a vote for Slowed being undervalued.
I played a dancing-chainsaw Ranger/Fighter hybrid in a large party, and I liked it when our Invoker would do something that Slowed most enemies over a large chunk of the battlefield.
When Slowed melee enemies tried to focus-fire on the nearest member of the party, it typically had the effect of just bunching them up conveniently for me to attack several of them and then dance away from the survivors through the gaps they created. Non-moving enemies don't move to create alternating clusters and voids.
And the enemies who tried to get away from me, couldn't. Granted, Immobilized or Stunned or Unconscious would have been even more effective on them, but Slowed was enough quite a lot of the time.
"The world does not work the way you have been taught it does. We are not real as such; we exist within The Story. Unfortunately for you, you have inherited a condition from your mother known as Primary Protagonist Syndrome, which means The Story is interested in you. It will find you, and if you are not ready for the narrative strands it will throw at you..." - from Footloose
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1 year ago ::
Jan 08, 2012 - 1:43AM
#68
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Is this thread going to get updated *at all*?
Fly (Hover) has nothing to do with immobilized anymore; all it does now is prevent a stunned flyer from falling.
Immobilize/Restrain doesn't make a flyer fall.
The Bladesinger is a (somewhat) melee controller... kind of.
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