Greetings, salutations, and welcome to this third meeting of the Leaders Roundtable!  In this series of blogs, we’ve been exploring the effectiveness of the various Leader classes in D&D 4E, as they use their powers to heal their allies, provide aid and empowerment in combat, and to direct their comrades’ attacks to win the day over monstrous foes!

In Part I of the Leaders Roundtable: Inspiring Greatness, we compared and contrasted the most basic components of the Leaders, looking at their statistics options, and their class feature of healing, which might be considered their defining role function.  Part II of the series, Tending the Wounded, we delved into the other healing arts of the Leader classes, comparing all their powers of healing, whether it be from a boon following a daring attack, or the ability to sacrifice a healing surge from themselves or another ally to save a wounded companion.

But healing is only the most evident benefit from having a well-armed Leader as an adventuring companion.  Leaders have great power to make their allies safer in combat, providing an array of abilities which bolster their friends, increasing defenses and offering damage resistance, as well as allowing their companions to throw off those insidious ongoing effects which might otherwise destroy them!  And further, Leaders can grant a buffer to damage (ie. temporary hit points), allowing their fellow adventurers to take damaging blows that will require very little healing when they emerge victorious over their enemies.

Assessment Parameters – The Leader powers being compared here are taken at their basic level, unmodified by Feats, and only from the Heroic Tier Class powers.  Because Skill Powers are available to all Leaders, with the proper training or background, they are therefore not a factor in this comparison.  Each Leader’s arsenal of powers will be rated on a 1 to 5 scale in a category, with a 0 rating assigned when a Leader class has no powers of that type.  The rating of the powers against each other is highly subjective, and is open to debate and discussion – which I highly encourage – in the comments following this blog.

Bolstering Powers

Bolstering powers allow Leaders to turn the tide of battle, by making their allies capable of avoiding, withstanding, or ignoring the most vicious assaults from dire villains and terrible monsters.  As with healing powers, some Leaders have a greater aptitude to bolster their companions than others – but unlike we saw with healing powers, all Leaders possess at least some of these bolstering abilities, in one form or another, and in almost every category.

There are four main types of bolstering powers available to the Leader classes: Damage Resistance grants resistance to one or more types of damage – or even all incoming damage types; Increased Defenses provide increases to Armor Class and non-AC defenses; Succor allows leaders to remove ongoing conditions or grant additional saving throws – often with bonuses; and Buffering grants temporary hit points to absorb incoming attacks without taking real damage, saving hit points and reducing healing demands.

Damage Resistance

[These powers grant damage resistance to one or more types of damage.  They also include powers that reduce damage through weakness, being insubstantial, or splitting damage amongst two or more allies – often the Leader.]

• Ardent: Dull Pain (EU2), Sympathetic Agony (EU2), Thought Shield (EU6), Stolen Strength (A7), Stolen Strength (A7/Aug 1/Aug 2), Reactive Resistance (EU10)
• Artificer: Healing Infusion: Shielding Elixir (Class Feature) ^E, Static Shock (A1), Flameburst Armor (D1) ^E, Shocking Feedback (E3), Thunderclap Armor (D5) ^E, Energy Conversion (EU6), Runic Resistance (E7) ^E, Static Shell (D9)
• Bard: Fast Friends (E1), Chord of Resilience (EU6)
• Templar (Cleric): Blessing of Battle (A1), Sonnlinor’s Hammer (A1), Tenebrous Blessing (A1), Mighty Hew (E1), Astral Condemnation (D1), Beacon of Hope (D1), Inflict Light Wounds (D1), Moment of Glory (D1), Holy Vestments (DU2) ^E, Granite Shield (E3), Sacred Shielding (E3), Rune of Peace (D5), Rebuke Violence (D9), Radiant Armor (DU10), Reverant Mettle (EU10), Umbral Soul (DU10)
• Rune Priest: Rune of Protection (Class Feature), Banner of Alliance (DU6), Rune of Shielding (D9), Unconquered Redoubt (D9)
• Sentinel (Druid): Resist Energy (EU2) ^E, Cleansing Rain (DU10) ^E
• Shaman: Thunder Bear’s Warding (E1), Bonds of the Clan (EU2), Condensation (DU2) ^E, Protective Roots (DU2), Granite Armor (E3), Spirit of the Shielding Fire (D5) ^E, Blessing of the Iron Tree (DU6), Spirit of Weakness (E7), Mountain’s Might (D9), Swirling Dust (EU10)
• Marshall (Warlord): Shielding Retaliation (E3), Exemplar of Action (D5), Leader’s Intercession (EU6), Rallying Deflection (EU10)
• Warpriest (Cleric): Healing Word (Class Feature/Earth Domain), Tenebrous Blessing (A1/Death Domain), Blessing of Battle (A1/Sun Domain), Stone’s Resolve (EU1/Earth Domain), Astral Condemnation (D1), Beacon of Hope (D1), Inflict Light Wounds (D1), Moment of Glory (D1), Holy Vestments (DU2) ^E, Granite Shield (E3/Earth Domain), Rune of Peace (D5), Rebuke Violence (D9), Radiant Armor (DU10), Reverant Mettle (EU10), Umbral Soul (DU10)

^E Elemental Resistance only

The Cleric classes (Templar and Warpriest) demonstrate some really potent abilities to offer damage resistance to their allies, having not only a decent selection of at-will powers, but a selection of powers at almost every level to choose from - although admittedly, the Warpriest is hampered slightly in their choices by their initial domain selection.  Artificers also have a solid at-will power which reduces damage (Static Shock), and the Rune Priest’s Rune of Protection is a great class feature for granting nearly perpetual damage resistance in a combat.  In tactical consideration, however, Rune of Protection does require allies be adjacent to the Rune Priest to gain the benefit, which can open them up to greater damage from AoE attacks.  Shaman have a decent amount of powers to choose from, as do Ardents and Warlords, but here the array of powers starts to become a bit lacking in these classes.  Ardents have an interesting at-will at 7th level called Stolen Strength, but it does not give damage resistance so much as hope for bad dice luck, forcing enemies to roll for damage twice and take the lower result.  At the tag end of the damage resistance powers we have the Bard and the Sentinel (Druid), who possess only a couple powers to provide this protection to their allies.  I included Fast Friends here for the Bard, because it technically prevents damage to one ally by forcing the enemy to choose another target instead – but it is of questionable potency as a damage resistance power.

Damage Resistance Scores:
Ardent: 2.5
Artificer: 4
Bard: 1
Templar (Cleric): 5
Rune Priest: 3.5
Sentinel (Druid): 0.5
Shaman: 3
Marshall (Warlord): 2
Warpriest (Cleric): 4.5

Increased Defenses

[These are powers which increase Armor Class, or any of the non-AC defenses.  Also included here are powers which impose a penalty to enemy attack rolls, or marks the enemy and reduces its effectiveness when attacking all but one member of the adventuring party.]

• Ardent: Psionic Shield (A1), Psionic Shield (A1/Aug 1/Aug 2), Sympathetic Agony (EU2), Cloud Mind (A3/Aug 2), Guarded Prison (A3/Aug 1), Prescient Strike (A3), Persistent Veil (D5), Battle Link (DU6), Rapid Calculation (DU6), Courageous Strike (A7), Courageous Strike (A7/Aug 1/Aug 2), Fatal Attraction (A7), Fatal Attraction (A7/Aug 2), Trailblazing Assault (A7/Aug 2), Force of Will (EU10), Tower of Iron Will (DU10)
• Artificer: Healing Infusion: Resistive Formula (Class Feature), Thundering Armor (A1), Shielding Cube (E1), Bolster Armor (DU2), Repulsion Strike (E3), Debilitating Intercession (E7), Gale-Force Infusion (E7), Dancing Shield (DU10), Slick Concoction (EU10)
• Bard: Virtue of Prescience (E/Class Feature), Misdirected Mark (A1), Vicious Mockery (A1), Echoes of the Guardian (D1), Beguiling Ballad (DU2), Canon of Avoidance (DU2), Song of Defense (DU2), Words of Protective Fate (DU2), Dissonant Strain (E3), Recitation of Foreknowledge (E3), At Your Expense (E7), Deflect Attention (E7), Distracting Shout (E7), Scorpion’s Claw Strike (E7), Unluck (E7), Hideous Laughter (D9), Idyll of Calm (DU10), lllusory Erasure (EU10), Mantle of Unity (EU10)
• Templar (Cleric): Earth’s Endurance (A1), Priest’s Shield (A1), Bane (E1), Earthen Hail (E1), Healing Strike (E1), Numinous Shield (E1), Shield Bearer (E1), Curse of Misfortune (D1), Font of Tears (D1), Gift of Incomparable Strength (D1), Nimbus of Holy Shielding (D1), Shield of the Gods (D1), Weapon of Astral Flame (D1), Armor of Faith (DU2), Sanctuary (EU2), Shield of Faith (DU2), Veil of Darkness (DU2), Astral Flare (E3), Command (E3), Light of Arvandor (E3), Halo of Consequences (D5), Iron to Glass (D5), Sundered Fortune (D5), Seized Destiny (DU6), Walk Among the Wounded (EU6), Break the Spirit (E7), Denunciation (E7), Forgemaster’s Flame (E7), Price of Violence (E7), Searing Brand (E7), Searing Light (E7), Divine Power (D9), Knights of Unyielding Valor (DU10), Prophetic Protection (EU10), Shielding Word (EU10), Wall of Shields (DU10)
• Rune Priest: Rune of Mending (Class Feature/RoP), Word of Binding (A1/RoP), Word of Exchange (A1/RoP), Word of Diminishment (A1/RoP), Executioner’s Call (E1/RoD), Rune of Endless Fire (D1), Rune of Undeniable Dawn (D1), Rune of the Final Effort (EU2), Beacon of Vengeance (E3), Word of Alliance (E3/RoP), Word of the Blinding Shield (E3), Rune of Unyielding Steel (EU6), Rune of Roaring Fire (E7/RoP), Symbol of Cowardice (E7/RoP), Word of Befuddlement (E7/RoP), Unconquered Redoubt (D9), Rune of Daunting Light (EU10)
• Sentinel (Druid): Druid of Spring/Bear Companion’s Aura (Class Feature), Barkskin (EU2), Cat’s Grace (DU2), Elk’s Fortitude (D1), Obscuring Mist (DU1), Verdant Bounty (EU2), Summon Guard Drake (D5), Summon Shadow Ape (D5), Wall of Thorns (D5), Leaf Wall (DU6), Eagle’s Splendor (DU6), Owl’s Wisdom (DU6), Camoflage Cloak (EU6), Sunbeam (D9), Animal Shapes (DU10)
• Shaman: World Speaker Spirit (Class Feature), Defending Strike (A1), Call of the Ancestral Warrior (E1), Call of the Ancient Defender (E1), Certain Threat (E1), Dust Strom Binding (D1), Great Watcher Spirit (D1), Massive Companion (D1), Spirit of Consuming Terror (D1), Stone Root Spirit (D1), Steadfast Mountain Guardian (E3), Spirit of the Hawk’s Wind (D5), Spirit of the Keeper (DU6), Bear Hug (E7), Hammer of the Grasping Tides (E7/World Speaker Spirit), Winter Wind Spirit (E7), Call Discordant Spirit (D9), Call Forth the Spirit World (EU10), Rock Shield Spirits (DU10), Shield of the Immortal Forest (DU10), Spirits of the Shadowed Moon (DU10), Swirling Dust (EU10), Twilight’s Veil (EU10)
• Marshall (Warlord): Insightful Presence (Class Feature), Diabolic Stratagem (E1), Guarding Attack (E1), Powerful Warning (E1), Shielded Assault (E1), Bastion of Defense (D1), Covering Maneuver (EU2), Hasty Alert (DU2), Hold the Line (E3), Interrupting Strike (E3), Set the Trap (E3), Archery Commander (D5), I’ve got your Back (D5), Form a Line (DU6), Get Down (EU6), Phalanx Formation (DU6), Phalanx Assault (E7/Resourceful Presence), Tactician’s Favor (E7), Withering Courage (E7), Denying Mark (D9), Defensive Rally (DU10), Instant Planning (DU10), Marked Revelation (EU10)
• Warpriest (Cleric): Earth’s Endurance (A1/Earth Domain), Earthen Hail (E1/Earth Domain), Searing Brand (E7/Sun Domain), Curse of Misfortune (D1), Font of Tears (D1), Gift of Incomparable Strength (D1), Nimbus of Holy Shielding (D1), Shield of the Gods (D1), Weapon of Astral Flame (D1), Armor of Faith (DU2), Sanctuary (EU2), Shield of Faith (DU2), Veil of Darkness (DU2), Halo of Consequences (D5), Iron to Glass (D5), Sundered Fortune (D5), Seized Destiny (DU6), Walk Among the Wounded (EU6), Divine Power (D9), Knights of Unyielding Valor (DU10), Prophetic Protection (EU10), Shielding Word (EU10), Wall of Shields (DU10)

With such a dizzying array of powers in this category, it’s really hard to say that one Leader excels beyond the rest.  In fact, you won’t find very low scores in this category, as all Leader classes have a decent sized selection of powers to either increase the defenses of allies or to reduce the enemies chance to hit.  But still, some Leaders have potent abilities worth mentioning.  The Templar (Cleric) has a phenomenal number of powers at all levels to choose from, as does the Ardent, Warpriest, and Bard.  The Shaman and Rune Priest have some great abilities in this category, although the Rune Priest needs to use the Rune of Protection feature with its powers in order to maximize the defensive effect of many of its powers.  While some may argue that the Marshall’s Insightful Presence is a potent class feature, it only activates with action point use and so cannot be counted on as a constant support feature.

Increased Defense Scores:

Ardent: 4.5
Artificer: 3
Bard: 4.5
Templar (Cleric): 5
Rune Priest: 3.5
Sentinel (Druid): 3
Shaman: 4
Marshall (Warlord): 3
Warpriest (Cleric): 4.5

Succor

[These Leader powers ease the suffering of allies hampered by combat conditions, aiding in saves against ongoing damage or effects, or removing them entirely.  These powers also include granting bonuses to Death Saving Throws, or granting automatic successes to avoid death.]

• Ardent: Focusing Strike (A1), Focusing Strike (A1/Aug 1/Aug 2), Karmic Bond (A1/Aug 1), Dull Pain (EU2), Sympathetic Agony (EU2), Enlightening Pulse (D5), Fate Exchange (D5), Thought Shield (EU6), Emotional Wellspring (D9), Incite Bravery (EU10), Tower of Iron Will (DU10)
• Artificer: Swift Mender (EU2), Healing Figurine (DU10), Sigil of Luck (DU10)
• Bard: Verse of Triumph (D1), Dissonant Strain (E3), Song of the New Dawn (E3), Ode to Sacrifice (EU6), Saga of Vengeance (D9), Break Enchantment (DU10), Savior’s Song (DU10), Song of Recovery (EU10)
• Templar (Cleric): Brand of the Sun (A1), Sacred Flame (A1), Divine Aid (EU2), Return from Death’s Door (DU2), Hymn of Resurgence (E3), Gift of Good Fortune (EU6), Holy Celerity (EU6), Healer’s Balm (EU10)
• Sentinel (Druid): Winter’s Withering (D9), Cleansing Rain (DU10)^A, Clear the Chaff (EU10)
• Shaman: Elemental Spirit (Class Feature), Spirit of the Tempest (A1), Cleansing Wind of the North (D1), Spirit’s Sacrifice (EU2), Winter’s Thaw (E3), Sudden Restoration (EU6), Quickening Breeze (DU10)
• Marshall (Warlord): Shake It Off (EU2), Inspiring Warcry (E3), Rousing Call (D5), Turning Point (D5), Stirring Force (E7), Defensive Rally (DU10), Ease Suffering (DU10), Warlord’s Denial (DU10)
• Warpriest (Cleric): Earth Domain (Domain Feature), Sun Domain (Domain Feature), Brand of the Sun (A1/Sun Domain), Soothing Light (EU1/Sun Domain), Divine Aid (EU2), Return from Death’s Door (DU2), Gift of Good Fortune (EU6), Holy Celerity (EU6), Healer’s Balm (EU10)

^A Only to ongoing acid or fire damage

In this category, the Clerics are hedged out slightly by the Shamans and Ardents, who have some awesome powers for granting saving throws and bonuses to saving throws – the Elemental Spirit class feature is a dependable and constant bonus for any ally adjacent to the Shaman’s companion.  The Warpriest inches ahead of the Templar here, in my opinion, due to the nice class features granted by the Domain powers.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Artificer and Sentinel have a poor selection of powers to grant saving throws.  And sadly, one the Sentinel’s powers, Cleansing Rain (DU10), is further weakened by making it only effective against ongoing acid or fire damage.  Regretfully, the Rune Priest has no powers to grant saving throws, which makes the class a little less well-rounded than its peers.

Succor Scores:

Ardent: 5
Artificer: 2
Bard: 3.5
Templar (Cleric): 4
Rune Priest: 0
Sentinel (Druid): 1
Shaman: 5
Marshall (Warlord): 3
Warpriest (Cleric): 4.5

Buffering

[These powers grant temporary hit points to allies to keep their hit point reserves high, and reduce the number of healing surges needed during and after a combat to heal up for the next battle.]

• Ardent: Energizing Strike (A1), Mental Turmoil (D1), Close Wounds (EU2), Mind Over Matter (DU2), Wellspring of Vigor (DU2), Body Adjustment (EU6), Escalating Fury (EU6), Emotional Wellspring (D9), Feast of Plenty (D9), Spatial Anomaly (D9), Psychic Boon (EU10)
• Artificer: Healing Infusion: Resistive Formula (Class Feature), Drain Speed (E1), Life-Tapping Darts (D1), Rstorative Infusion (DU2), Altered Luck (E3), Healer’s Momentum (D9)



• Bard: Virtue of Valor (Class Feature), War Song Strike (A1), Unicorn’s Charge (E3), Song of Conquest (EU6), Theft of Life (E7), Saga of Vengeance (D9)
• Templar (Cleric): Invigorating Assault (A1), Invigorating Assault (A1), Sacred Flame (A1), Exacting Utterance (E1), Sun Burst (E1), Sacrificial Aegis (DU2), Death Surge (E3), Hymn of Resurgence (E3), Divine Juggernaut (D5), Seized Destiny (DU6), Phantom Vigor (DU10)
• Rune Priest: Word of Shielding (A1/RoP), Word of Exchange (A1/RoD), Word of the Blinding Shield (E3/RoP), Banner of Resolution (DU10)
• Sentinel (Druid): Tending Strike (A1)
• Shaman: Protecting Strike (A1/Protector Spirit)*, Thunder Bear’s Warding (E1), Spirit’s Sacrifice (EU2), Spirit of the Shielding Fire (D5), Light of the Crimson Sun (EU6), Stone Root’s Resilience (DU10)
• Marshall (Warlord): Resourceful Presence (Class Feature), Myrmidon Formation (E1), Bastion of Defense (D1), Crescendo of Violence (EU2), Heroic Effort (DU2), Rub Some Dirt on It (EU2), Inspire Resilience (E3), Encouraging Stance (DU6), Reassuring Gesture (EU6), Together We Survive (E7), White Raven Strike (D9)
• Warpriest (Cleric): Stay the Hand of Death (EU1/Death Domain), Sun Burst (E1/Sun Domain), Sacrificial Aegis (DU2), Healing Word (L5 Sun Domain Feature), Divine Juggernaut (D5), Seized Destiny (DU6), Phantom Vigor (DU10)

* Ally must be adjacent to spirit companion to gain benefit

It was difficult to decide the front-runner in the Buffering category, as the Templar, Bard, and Ardent all have a strong array of powers for providing temporary hit points to allies.  The Templar seemed the most well-rounded in the end, but the Bard’s Virtue of Valor class feature, coupled with the War Song Strike at-will power made it a tough act to follow.  The Ardent is no weakling here, however, with powers at every level for buffering his companions’ hit point reserves.  At the other end of this category, the Sentinel, Artificer, and Rune Priest have a fairly weak selection of buffering abilities.  Admittedly, the Sentinel’s Tending Strike is an at-will, but without other powers to back it up, makes for a very small selection option in this regard.

Buffering Scores:

Ardent: 4
Artificer: 2
Bard: 4.5
Templar (Cleric): 5
Rune Priest: 2.5
Sentinel (Druid): 1.5
Shaman: 3
Marshall (Warlord): 3.5
Warpriest (Cleric): 3.5

Conclusions

Tallying up the scores for Bolstering Powers, there are some pretty clear differences in the overall power of Leader classes beginning to show here:

Ardent: 16
Artificer: 11
Bard: 13.5
Templar (Cleric): 19
Rune Priest: 9.5
Sentinel (Druid): 6
Shaman: 15
Marshall (Warlord): 11.5
Warpriest (Cleric): 17

The Cleric classes (Warpriest and Templar) and the Ardent have powerful and varied abilities to bolster a party of heroes, making them tougher and giving them greater survivability in combat.  Likewise, the Shaman and Bard have a solid arsenal of powers in this venue, and can make their comrades safer in a fight.  The Artificer and Marshall have adequate abilities here, although it was a bit surprising to find a class from the original Players Handbook with such a lackluster showing, given the number of articles and supplementary material that has been presented for the Warlord (Marshall) class.  But the Rune Priest and Sentinel (Druid) seem to be having some real issues competing with their fellow Leaders for power level, and it seems to me that maybe these classes need some attention from the WotC development team in order to bring them up to a level which matches their fellow Leaders.

Next week, I’ll post the final blog in this series, with a comparison of Leaders to control the ebb and flow of a combat, granting their allies better strikes with greater damage, superior tactical positioning, and even the ability to assault the enemy on command!

So until next blog… I wish you Happy Gaming!

Tags: character class, D&D 4e, D&D Essentials, discussion, leader

This entry was posted by Editor-in-Chief on Friday, June 17th, 2011 at 6:22 pm and is filed under Character Classes, Role-Players' Edge. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.