Our previous inquisition talked about the game Dragon Age and its impact and inspiration on DMs as well as asking which character origins you’ve played in the game. I personally haven’t played the game yet, and it looks like 24% of you are there with me but I certainly plan on playing it once I get the chance. The Human Noble Warrior origin came out in a narrow lead with 28%, followed by Human Noble Rogue tied with Elf Magi Mage at 26%. Behind them was Human Magi Mage at 21% with Elf City Rogue and Dwarf Noble Warrior tied behind that at 18%. The least popular origins were Elf City Warrior at 6% and Dwarf Noble Rogue at 5%.
Martial Power 2 comes out tomorrow, and having gotten a look at the book I am very disappointed that my current party does not have any martial classes at all out of eight players, not even through multi-classing. This passed weekend I had the opportunity to run an adventure of Dave’s game while he was out of town and really enjoyed seeing the Fighter class in action for the first time as a DM. All of this has led me to wondering exactly which classes all of you are playing and as a result which classes are the most played and which don’t get that much love. This becomes even more interesting when you think about the fact that the Player’s Handbook 3 is coming out in about a month and will introduce six new classes to the game. Since there are playtests available for a few of those classes I’ll include them in this week’s inquisition.
[poll id=”156″]
I’ve been running my D&D campaign since 4th Edition first came out, and haven’t played a regular character more than once. The few times I have played, however, I’ve played a barbarian in Dave’s game, a cleric in Phil’s Drinking D&D adventure at GenCon 2008, a druid in a delve at GenCon last year, and a ranger in E’s Eberron game. I’ve actually really enjoyed playing each one of those classes, and hopefully I’ll have a chance soon to play in some ongoing games (including playing in E’s Eberron game more) to explore the classes a bit more than I have at this point. Certainly the poll is based off of 4th Edition classes, but if you’re playing a class in a different edition please feel free to vote and share in the comments what you’re playing!
I’m a curse to 4e games. They tend to implode shortly after I join, or be destined to implode because I was there from the start. I’ve played a Fighter and an Artificer briefly (I was mostly the DM). I really would like to get to play a Whirling Barbarian or that quirky weapon-switching Fighter. Or a bowlord. Or a rogue. Generally something martial.
.-= Wyatt Salazar´s last blog ..NAA D6: Character Creation =-.
This is an interesting poll, cant wait to see how it turns out! My Other vote was for playing a Hybrid Class!
I’m playing a cleric in a 4E side adventure my group is running before we continue with the main campaign the I DM (another players is DMing the side adventure). I played a paladin in a short-lived game with some of the same folks (different DM) before we started our current campaign, and got to play a ranger as a second PC for a couple sessions while we transitioned between players. I’d like to play a rogue, my favorite class, and have a concept for a warlord.
.-= Kameron´s last blog ..Nature’s lore =-.
I’m currently the DM of my game. I marked that option, but also marked the classes of all my players. That would be swordmage, bard, sorcerer (we like arcane, apparently), barbarian (formerly rogue), ranger, and cleric.
I also marked paladin, which was my first 4E character, and avenger which is the character I want to play if I’m ever a player again.
I’m not surprised no one is playing the PHB 3 classes yet (since it doesn’t come out until next month), but I was surprised by no love for the avenger, druid, and shaman.
Wyatt: If you’re ever in the area, you’re welcome to stop by for my game! 🙂
Justin: I’d actually just vote for whichever two classes you’re a hybrid in, same goes for multiclassing too if you feel it fits go ahead and vote for both classes in the poll.
Kameron: and eventually you’ll try out the PHB2 and beyond classes, right? I can understand sticking to PHB classes as they seem a bit less specialized and possibly more well-rounded than the later classes.
Key of E: That’s great, I’d definitely encourage DMs to vote for the classes that are in their game if your players don’t read us and won’t end up voting in the poll. As for the PHB3 classes you can use the playtest for all but the Runepriest in Dragon magazine, so that’s why they’re in the poll and already have some votes but I fully expect them to be in the lower minority of classes played at this point.
I am playing a hybrid Drow fighter/ranger. A lot of fun to play.
I’ve played a cleric for the past year, and loved it. But there’s just so little extra cleric content from Dragon, it’s rather disappointing – especially compared to the striker classes. Damn warlocks. The only decent option expansion we’ve gotten is Divine Power, which was amazing, but something between books would be nice too… maybe I’m just grouchy because my party’s warlock is a very annoying tiefling.
If my cleric dies, I think I’ll create a warlord, or warlord/fighter. We have no martial characters either, it’s a bit sad.
Man, amongst the PHB2 classes Invoker and Shaman really get no love? I wonder if its a fluff or mechanical issue. The shaman in our game gets pretty bored with his action in combat and has started to control our Imp-monster follower as well.
I’m the DM right now. The group I’m DMing for is: cleric, paladin, fighter, wizard, ranger, warlord. We started this campaign right after the PHB1 came out, and we’re just picking it back up after a long hiatus.
I’m really shocked that Invoker is so low – even lower than Assassin, which is a DDi exclusive class. We had an invoker in the last campaign I played in, and he was amazingly effective. Very good buff/debuff class.
Our group plays pathfinder/3.5 and currently we have a rouge/sorcerer/shadowdancer, a ninja/ranger, a fighter, a mystic thurge, a scout/wilder/shadowmind, a ranger/scout, a ranger/arcane archer, a fighter/cleric, and a sorcerer. Yes we have a large group with alot of multiclassing and overlap.
I’m glad I’m not the only DM taking a break and getting his groove on. My party started with 4 players and they generated them just from the phb1. I wanted to keep things as close to how they were intended (stat arrays for the first time, only wizards of the coast products, since i found in other editions they are much more balanced) and the group consisted of a human ranger, half-elf paladin, dwarf cleric, eladrin warlock. The group did pretty good, but i needed a break, and when we hit paragon tier, the paladin bowed out and I began playing a drow rogue (dread fang). The last night we played, the warlock used mire of the mind, so i was invisible to a mean troglodyte elite, and I hit with 2 powers (action point). First hit got sneak attack, did 39 points of damage. action point for fang and web strike (two attack power) first swing off that was with my handcrossbow, and I got sneak again (thanks to dread fang) and did 45 points of damage. The second swing from that power was a critical, ended up being 44 points, and one feat i have gives me a free ranged basic attack if i crit and have a hand crossbow in my off hand, which hit and did 13 points. 141 total, we are level 11. So yeah, why don’t more people play martial classes? And my stealth modifier makes my dm shake his head. Alot. And yes, I killed that which i hit. Obliterated him, really.