D&D: The Avenger

The Avenger is a new concept in D&D. As a Divine class, it sits with the Cleric and Paladin, but where the Cleric is the voice of her god, and a Paladin is the shiled, the Avenger is the terrible swift sword. Avengers dispense their own brand of justice towards foes of their god; they do not wear armor, for they are armored by their faith, and any enemy they swear an oath against is not long for this world - the special mechanic of the Avenger lets them swear an Oath against one enemy per encounter, and against that enemy, they roll every attack twice, making it much harder for them to miss. Avengers are Strikers; they do not care for defense, only inflicting terrible damage on their foes. So without further ado, I give you Uweya, Avenger of Erathis!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Uweya, level 1
Githzerai, Avenger
Avenger's Censure: Censure of Unity

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 10.


AC: 17 Fort: 12 Reflex: 15 Will: 15
HP: 26 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +9, Stealth +6, Perception +9, Heal +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Arcana +4, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering +4, Endurance +1, History +4, Insight +4, Intimidate, Nature +4, Streetwise, Thievery +1, Athletics +1

FEATS
Level 1: Githzerai Blade Master

POWERS
Avenger at-will 1: Bond of Censure
Avenger at-will 1: Leading Strike
Avenger encounter 1: Rictus Grin
Avenger daily 1: Strength of Many

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Holy Symbol, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Fullblade
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Uweya is a Githzerai, a race I think goes well with the Avengers because of their often somewhat monastic tendencies. Her feat gives her proficiency with more weapons and a damage bonus to using several weapons, which is nice. Her Avenger Censure is the Censure of Unity, so she does more damage if her allies are near her when she attacks her Oath target. Bond of Censure is a ranged attack that lets Uweya pull her target to her, and if they end up next to her, they take damage. Leading Strike not only hits a target, but gives a nearby enemy a bonus to hit the same target. Rictus Grin inflicts decent damage, and gives an attack penalty to any enemy adjacent to Uweya for a turn, and Strength of Many, her big finisher, does large amounts of damage and gives her a further damage bonus for each ally within two squares of her.

D&D: The Barbarian

The Barbarian is a common theme in fantasy literature; he is often a member of some tribal culture that does not use heavy armor or sophisticated combat techniques; Barbarians often just charge at an enemy, screaming, wielding the largest weapon they can carry. Barbarians in D&D are somewhat along those lines, but far cooler. They use the Primal power source, meaning the source of any supernatural powers they use is the world around them, often an earth spirit or some other nature-based entity. Barbarians have Rage powers, which not only let them attack, but then give them a bonus effect for the rest of combat. As you might imagine, Barbarians are Strikers - they throw themselves into combat, inflicting as much damage as they can and relying on their high Hit Points to carry them through. So, here I present to you today's character, Weoren!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Weoren, level 1
Minotaur, Barbarian
Feral Might: Rageblood Vigor

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 18, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12.


AC: 15 Fort: 16 Reflex: 12 Will: 11
HP: 33 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 8

TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +6, Endurance +8, Athletics +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Arcana, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering -1, Heal -1, History, Insight -1, Nature +1, Perception +1, Religion, Stealth, Streetwise +1, Thievery

FEATS
Level 1: Springing Charge

POWERS
Barbarian at-will 1: Recuperating Strike
Barbarian at-will 1: Howl of Fury
Barbarian encounter 1: Avalanche Strike
Barbarian daily 1: Macetail's Rage

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Hide Armor, Maul
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Weoren is a Minotaur, which means he gets a racial ability that lets him make a special charge attack using his horns. I gave him the Springing Charge feat, which lets him make a second charge attack if he makes a critical strike on his first charge - helpful with his racial ability and his class ability, which is called Swift Charge. Recuperating Strike lets him strike a foe, and gain temporary hit points for doing so, while Howl of Fury also lets him attack a foe, but then let loose a howl that damages all other enemies in an area around him. Avalanche Strike lets Weoren do massive damage, at the expense of leaving his defenses lowered, while Macetail's Rage sends him into a rage; he does decent damage initially, while also knocking his foe prone, and afterwards, for the rest of combat, Weoren gains temporary hit points every time he successfully strikes in combat.

D&D: The Bard

The Bard is an old favorite of many people, mostly because it is just a fun class; who doesn't like to raise their allies' spirits by singing dirty ditties, or to cause their enemies to falter with insulting jokes and mockery? In 4th Edition, the Bard can do that and more; the Bard's role is as a Leader, so she supports her party with words and song, buoying their spirits while tripping their enemies up. She is not a front-line fighter, but she keeps the others going - and is pretty good as a diplomat, negotiator, and all-around wordsmith. So, here I present to you Sorashana the Bard!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Sorashana, level 1
Kalashtar, Bard
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Prescience
Kalashtar: Diplomacy Bonus

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 18.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16.


AC: 16 Fort: 11 Reflex: 12 Will: 15
HP: 24 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +5, Heal +9, Perception +9, Diplomacy +11, Bluff +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Dungeoneering +5, Endurance +1, History +1, Insight +7, Intimidate +5, Nature +5, Religion +1, Stealth +1, Streetwise +5, Thievery +1, Athletics -1

FEATS
Bard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Prescient Fortification

POWERS
Bard at-will 1: Vicious Mockery
Bard at-will 1: Jinx Shot
Bard encounter 1: Prophetic Action
Bard daily 1: Saga of Rivalry

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Longbow, Dagger, Chainmail, Adventurer's Kit, Wand Implement
RITUALS
Glib Limerick, Create Campsite
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Sorashana's bardic class virtue, the Virtue of Prescience, means that once per encounter, when an enemy would hit a nearby ally, Sorashana can grant the ally a bonus to defense to attempt to avoid the attack. Vicious Mockery, a power seen in my Warlock writeup, does what it says - harms an enemy with the power of cutting insults. The Jinx Shot power is a ranged attack that, if it hits, causes the target to fall prone if it misses with an attack before Sorashana's next turn. Prophetic Action harms an enemy, and if the enemy targets Sorashana or an ally before Sorashana's next turn and misses, Sorashana can have another ally move several squares in response. Her big finishing number is the Saga of Rivalry; Sorashana shoots an enemy with her bow, and if she hits, she chooses an ally; if the target is not adjacent to that ally by the end of its turn, it takes 5 damage, which lasts until the foe makes a saving throw, and the chosen ally gets a bonus to attack that enemy until the end of the encounter.

D&D: The Swordmage

Now that we're done with the classes from the first Player's Handbook, I'm moving on to the next published class, the Swordmage. The Swordmage comes from a popular idea in previous editions of the game - the character who could wield a sword and also use magic at the same time. While the Swordmage won't likely be throwing any fireballs, the powers it uses are distinctly magical, and if used correctly, very devastating. The Swordmage is, like the Fighter and the Paladin, a Defender; it is his job to protect his fellow party members and attract the attention of enemies. Though he is lightly armored, his skills more than make up for that, as you'll see here.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Serbahn, level 1
Shadar-kai, Swordmage
Swordmage Aegis: Aegis of Ensnarement

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 16, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 10.


AC: 19 Fort: 14 Reflex: 14 Will: 12
HP: 31 Surges: 11 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +9, Athletics +6, Endurance +8, History +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Heal, Insight, Intimidate, Nature, Perception, Religion +4, Stealth +3, Streetwise, Thievery +1

FEATS
Level 1: Grasping Ensnarement

POWERS
Swordmage at-will 1: Luring Strike
Swordmage at-will 1: Lightning Lure
Swordmage encounter 1: Falcon's Mark
Swordmage daily 1: Sweeping Frostblade

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Leather Armor, Broadsword
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As a shadar-kai, Serbahn has a racial ability allowing him to teleport a short distance once per encounter, which is a handy ability to have; his Swordmage ability, Aegis of Ensnarement, allows him to mark an opponent at range, and then if the opponent does not attack Serbahn, not only will the enemy suffer a penalty to attack rolls, but Serbahn can also pull the enemy to his side, leaving the foe open to attack. Luring Strike allows Serbahn to attack, move a square, and pull the target into the square he was just in, and also to move another square either before or after the attack, whereas Lightning Lure can attack a foe up to 3 squares away and then pull the foe to a square adjacent to Serbahn. Falcon's Mark requires Serbahn to throw his sword, but it allows him to mark the target with his Swordmage Aegis power, giving him two such targets. Sweeping Frostbalde lets Serbahn attack an opponent with an icy sword-strike, and if he hits, he immobilizes the target until the target passes a saving throw - so it can put a foe out of the game for a while.

D&D: The Warlock

Warlocks made an appearance in 3rd Edition D&D, but not like they are in 4th Edition. In this edition, warlocks each make a pact with some terrible power; whether it is an infernal power like a demon, a fey power like a great nature spirit, or a vestige of some long-lost being that still lingers on today, they promise their service in return for power. The power granted is dependent on what power they serve; infernal powers give fire-based powers, while fey powers choose nature-based ways of causing damage. Warlocks are Strikers, but they are unique in that their damage is almost secondary tot heir mobility. For this character, I have chosen a vestige pact, so meet This the warlock!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Thia, level 1
Half-Elf, Warlock
Eldritch Pact: Vestige Pact
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast Charisma

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 18, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 18.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16.


AC: 13 Fort: 14 Reflex: 12 Will: 15
HP: 30 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Streetwise +9, Insight +8, Bluff +9, Intimidate +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Arcana, Diplomacy +6, Dungeoneering +1, Endurance +4, Heal +1, History, Nature +1, Perception +1, Religion, Stealth +1, Thievery +1, Athletics -1

FEATS
Level 1: Vestige Adept

POWERS
Dilettante: Vicious Mockery
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast
Warlock encounter 1: Clarion Call
Warlock daily 1: Vestige of Mount Vaelis

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Wand Implement, Leather Armor, Dagger
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As a vestige pact warlock, Thia always has one vestige power active; she gets two automatically from her basic class abilities (King Elidyr and Zutwa), each of which grants a minor ability, and can gain more from taking vestiges as daily powers. As a half-elf, Thia gains one daily power from any other class that she can use as an encounter power; I chose a Bard power, Vicious Mockery, which causes damage and gives an attack penalty to a target she insults. Eldritch Blast is the standard Warlock at-will power, hurling a ball of eldritch energy at a foe to deal damage. Clarion Call is an area effect power centered on Thia that damages and deafens all targets it hits, while also giving Thia temporary hit points. Vestige of Mount Vaelis gives Thia a third vestige to choose from, and also gives her a daily attack that damages a single opponent and causes her opponent to be unable to walk or run until the target makes a saving throw.

D&D: The Warlord

The Warlord is a class that is entirely new to D&D, and it fills a role that, oddly enough, is often seen as iconic in films and literature - the military leader who leads from the front. Whether through sheer charisma or tactical ability, the warlord urges his companions on to greater feats and yells at them in his drill sergeant voice when they feel ready to lay down and die that he isn't finished with them yet. The Warlord is a Leader; it is his job to keep his companions going, and he does this by augmenting their attacks, inspiring them, and keeping them organized. The Warlord I have today is a bit odd, but seems like he could work well in the right hands, so here you go!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Ashar, level 1
Genasi, Warlord
Warlord: Combat Leader
Commanding Presence: Tactical Presence
Elemental Manifestation: Earthsoul
Earthshock: Earthshock Strength

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 12, Dex 10, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 12.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 12.


AC: 16 Fort: 16 Reflex: 14 Will: 12
HP: 24 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Endurance +7, Diplomacy +6, Athletics +8, History +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -1, Arcana +4, Bluff +1, Dungeoneering -1, Heal -1, Insight -1, Intimidate +1, Nature +1, Perception -1, Religion +4, Stealth -1, Streetwise +1, Thievery -1

FEATS
Level 1: Explosive Leader

POWERS
Warlord at-will 1: Wolf Pack Tactics
Warlord at-will 1: Opening Shove
Warlord encounter 1: Warlord's Favor
Warlord daily 1: Lamb to the Slaughter

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Chainmail, Glaive
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Ashar is an Earthsoul genasi, which means he has a natural ability to cause a localized earthquake that knocks opponents down; Ashar's feat gives bonuses to attack for his allies against any enemy affected by this attack. Wolf Pack Tactics lets Ashar attack, and lets one ally adjacent to Ashar or his target move one square, whereas Opening Shove pushes an enemy one square, and then lets one ally shift up to 4 squares or make a basic attack on the pushed enemy. Warlord's Favor damages one target, and then gives a bonus to attack to one ally against the original target, and Lamb to the Slaughter is Ashar's big risk power - it lets him pull an enemy 5 squares, and then allow up to 3 allies who can both see and hear Ashar to make immediate charge attacks against the target.

D&D: The Ranger

The ranger is an archetype that goes through a lot of literature; Aragorn is said to be a ranger, and one of the most popular figures of D&D literature, Drizz't Do'Urden, is a ranger. Ranger come in many types, wielding bows, dual weapons, or traveling with fearsome beast companions. Rangers in 4th Edition are Strikers, and they rely on mobility and light armor to get around the battlefield, do large amounts of damage, and be away before their foes can return the favor. I chose to use the Beastmaster variant of the ranger for this character - so behold Thorn the ranger!

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Thorn, level 1
Longtooth Shifter, Ranger
Fighting Style: Beast Mastery
Beast Companion Type: Raptor

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 10.


AC: 14 Fort: 15 Reflex: 12 Will: 14
HP: 24 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +9, Perception +9, Dungeoneering +9, Athletics +10, Heal +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Arcana -1, Bluff, Diplomacy, Endurance +2, History -1, Insight +4, Intimidate, Religion -1, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery

FEATS
Level 1: Eldeen Companion

POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Predator Strike
Ranger at-will 1: Hunter's Teamwork
Ranger encounter 1: Synchronized Strike
Ranger daily 1: Driving the Quarry

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Hide Armor, Longbow, Longsword
RITUALS
Raise Beast Companion
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Thorn's beast companion is a raptor, and his feat Eldeen Companion means that whenever he uses his racial Shifter ability, both he and his companion beast get the benefits. Predator Strike lets Thorn distract an enemy while his raptor attacks, while Hunter's Teamwork allows Thorn to use companions to gain a benefit against an enemy. Synchronized Strike allows both Thorn and his raptor companion to attack a single foe, and finally, Driving the Quarry allows Thorn to attack an enemy fiercely while his beast companion drives it forward.