Tread:
I have re-made Tread on Character Builder, but haven't updated her character sheet. I remembered to take the Survival Day into account and all. A basic overview of what has changed:
At-Will:
Crushing Surge
Resolute Shield
Encounter:
Hack and Hew
Daily:
Comeback Strike
Understandable, although why did you keep Resolute Shield but not Weaponmaster's strike (other than Weapon master's strike having a scaling issue RAW at epic levels? If you want a shield based skill due to using a shield then Tide of iron is better as Resolute Shield is pretty pathetic since the DR only applies to the attack of the single creature you hit with the attack. Since your a fighter using a shield using either footwork Lure or Tide of Iron might be a better second At-Will with Crushing Surge.
Tread:
Meanwhile, my question to Seth: Is it OK for Tread to just be able to transform for pure flavor? Or is the ability to turn into a tank or whatever too much of a possible advantage if being chased through a city and I want to be in disguise? (Even though being an obvious alien machine of destruction would draw more attention than not)
The difference? I would take Toughness instead of the Druid MC if I'm allowed to Transform for pure flavor. (Heck, considering it anyway, but still...)
As a 'pure flavor' ability I could see a transformation based 'variant wild talent' as long as it wasn't any more powerful than existing wild talents.
However turning into a literal tank or 'alien machine of destruction' would draw a hell of a lot of attention. Heck transforming into anything will draw some attention although seeing the transformed state only may or may not depending what it is. A 'beast wars' style transformation wouldn't draw as much attention as a 'I just turned into a tank' although in D&D 4th edition there is no power that can even replicate the okay in this form I gain a type of heavy artillery or heavy weapon ranged attack. Not to mention if your wanting a character that can transform like that and have the transformations actually change you, then you might be better off as a Warden instead of a fighter since the daily 'form' powers ARE polymorph abilities. Even MC Druid's wild shape is pretty pathetic since without an at will beast power all it does is prevent you from doing pretty much anything other than moving around and it doesn't even give a bonus to moving around or a bonus for anything else. Plus the only feats that give bonuses in a wild form typically require a specific type of druid, which isn't granted by the MC druid feat (like predator druid, or guardian druid).
So the real question is do you want to be able to do anything while transformed. If the answer is yes you actually might be better off as a Warden using the 'form of' dailies several of which are rather nice, like Winter's Herald. These style of transformations would be you taking an alternative form that still allows you to use all your normal abilities plus you gain something new. An alternative method would be to be a druid, hybrid druid, or a hybrid warden.
On the other hand if your just wanting a fluff but no effect other than a cool party trick, then a variation of a wild talent would be suitable (which would replace body equilibrium. Heck I could even think of a refluffed variation of Body Equilibrium that would be the transformation
if it is only used for brief periods of time as you could 'free action' transform into a form that has the benefits of Body Equilibrium, move as per the power, and then 'free action' transform back into normal form.)
So how integral are you wanting your transformations to be as part of the character's abilities? Right now your effectively a non-transforming/fluff transforming heavy amor.
- As I see it a non-transforming (or fluff only transforming) Tread would be a Pure Fighter with Heavy Armor.
(This is what you effectively are as Tread right now as a Battle Rager Fighter.)
- A combat transforming Tread as a Heavy Armor Defender could work as a Hybrid Fighter/Warden (using Hybrid Talent to pick up Fighter armor specialization) This would allow you access to the Polymorphing Warden Dailies while still being able to focus on using Fighter Stats either as Str/Con or Str/Wis as they work for Wardens as well.
- A Combat transforming Tread that uses Light armor (Hide Armor) could work as either a hybrid Fighter/Warden using the Hybrid Talent to get Guardian's Might and using either option that lets you use Con for AC and then with Hide Armor if your con starts at 18 after racial bonus your AC would match that of Plate AC even at level 30. You'd still get heavy shields. Also with this option you could also go Pure Warden. As far as health goes Warden's get more health than even Fighters but are hide+heavy shield instead of Scale and heavy shield.
You could also do something involving druids but the wild shape would disable at least half your stuff if your a hybrid and druids don't make good defenders like fighters and wardens due to no marking, best you could do is single target lockdowns.
So basically there are 3 to 4 options and none would make my head explode. (Actually there is an alternative heavy armor transformation combo that I could see, paladin/Warden for a Str/Wis build that would use Hybrid Talent to get the paladin armor and then start with Plate+Heavy Shield. But that brings in some divine power, but not much, and with Surya being an invoker/wizard I don't see it as being a real issue, so technically there are 5 options.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:16, Sat 17 Sept 2011.