Let’s just say you’re both right.

You can summon as many creatures as you have summoning powers (which will never be 12, but could be 4 or more).

But they have no actions of their own. You use your own actions to command them. So you can (usually) only have 3 or 4 doing anything on your turn, and not all can be attacking.

That said, if you look at the Druid summons (Primal Power preview in Dragon magazine recently), many of them have instinctive actions. So, for instance, if you summon a boar, it will charge the nearest chargeable enemy on your turn, unless you tell it to do something else. (Other ones may attack, just move to the target, move to an ally, etc.) So you could theoretically just blow all your daily powers, summon 4 beasts, and let them go wild while you did other things. This may even be a good idea, in some (not all) circumstances.

The Invoker summons, on the other hand, are more controlled. They stand there until given direction, and have more commands that they could be given. So while not as many will be “active” at once, they’ll be in better formation and not acting by GM prerogative.

Graham´s last post: The PHB2 Druid – Nature’s Schizophrenic

at least, that’s the way I figure it would go in 4e.

MacGuffin´s last post: The terrible truth

For the Warden, Blumpkin got to play one at New York Comic Con and really dug it. I think double saving throws is pretty cool by itself.

It’s… a specific flavour that won’t be liked by everyone.

I like the concept, though I don’t see myself playing one much. There are definitely some cool Warden powers, and they have a very effective marking ability.

The Warden will actually be talked about more on the 13th by ChattyDM, if you can wait that long.

Graham´s last post: I have a PHB2 and you don’t!

We aren’t giving away rules yet. But suffice it to say, you turn into a tree.

Given the history of the class, and the fact it’s for a class based around transformation, this should be no surprise.

Want more? Wait for whoever is doing the Warden. I’m not sure who this is, but there will be links when the articles go up next week.

Graham´s last post: I have a PHB2 and you don’t!

Also I’m extremely curious about the Verdant Lord paragon path-what are it’s features and powers?

re: Druid

I’ll be covering the Druid in more detail when the reviews come up, but let’s go with some quick answers to your questions, in order:

- Yep. Primal Controller.

- Quite well. More entangley-controller, less “keep ‘em from grouping with area attacks” controller. Also wild shape.

- Yep. Invoker. Divine Controller. Also neat. Will be gone into more by The Core Mechanic

Graham´s last post: I have a PHB2 and you don’t!

It worked. However, to be effective in combat now, the primary focus of all the rules and abilities listed in the PHB and DMG, one HAS to maximize their combat statistic to ensure that, throughout their adventuring career, the required number on the d20 remains around the 9 to 12 range. Right in the middle where WotC said it would be. It is no wonder, consequently, that the people playing who don’t min/max their combat stats and strive to make a “character” and not a “fighting machine” are disappointed in combat by the rather large number of misses.

I say this: Min/max your character to combat monsteritude, but create a personality outside the rules and numbers written on the paper. If you want an intelligent fighter, max out his strength stat and then put the rest in intelligence. You want a wise bow ranger? Max out your dexterity stat and put the remainder in wisdom. Or do nothing of the sort and just play your character that way. Your character will remain competent all the way to level 30, and you will have the satisfaction of creating a multifaceted, interesting, balanced persona.

OK, now for the questions.

The druid is listed as a Primal Controller, right? How do his control abilities stack up compared to the Wizard?

Is there a controller other than the Druid and Wizard?

re: types of Shifters.

While there are only two, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

See, they get some new Paragon racial feats. Like “Beasthide Shifting”.

I think you’ll like it.

Graham´s last post: I have a PHB2 and you don’t!

BTW, for how much different the Sorcerer feels from the Wizard? The Sorcerer is a striker, so it should be fairly different.

Graham´s last post: I have a PHB2 and you don’t!

Take from that what you will.

Graham´s last post: Scales of War – All sorts of updates

One of the other blogs will be previewing Wardens. It probably wouldn’t do much justice to give you a vague answer here.

thank you for answering my questions, and if you have any free time, not that you will with your new book and answering questions, feel free to check out my blog: http://ideamancer.blogspot.com/

Its mostly D&D, but there is also some random ideas (that I hope are entertaining enough to read) in there as well.

MacGuffin´s last post: Ages of Ages of Avion