So, we've been giving our next release for 4E some thought and I wanted to hear what YOU, our customers and fans, feel is most interesting.

Either we focus on Phrenic Power: Items - detailing about 40 items of six types that are quintessential to the phrenic power source. The other option is for me to write up the Knightmare and Anima Warrior classes for 4E.The Knightmare is a Phrenic Striker, focusing on taking out one target at a time, weaving nightmares and fear into tangible weapons, turning their own fears against them. The Anima Warrior is a Phrenic Leader, forming Ideal Patterns that swirl around him, empowering his allies.

Last, but not least, I had a few ideas about a Phrenic Controller class that uses Crystal Anchors to project Patterns, these Patterns causing different negative conditions on his enemies, or just out and out dealing damage. However, these Patterns stay in place once put there and until they run out. This class would also be able to expend his powers to continue a Pattern, or to boost it.

I think every man and his dog would have the adventurers vault right now, with it's ton of items, so I personally would want to see a phrenic class or two before the items.

All the controller classes I've seen so far have basically been a wizard with a different name. It seems macro level control without reskinning a wizard, or flat out overpowering the power balance makes this hard. I think I'll wait until PHB2 to see if WotC also end up reskinning wizards before I go shopping for controller classes.

Considering your Knightmare and Anima Warrior - assuming around 90 powers each and 2-4 paragon paths, and appropriate feats, I'd lean towards the Knightmare first, then the Anima Warrior, followed by Phrenic Power: Items.

So far all voters (all 2 of them) are leaning towards te Knightmare - any particular reasons for this? Interested in seeing what we make on a larger scale? My one holdback on the Classes is that in 4E even one class is a much bigger release than before. As you noted, 90 powers, base class description, 2-4 paragon paths and feats could easily mean that one class is a 20 page release, which takes longer and costs more.

Angellis_ater wrote:

So far all voters (all 2 of them) are leaning towards te Knightmare - any particular reasons for this? Interested in seeing what we make on a larger scale? My one holdback on the Classes is that in 4E even one class is a much bigger release than before. As you noted, 90 powers, base class description, 2-4 paragon paths and feats could easily mean that one class is a 20 page release, which takes longer and costs more.

so just put augments into the powers. at level X, this power does Y damage instead, and so forth.

frankly, i don't see why they didn't just do that with the powers in the core books anyways. if you're going to release 20 pages of powers, i'd like for the last 15 to not just be more powerful repeats of the first 5 anyways.

If I'm writing a class, you can bet your ass it won't just be "version 4 of the same power, only with Xd6 instead". I hated that with Magic.

4E Strikers are the sexy classes and the Morphean was one of the best things since sliced bread, so seeing a 4E Morphean like class would be high on my list of priorities.

I like the other two options as well, and eventually would like to see them all, so if a class (which is a big job in 4E) is too much to do at once, drop some items on us. Regardless of what you do, it'll be DSP quality like Phrenic Shards was, so I'm likely to buy it.

I too am interested in them all. What we were asked, was what would we like first

The Knightmare has a cool name, and sounds really interesting, but oddly enough, when I voted, I voted for what I felt was lacking in my campaign world - the Anima Warrior.

I personally am quite attracted to the idea of multi-class only classes - I've taken spellscarred wholesale and renamed it, and the noble multi-class from a competitor has been picked up as well. Unfortunately it's no less work than a base class.

Ok, this is a new approach I am going to try. I'm writing up the five first levels of the Knightmare, which I will release into open playtesting, free for all. With the feedback from that playtest I will then finish the first 10 levels. At this point, I'll open the class for purchase in its rawest form, minimal layout, obviously for a lower price. Once levels 11-20 are finished, these are merged and downloads updated, same thing goes for levels 21-30. At this point, we'll do an UTP deal - everyone who has bought the raw text deal will get a full discount at buying the spiffy, updated and shiny Knightmare release. At this point the text-version will be removed from sale.

Does this sound satisfactory to all interested parties?

I voted for the knightmare because it sounded like a cool concept. I like what you said but also thought it could be an assassin who slowly makes his target go crazy with fear over time, or killing with one sudden fright (aka. Phantasmal killer). Really cool. And yes I be all for it.

Sad to see so few votes - which is the reason we went with alternate base classes as our first releases for this line. However, know that the Knightmare is being developed and I'm actually considering a "psionic defender (striker)" concept.

I think a psywar variant on the fighter would probably be the easiest thing to develop. I've actually been thinking about throwing down some alternate powers myself, since my 4e group has built a party completely lacking a defender-type and so volunteered me, the DM to throw one in. I might as well make him psionic, right? : - )

You know, I don't think I ever realized there was a vote board at the top of this thread. I tend to hit the "go to first new post" icon on each thread, and I think it skipped right over it and the first post never explicitly called out that there was a vote.

I'm designing two variants on the Fighter - "Feral Warrior" and "Mind Knight". The first is a PsyWar focusing on beastial powers, the second is one focusing on "summon weapons/armor" abilities and buffing.