4e: In regards to Illusions, Necromancy, and Summons

[wodan46]

People have complained that 4e casters do not have access to Illusions, Necromancy, and Summons, and claim that it is being done on making the game more balanced and simplistic. However, I believe that the reason 4e casters don't have those abilities is that having those abilities in ADDITION to their formal casting would be overpowered. Wizards handle AOE/Disable, Clerics do Heal/Buffs, and Warlocks do curse/blasting. However, things like Illusions will still show up later, but it will show up on casters who have it as their primary feature, not as an extremely powerful set of support tools in addition to their main ability. Furthermore, while such abilities could be balanced, they would add additional complexity in core, and are intentionally being saved for splatbooks.

Illusions are known to be a primary feature of the 4e Bard, the Arcane Leader.
Necromancy will likely be given to the Shadow Controller when it shows up.
Summons will likely be the forte of the Primal Controller if one shows up.
Other mechanics like Shapeshifting and Raging mechanics will also show up with their respective classes (bet that Rages are associated with Healing Surges now, given that it is what Con gives now).

[AKA_Bait]

Illusions are known to be a primary feature of the 4e Bard, the Arcane Leader.
Necromancy will likely be given to the Shadow Controller when it shows up.
Summons will likely be the forte of the Primal Controller if one shows up.
Other mechanics like Shapeshifting and Raging mechanics will also show up with their respective classes (bet that Rages are associated with Healing Surges now, given that it is what Con gives now).

Although I agree with you generally here, I disagree as to what each class will be given. My predictions:

Bard: Arcane Leader, gets "songs" that are not all that dissimilar from cleric and warlord powers but with different flavor. May get some of the wizards' utility powers.

Monk: Divine Striker, probably much like the Rogue but with a more godly flavor.

Favored Soul: Divine Controller, spells like 3e's Holy Word, potentially some summons with hefty 'sustain' requirements.

Druid: Primal Controller, environmental changing stuff.

Beguiler: Mental Controller, Illusion stuff.

Psion: Mental Striker, Enchantment Stuff.

[wodan46]

I read that Wizards had indicated that the Bard class would focus on Illusions, though indubitably they will also focus on songs as well.

I suspect that force multipliers will limited by requiring minor actions to sustain. You can sustain 1 with little consequence, 2 will limit you to either attacking or moving, and 3 will completely disable you. This in turn works perfectly with summons, as you get more backup, you become less able to do stuff yourself.

Bard's Song? Minor action sustain
Druid's Summon? Minor action sustain
Psion's Dominate? Minor action sustain
Necromancer's Greater Debuffs? Minor action sustain

[Human Paragon 3]

Wizards will still have all of that, it'll just be done by rituals. So if you want to use it in combat, you have to use your inginuity and set it up before hand. I think it's a delicate balancing act to trim back their power but keep their versatility somewhat.

[SamTheCleric]

There's already a summon spell in the game... Clerics have it. Easily reflavored into any power list capable of summoning.

[AKA_Bait]

I read that Wizards had indicated that the Bard class would focus on Illusions, though indubitably they will also focus on songs as well.

I see that as well, but since they mentioned psi as a later power source and I expect the beguiler to be released as well, I expect smaller percentage of the old Illusion school to go to the bard than they came out and said.

I suspect that force multipliers will limited by requiring minor actions to sustain. You can sustain 1 with little consequence, 2 will limit you to either attacking or moving, and 3 will completely disable you. This in turn works perfectly with summons, as you get more backup, you become less able to do stuff yourself.

Bard's Song? Minor action sustain
Druid's Summon? Minor action sustain
Psion's Dominate? Minor action sustain
Necromancer's Greater Debuffs? Minor action sustain

I think this will depend upon the effect. There are already effects that require a standard or move action sustain. I'd expect summons to work kind of like Flaming sphere does. Minor action to sustain, move action to move or attack.

[Larrin]

I think summons has been delayed less for a specific class and more for time to figure out how to handle it (most comments on this subject from WoTC members seem to point in this direction), though there could very reasonably be a class or two that focus on summonings to a high degree. I agree with wodan that 'sustain' mechanics will likely be an important balance for summonings and such. sustain minor for a summons spells means that at most a summoner could have three summons active at a time, and he'd have to stand still and do nothing else to maintain it. this helps remove "my druid takes his turn, then my 10 monsters i control take their turn" which gave a summoner essentially 11 pc's to play.

I'm betting we'll see illusionist, necromancer, and enchanter classes, though power source and role are pure speculation, though i expect most will be controlers, with a few leaders thrown in for good measure. It would be a waste NOT to make them since they have such rich flavor that a competent designer should have a lot of fun doing it, and they've 'virtually promised' they'd make them when they took those abilities away from the wizard....