Battle Meditation Class

[shamgar001]

I've never homebrewed anything as complex as a class, and I doubt that I'll have time to see this through, but I had this idea and thought I'd share it.

From Wookieepedia:

Battle meditation was a Force ability which considerably boosted the morale, stamina, and overall battle prowess of an individual's allies while simultaneously reducing the opposition's combat-effectiveness by eroding their will to fight. With the Force, one could coordinate entire fleets of ships, allowing them to perform at maximum efficiency, acting as a single entity with the ability to counter every enemy move quickly and effectively. Though ideal for meditating large-scale conflicts, battle meditation was equally effective when employed for the benefit of one's comrades in small skirmishes, attacks, and duels.

This seems like it could be a neat idea for a class (even just a hybrid/multiclass only class). It would be a Psionic Leader whose specialty is daily powers with the 'Meditation' keyword. While in a meditation, allies within an aura are given bonuses and enemies are penalized, but the meditator cannot move or use powers that are not grated by the meditation itself.

Three downsides that I can see immediately:
1. The meditator doesn't feel involved in combat while immobile and not attacking.
Solution: Include enabling at-will and encounter powers that specifically can be used in or out of meditation. For example, one that grants an ally an MBA, with a +Int mod to attack if in meditation.
2. Other players would have to baby sit the meditator.
In a sense, this isn't too much of a concern because allies will have to be nearby to benefit from the aura anyway. Since the vulnerability of the meditator is an essential part of the concept, this has to happen. I just want to make sure it's fun for the sitters.
Solution: Not sure yet.
3. There aren't enough unique meditation powers.
Solution: Make the whole thing a subtype of Ardent and call it a day.

[Elkreeal]

This kind of immediately reminded me of the Ardent, I really like the class.
I think it would be better to create it as a sub-type of the Ardent that is Int secondary, and like the warlock with vestige powers the meditations should be named "meditation of (the)_____". Meditations should be considered zones that might move with the Ardent if he gets slid or pushed or something, they could be close bursts 2 that the Ardent spends Standard Actions to enlarge up to a maximum number or a close burst Int mod.

They could have incredible bonuses but be shut down if the ardent takes more than X damage in a round or in one single hit, taking him a Standard action to bring up the zone again with the zone being smaller by one 1. The damage could be similar to how a shaman's spirit is "dispelled", example: When you take damage equal to Cha mod + twice int mode, cha mod + three times int mod at paragon and cha mod + 4 times int mod at epic damage your lose your focus and you can recreate the zone one burst size smaller using a Standard action. You can spend 2 power points to make the zone not disappear when it would disappear due to you taking damage that would break focus.

Although the warlord has a similar power as the proposed solution in the first downside the power points might make it better.

Something like:
Ranged 5
Augment 0
One ally in range can make a Basic attack or charge an enemy in range.

ranged 5
Augment 1
One ally in range can make a Basic attack or Charge an enemy with a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your INT mod. The enemy takes -2 on his next attack roll.

Ranged 10
Augment 2
One or Two allies in range can make basic attacks or charge an enemy with bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your CHA mod. Enemies hit this way take a penalty to on their next attack roll equal to half your INT mod or -2.

Although this seems too good for level 1, but then again you get Demoralizing Strike at 1.

[Leewei]

You could probably get close to this with a lazylord build.

[MunkeeGamer]

My first instinct was a mix between Skald and Lazylord. Is that a thing already? That seems like something that would multiclass well.

[Tegu8788]

I'm with Elkreeal on with, a variant of the Ardent would be good.

But instead of dailies, I'd make them an encounter feature that creates a scaling aura. And have it be a standard action to sustain.

Then, while the aura is up, give special minor actions abilities, that change the aura. Healing, damage bonuses, to-hit, saving throws. It would effect every ally in the aura. Maybe even a power that lets you move, pick up more as you level.

For encounter powers, create zones that you can dump PPs into to create your negative effects, debuffing, save penalties, slowing. Maybe sustain minor for them.

The character is actively participating, adapting with the flow of battle, boosting his side while hindering the other guys. Perhaps an essentials variant of the Ardent.

[Yakk]

Part of what makes 4e an interesting game is that the designers try to make positioning important. This means that every class has something that makes them want to move around.

Melee classes are obvious. Ranged classes tend to have some mechanic that also encourages them to mix it up (prime shot and HQ on the Ranger, for example, encourage even a ranged ranger to flank and sneak up on a foe, and Rangers have kick-ass utilities that deal with people trying to corner a ranged Ranger).

A class whose trick was to "sit in one spot and mediate" isn't playing that game, which seems like a bad design decision. On top of that, it means that you won't be contributing if the fight is a running encounter (which is a common trope).

There are some paragon paths whose trick is "hold the line", like dwarven defender, and some powers. So one approach would be to create an Ardent paragon path based off of battle meditation. Then only a fraction of your character's design would be around "sitting still and letting others fight".

The daily might let you channel your ardent attacks through your allies while meditating.

[shamgar001]

The reason I went with dailies for the idea is because the encounter-long, bonus-granting powers like stances, guardian forms, rages, etc. usually are daily.

As I'm reading the comments, I think it would be better to make it an Ardent...something. I don't know if I'd want it to be just a paragon path, so maybe supplementary Heroic tier powers in addition.

I had forgotten about the existence of power points prior to this, and that could make the whole thing more interesting in unspecified ways.

As for the mobility issue...well, if it's a running encounter, then one class might just have to not use dailies? Some meditations could also allow for some movement. Perhaps entering one reduces your speed to 2, as if the character is levitating while meditating. Or make it so he does meditate, and the other players have to push him around. Heh. In any case, the class would not be built around meditation 100%; just the daily powers.

*EDIT*
The problem with making it an ardent is that while the fluff fits, it doesn't fit with the ardent's melee playing style. It would work better with a squishier class.

[Yakk]

Jedis are not squishy. :p

[is_Wayside]

Jedis are not squishy. :p

This. Jedis are not squishy.

So is your concept similar to a Jedi, or is it a bit different?

[shamgar001]

Inspired by a particular jedi power, but not a jedi.

[Yakk]

So, figure out a way to make it a positioning class.

Traditionally leaders played positioning games a few ways. Many are melee centric (Some cleric builds, most warlord builds, ardent). Some play positioning games with allies (Bard). Some are short range and close burst based (Lazer Cleric and Cleric zones). Some create summons or proxies and play positioning with them (artificer, shaman, sentinel druid).

Figure a way to make your class have some positioning subgame.

One idea would be to have abilities that effect "every ally closer to you than any enemy" with a relatively short range. Another would be "all enemies closer to you than any ally".

The first encourages you to position yourself in the inner convex hull of your allies, the second encourages you to slip behind enemy lines. Having a mixture of both would be ideal -- maybe in the same powers.

An alternative to self positioning would be to play with positioning your allies. A mixture of ally-repositioning powers with area burst that effects all allies closer to the center of the burst or ranged blast (!) than any enemy. Or a wall power that requires only allies be adjacent to the wall, and boosts all of them.

You'd have to be careful to avoid over-encouraging PCs clumping, because that isn't interesting.

Another approach would be to make the class almost all opportunity actions. Each power is a move or standard action that lets you, once before the start of your next turn, take a particular action as an opportunity action.

Tide of Battle
Standard Action + At-Will Battle Meditation
Trigger: An ally within 5 squares hits an enemy
Ranged Area blast 3 (from ally)
Targets: Enemies in blast. The hit enemy who triggered this power must be a target in the blast.
Attack: Charisma vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d6+Charisma force damage, and target is pushed Con modifier squares.
Effect: If the enemy whose hit triggered this power is pushed, the ally can shift up to Con modifier squares towards the enemy.

Where Battle Meditation is the keyword that you expend the action on your turn, and then can use it once as an opportunity action before the start of your next turn. If the power is not used, it is not expended.

(Making it an OA instead of an Immediate action lets you have Minor/Move Battle Meditations. You cannot use both on the same ally, but...)