No smarts in the front line? (4e)

[Djibriel]

First, the situation. Me and my friends are engaged in a long-running 3.5 campaign, with me playing this holy level 6 Ranger/Monk. Should he perish, I figured, I'd bring out my Medani Dragonmark Factotum. Here's a guy based off Kazuo Kiriyama (Battle Royale, but no the movie), extremely intelligent but emotionally dead. The Factotum was PERFECT for this.

A few sessions back, we switched over to 4e. My Ranger/Monk became an Avenger, which was awesome. However, last night, he died (after basically performing consistently AWESOME for the entire life-span of his Avengerness, he falls to a Dolgrim and fails his rolls while nobody can get to him in time), so time for my back-up character. However, once hitting the books, I find no way of making him now.

Rogue would fit, but they don't use Intelligence. Arcane casters do, but he's no caster; he's deadly in melee because of his superhuman insight. The party (Warlock, Warlord, Wizard) needs either a Defender or a melee Striker, and Defenders really aren't my cup of tea.

Can the Playground help me out? Are there options I haven't looked at?

[hamishspence]

Swordmage (Players Guide to Faerun) packs a lot of melee punch, and durability, while being based on INT. It is an Arcane Defender.

It is possible (though maybe slightly underpowered) to pick mostly low-magic powers (maybe with Arcane Power) so it comes off somewhere between the 3.5 Warblade and Swordsage in magical-ness.

[Ceaon]

Another Avenger (retributition or unity) seems the best fit, strangely.
High int, high wis. Melee (divine) striker.
Dump cha to reflect emotional deadness and you're set.

[Theodoric]

Perhaps bard with multi-class into Paladin? Has good synergy (if you go for a CHA+CON+WIS build, with stats in that order), quite good at being a defender, and you can heal on top of that, which is also something your party might lack.

[hamishspence]

It might be a long wait, but maybe one of the psionic classes in PH3 would be both Int-based, and melee-based- the Monk?

High Int, + striker, + melee, seems a bit rare.

Can Warlords be Int-based? They are leaders rather than strikers or defenders, but they can also melee, and have reasonable durability.

[Optimystik]

Can Warlords be Int-based? They are leaders rather than strikers or defenders, but they can also melee, and have reasonable durability.

The Taclord (PHB) makes good use of Intelligence, but seems to be one of the weaker builds to frontline with. I second your Swordmage suggestion, as the magical flavor isn't that far from Factotum anyway.

EDIT: As for Monk being the INT melee striker, I could definitely see a monk build with "WIS -> INT secondary" rather than "WIS -> DEX secondary." For one, it would keep the Monk from being too "samey" with Ranger, and for two, INT makes perfect sense for a psionic character to draw from.

EDIT 2: Minor nitpick hamish, but PGtF is the 3.5 Faerun supplement. The 4e version is "Forgotten Realms Player's Guide" (abbreviated FRPG).

[Guinea Anubis]

Take a look at the swordmage.

[Swordgleam]

Having high Wis helps out fighters, so if you're okay with his superhuman insight being represented by wis instead of int, that might be an option.

[hamishspence]

EDIT 2: Minor nitpick hamish, but PGtF is the 3.5 Faerun supplement. The 4e version is "Forgotten Realms Player's Guide" (abbreviated FRPG).

Ah yes- I'd forgotten they reversed the wording- maybe to avoid confusion with the 3.5 version.

[LibraryOgre]

Bard, Multiclass into EVERYTHING. You get a lot of skills, won't be a primary frontliner but a good anchor, and can play the tactical "move folk around" card.

[Draz74]

Warlord really is the best INT-based nonmagical melee class in 4e. Shame that your party doesn't need another Leader.

Swordmage works if you don't mind being somewhat magical, as others have said.

(And the Monk's ability dependencies have already been revealed, and they don't involve INT. IIRC, the two builds were Dex/Wis and Dex/Str.)

[hamishspence]

It does seem like there is a distinct lack of Int-based melee strikers.

[Guinea Anubis]

It does seem like there is a distinct lack of Int-based melee strikers.

Ya sword mage is the only one I can think of. I still think thats the best one to make, just refluff the powers.

[hamishspence]

Even the swordmage is a Defender. Though with high-damage + high maneuverability powers, it might be able to do the job of a Striker.

[Yakk]

So you want a high-int melee character.

Here is an attempt. He also happens to be strong:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 6
Human, Warlord|Fighter
Hybrid Warlord: Hybrid Warlord Will
Hybrid Talent: Commanding Presence (Hybrid)
Commanding Presence: Tactical Presence

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 11, Dex 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 15, Con 11, Dex 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8.


AC: 22 Fort: 20 Reflex: 19 Will: 16
HP: 49 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 12

TRAINED SKILLS
Heal +8, Endurance +7, History +11, Athletics +11

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Arcana +6, Bluff +2, Diplomacy +2, Dungeoneering +3, Insight +3, Intimidate +2, Nature +3, Perception +3, Religion +6, Stealth +4, Streetwise +2, Thievery +4

FEATS
Human: Hybrid Talent
Level 1: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
Level 2: Lend Might
Level 4: Tactical Assault
Level 6: Action Surge

POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Commander's Strike
Hybrid Fighter at-will 1: Footwork Lure
Hybrid Warlord at-will 1: Wolf Pack Tactics
Hybrid encounter 1: Warlord's Favor
Hybrid daily 1: Calculated Assault
Hybrid utility 2: Knight's Move
Hybrid encounter 3: Parry and Riposte
Hybrid daily 5: Rain of Steel
Hybrid utility 6: Agile Approach

ITEMS
Spiderkissed Longsword +2, Cape of the Mountebank +1, Adventurer's Kit, Light Shield, Summoned Hide Armor +2
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Downside? You and the other warlord will be ordering each other to make melee basic attacks. :-)