4e: Making a Warlord/Wizard

[Arros Winhadren]

So I've got some ideas about my very first game of 4th edition. I was considering Warlord or Wizard, and decided to give both a try. So then I'm here to toss some ideas around. I'm going to want to focus on Strength and Intelligence (right?), so I'm thinking a Human - I can put my +2 into whatever I want (Int) and at first level take the Warlord Tactical feat and the Wizard Multiclass feat. Now I haven't fully perused the PHB, but I'm thinking of forsaking a paragon path and taking a Wizard At-Will power instead. For a basic build idea, how does it sound?

I'm not looking for anything detailed, just general suggestions.

[Learnedguy]

Well, the usual sentiment is that Strenght is the most important stat for warlord, so a high str is recommended. And I suppose its good to find abilities that either makes a good synergy or covers up some kind of weakness (for instance Warlords aren't that hot on AOE, so maybe some basic AOE spell to clear up the minions would help? Something with some range isn't wrong either)

It depends a lot on your party setup.

[MammonAzrael]

Multiclassing at level 11 instead of taking a Paragon Path is generally inadvisable, since you won't get the 11th or 16th level abilities (something that really should get fixed, but that's neither here nor there).

Unfortunately, the four Wizard PPs focus on DEX, CON, WIS, and CHA. You could take one and just not worry about the ability focus. I'd say Wizard of the Spiral Tower. It would let you use a Longsword as an implement, some INT based melee powers, and give you a nice utility for you Will defense (which will likely be your lowest defense).

[Oracle_Hunter]

There are two ways I see of doing this.

The first is the WizLord. You start as a wizard (18 INT, 14+ STR) and MC Warlord. If you were an Eladrin, you'd already have a good melee weapon (longsword) and you could pick up Leather Armor and Heavy Shield (go Shield Spec at Paragon) which makes you able to stick up in the front lines like a Warlord, but you would not have to stay there.

Your swaps would be for tactical boosts (Utilities, perhaps an Encounter or Daily). The downside is that you don't get all of the Tactical Warlord goodies, but the upside is that you get Cantrips and a wide variety of Wizard powers. Plus, you're well situated for Spiral Tower (or, if you're saucy, Battle Commander). I think it's a fun build, but it's not CharOp.

The second is the normal Tactical Wizard. 16 STR, 16 INT, you can MC Wizard when you want for Thunderwave (or, I guess, Scorching Burst?). Paragon Multiclassing is generally held to be really weak, though I've not tried it out myself. You can power swap as normal, but you'll probably want spells that are either Personal or Close since you'll almost always be up in the melee. The upside is that you'll get all of the Warlord-y goodness (and TacLords are really good), but the downside is that you'll get very little of the Wizard-y goodness. Plus, you might want to pick up Ritual Caster (and training in Arcana) for access to more "magic."

A quick look-up for the Paragon MC seems like it'd be pretty lame. It'll give you a Wizard At-Will, a Wizard Encounter (7th or less), a Wizard Utility (10th or less), and a Wizard Daily (19th or lower). All other Paragon Paths give you new class features and better Encounters, Utilities, and Dailies... yeah, it's lame.

So, if you want to be a Magic Commander, go the WizLord route. If you want to be a Warlord with some spells, go Tactical Wizard.