(4e) Blackguard (work in progress)

[Blazen]

Still working on this, but could seriously use some help to keep things balanced. I will update it as I work. The premise is a shadow defender. This isn't really anything like the old blackguard which were basically just bizarro Paladins, but I like the name, and feel that it fits. Ideas for feats and powers are appreciated. Constructive criticism is a likely necessity.

Version 1 Class features only.

Blackguard

Role: Defender. You use the shadows around you to protect you and your allies. You lean towards striker as a secondary role.

Source: Shadow.

Key abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom


Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather, Hide, Heavy Shields, Light Shields

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee, Military Melee, Simple Ranged

Bonus Defenses: +1 Reflex, +1 Will

HP at 1st level: 15 + Con score
HP per level gained: 6
HS per day: 9 + Con mod

Trained Skills: Choose 4; Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate, Insight, Perception

Call of Shadows: Once per round as a minor action you may mark one enemy within 5 squares of you. This mark lasts until the end of the encounter, or you use call of shadows again. If an ally within 3 squares of you is bloodied, you may mark 2 enemies instead. You also gain the clouded sight power.

Shadow Guard: The shadowfell has granted you powers to protect your allies. You may choose to use your wisdom modifier in place of dexterity or intelligence modifier to determine AC. When you create your character select either the Shadow Strike, or Shadow Stride class feature.

Shadow strike: When you make an Opportunity attack against an enemy marked by your Call of Shadows class feature you deal extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Shadow Stride: After you make an Opportunity attack against an enemy marked by your Call of Shadows class feature you may shift a number of squares equal to your dexterity modifier, you must end this move adjacent to at least one creature.

Clouded Sight Blackguard feature

A quick summoning of the shadows helps protect your ally from harm.

At-will * Shadow
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 5
Target: Triggering Enemy
Trigger: An enemy marked by your Call of Shadows power attacks an ally
Effect: The ally that was attacked by the triggering enemy has total concealment from the enemy until your ally attacks, or until the end of your next turn.

[DiscipleofBob]

Shadow Strike and Shadow Stride are both overpowered, Shadow Strike more so. With the former a marked enemy can't even move without getting hit except through teleportation if they have it. Shadow Stride is only a little overpowered IMO, I'd make it a move instead of a shift, as well as mention it as an immediate reaction.

[Blazen]

I thought those would be UP compared to some other defender stuff. Would switching them to II's help?

[DiscipleofBob]

Actually, switching them to II's would work just fine. The Battlemind has something similar.

[Blazen]

Hold on, I just checked the fighter features, and he can make an MBA everytime a marked adjacent enemy shifts, or attacks anyone but him. So I don't see how Shadow Strike is broken when it uses his opp.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Hold on, I just checked the fighter features, and he can make an MBA everytime a marked adjacent enemy shifts, or attacks anyone but him. So I don't see how Shadow Strike is broken when it uses his opp.

That IS the effect of the fighter's Mark. The Blackguard has both that AND Clouded Sight to protect his Mark with. All the fighter gets is his AoO.

[Blazen]

The fighter also has Combat superiority/agility though. I was thinking that this would put them on equal grounds. Making both Clouded Sight, and Shadow Guard IAs means that he can only do one per round.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Notice, however, than no enemy can trigger both the Fighter's abilities in a single round. Either the marked opponent shifts away or attacks someone other than the fighter (drawing an attack), or it moves normally and draws an AoO with bonuses from a different ability. If the target isn't marked, it can shift freely in order to avoid any for of retribution.

Your combination of abilities means that NO target can shift away safely, and the marked target suffers twice as much for trying.

[Blazen]

Hm, suggestions for balancing it?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Just give the class one Mark-triggered ability, and give it some other useful features that DON'T focus on giving you extra attacks or mark powers.

[Blazen]

Changed them. Now Shadow strike deals extra damage only, while Shadow Stride lets you move around. Let me know how they are now.

[DiscipleofBob]

Looks a lot better now.

The only thing you need to do is specify whether Shadow Stride is an Immediate Reaction or an Opportunity Action (Immediate Interrupt really wouldn't work for Shadow Stride.)

For clarification, you only get one Immediate action per round (Interrupt happening before the trigger and Reaction happening after) whereas you can make an Opportunity Action once per PC's and NPC's turn.

Also, the other thing to remember when looking at with the Fighter is that when a marked enemy shifts away or makes an attack that does not include the Fighter as a target, the Fighter does NOT get an opportunity attack, he just gets a melee basic attack, so he does NOT get the benefit of Combat Superiority on the granted attacks.

[Blazen]

It's when you hit with an Opp attack.

[DiscipleofBob]

It's when you hit with an Opp attack.

Ok, got it. Misunderstood from the original way you had the power. Works nice now.

The class features look good. Now you just need to get some Powers in there.

[Blazen]

Yeah, I'm gonna start working on feats, and level one powers now. Any ideas?

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Have shape-shifting daily powers like the warden but re-flavored to be demonic. :sabine:

[DiscipleofBob]

My advice: Compare classes of that role: Fighter, Warden, Battlemind, Swordmage, and, most importantly Paladin. Compare their powers, and, while trying not to directly copy anything, use those as a basis for figuring out your powers.

The At-Wills are the most important ones to get right, as you don't want to make them too good, but they're going to be the main tools of the class for their entire adventuring career.

[demidracolich]

Definitely have a bunch of powers that do necrotic damage, cold is also a good energy type for powers that do energy damage. It is a different role, but looking at the assassin powers could give you ideas relating to shadow.

[Blazen]

I was thinking of making those the main choices for the dex Blackguard. I want the dex one to focus on mobility for himself, and allies. The wis one focuses on damage, and annoyance. One feat that I want to give him is that he can mark 2 enemies with his Call of Shadows when near (either adjacent, or burst 3, can't decide) a bloodied, or unconscious ally. What tier would that be though?

[DiscipleofBob]

I was thinking of making those the main choices for the dex Blackguard. I want the dex one to focus on mobility for himself, and allies. The wis one focuses on damage, and annoyance. One feat that I want to give him is that he can mark 2 enemies with his Call of Shadows when near (either adjacent, or burst 3, can't decide) a bloodied, or unconscious ally. What tier would that be though?

Probably Paragon. A more Heroic version of a free mark feat could be something like when an enemy bloodies an ally adjacent to you the attacking enemy is bloodied.