|
3 years ago ::
Jul 05, 2010 - 2:21PM
#11
|
|
|
Thank you for taking the slack of a new ardent handbook. I probably won't be able to update mine, since i'm quite busy with the wizard's at the moment.
Good luck, and if you need some feedback i'll check this thread here and there ^^
P.S. this post can be deleted if you need further space.
Chauntea/Lathander/Torm Cleric since 1995 My husband married a DM - καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 05, 2010 - 3:03PM
#12
|
Date Joined:
Feb 21, 2008
|
For a fear-based ardent you should consider the new "dragonfear" option for dragonborn and the associated paragon path. I think it works perfectly for ardents.
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 05, 2010 - 11:37PM
#13
|
|
|
A little note on two powers: imho demoralizing strike should be gold. I really can't see an ardent which doesn't take it. Second, borrowed time isn't as strong as you think.
Chauntea/Lathander/Torm Cleric since 1995 My husband married a DM - καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 06, 2010 - 12:16AM
#14
|
Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
|
A small edit: for now, I have moved the discussion of the sample character builds outside the spoiler blocks.
ppaladin123: The dragonfear option is probably the best option for any ardent, not just for fear-based ones. Unfortunately, the paragon path means giving up on power points, and that's not something I would like to recommend. The main reason I haven't included any mention of the dragonfear dragonborn yet is because I think it is best to wait until things reach the compendium.
Nausicaa: I'm very sorry to hear your ardent guide might not be updated. In regards to your comments about the powers:
a) I agree Demoralizing Strike is very good, and probably almost every ardent will pick it up. However, to my mind the standard for a gold rating is that a character that does not choose it will have a very difficult time doing their job -- if not failing outright. I don't think Demoralizing Strike meets this criteria, as you can have effective ardent builds that do not touch it.
b) What problems do you see with Borrowed Time? Effectively, it adds an extra standard, movement, and minor into a nova turn, which is an incredible boost for strikers.
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 06, 2010 - 10:08AM
#15
|
Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
|
Well, the July update has been and gone, with no real changes to the ardent -- all the applicable errata were pretty much rules clarifications that were more or less expected. Unchecked Aggression sees an improvement with the addition of a sustain to the zone, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Demoralizing Strike wasn't touched.
EDIT: Actually, the change to the free actions rules has somewhat diminished the usefulness of Borrowed Time now, since only one of the three actions can actually be an attack.
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 06, 2010 - 2:18PM
#16
|
Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
|
Based on comparison with Increase the Tempo, I'm revisiting (again!) my opinion on Borrowed Time. The straightforward interpretation is that the standard, move, and minor are all granted via a single free action, and therefore all of them can be used for attacks.
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 12, 2010 - 5:04AM
#17
|
Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
|
So going through the Psionic Traditions articles, my thoughts:
(Compilation version of Part 1)
Psionic Trick (Changeling) doesn't seem practical. Ardents aren't going to be geared towards getting combat advantage as often as other classes. It's not a bad feat, but there are enough other feats that this just doesn't make a priority. It's even less valuable with the Mantle of Clarity.
Resurgent Memory (Deva): the shift with Memories of a Thousand Lifetimes seems a bit situational -- especially with an attack reroll, where you can't shift away. Still, it's entirely useful, and it gives a benefit to failing the roll. The dependence on Int/Wis means Con ardents need not apply.
Infectious Wrath (Dragonborn) is great, especially with the Mantle of Elation. You're already handing out benefits to allies when you get bloodied, and now you can hand them a +1 to hit as well.
Unstoppable Wrath (Dwarf) adds even more benefit to your Second Wind for more Bolstering Mantle goodness. You want to be moving in closer to the enemy, so the condition on the added shift, while a bit situational, is at least not harmful to you. Bit less useful if you're a polearm wielder.
Common Cause (Half-elf) is a nice but aggravating feat. Basically, every ally within 10 squares of you gets THP when they spend their second wind, as long as they don't have a racial bonus to Diplomacy. It'll take a bit of bookwork to figure out which of your allies can benefit from this, but odds are that it will be most of them.
Courageous Mind (Human) gives two untyped bonuses, one for initiative and one for saving throws. I wouldn't recommend taking this in isolation, since the bonuses are small by themselves. Where this comes into its own is combined with either Improved Initiative or Human Perseverance, where it can push the shared bonus over the top and gives an additional benefit to boot.
Mindfire Disciple (Tiefling) needs a psychic power that grants a save ends condition. The ardent has exactly two: Agony Field and Summons to Doom (and the enemy can choose not to take the save ends condition), which are both dailies. There just isn't enough benefit to be had out of this feat.
(Part 2)
Mindfire (Drow): You spend a feat so that you can spend a power point to make darkfire hit Will instead of Reflex. For two power points, it gets -5 to hit against targets five squares away. Or you could use those power points to hit it with an augmented Demoralizing Strike so that your allies can kill it before its turn, or you can hit it with an augmented Prescient Strike so it can't hit anything on its turn.
Psionic Accuracy (Elf): Combat advantage when you use elven accuracy. If you get combat advantage for the reroll, this is very nice.
Enlightened Spirit (Goliath): Using Con for Athletics checks might be nice for Con ardents if you need to make a lot of them and don't just want to train the skill. A bonus to Will with Stone's Endurance isn't that amazing, as Will is going to be your best NAD regardless.
Psionic Fury (Half-Orc): Your Str and Dex are going to be poor, and so this feat is not for you. Or really for anybody, actually, since the only psionic class with good Str or Dex is the monk, who doesn't get power points.
Psionic Ferocity (Minotaur): You'd need to spend a feat to get a decent melee basic attack to begin with, spending another feat to do slightly more damage with it when you hit 0 HP is not efficient.
Rampaging Thought (Minotaur): Regardless of your build, it keys off your secondary stat. You get a bonus of your secondary stat against opportunity attacks when you charge. So basically, you use Forward-Thinking Cut, and if you've got the Mantle of Elation you temporarily act like you've got the Mantle of Clarity, and if you've got the Mantle of Clarity you're untouchable. The rating reflects the fact that you need Forward-Thinking Cut to really make use of this power, but if you have it, this feat is great.
Enlightened Transformation (Razorclaw shifter): When transformed, get a boost to your best NAD and Insight, for which you will already have a good bonus and doesn't come up very often in combat regardless.
Psychic Feast (Longtooth Shifter): Regeneration 4/6/8 when shifted, as long as you hit on the last turn.
Elemental Recovery (Genasi): I'm assuming this will be revised so that the additional resistance will consume your racial power. It's not bad, and it will boost your defences. However, the little bit of resistance uses up a power point and your racial power, and that's a pretty hefty cost.
Get In Your Head (Gnome): The problem with Fade Away is that to get the most of it you needed to be decent at stealth, which was never going to be true for ardents. Now it helps you move, and that's much more useful.
Darkening Mind (Shadar-Kai): You'll probably only have move 5, so this gives you an encounter teleport which will move you at least that much. In addition, you'll be insubstantial during your next turn means half-damage from any opportunity attacks, so it's effectively two turns of boosted mobility. The rating assumes you're Mantle of Elation; for Mantle of Clarity it's not so compelling, as opportunity attacks bother you a lot less.
Unnatural Mantle (Revenant): Your allies don't fall down until they fail a death saving throw. This feat alone makes Revenants a reasonable choice for an ardent.
Psiforged Resolve (Warforged): This gives you the choice, when bloodied, of using your Warforged Resolve to either regain 3 + half level HP, or 1 power point. Since 1 PP augments for the ardent are extremely situational, the magic level for this feat is level 13, when you starting having an odd number of PPs, and this feat therefore represents an extra augmented power use.
Also, are there any suggestions for what else might be desirable to add to the guide?
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 16, 2010 - 10:49PM
#18
|
Date Joined:
Mar 28, 2009
|
Out of curiosity, doesn't the trigger for Evade Blow make it a little difficult to use the power? I mean, I could see if it were just "An ally is hit" but the addition of "by an opportunity attack" is a lot more situational. Your thoughts?
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 17, 2010 - 12:49AM
#19
|
Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
|
Out of curiosity, doesn't the trigger for Evade Blow make it a little difficult to use the power? I mean, I could see if it were just "An ally is hit" but the addition of "by an opportunity attack" is a lot more situational. Your thoughts?
The advantage of Evade Attack is that it is player-triggered. In fact, the actual mechanic of Evade Attack isn't really the merit of the power. The real benefit is the ability to look at your allies and say, "Don't worry about opportunity attacks when you move, I guarantee they will not hit." As such, it represents a major mobility boost in every encounter up until the first time it is triggered -- in which case your ally will still take no damage and be able to complete his or her movement. Ironically, you can possibly see the most use out of it in an encounter where it never triggers.
|
|
|
|
3 years ago ::
Jul 17, 2010 - 2:02AM
#20
|
Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2008
|
A humble suggestion from a casual reader's standpoint: Your Sky Blue color rating is much more... lets say "vibrant," then most of the other handbooks. It makes the word in question very hard to read. I'm not familiar with how people alter their colors on the forum, but making it a bit more dull would increase its visibility by a lot.
Other then that, your handbook looks great! Good luck with your future updates.
|
|
|
