[4e] Shadowcaster (First encounter and daily added, please critique)

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

SHADOWCASTER

Designer's Note: The Shadowcaster is designed to be what the Wizard should have been; a master of the battlefield. It can move about like the shadows it gets its name from, hinder large groups of foes at once, place debilitating effects on its enemies, and set up tactical situations for its allies. The Shadowcaster is at its best when backed by a group of intelligent companions, for many of its powers set up combat advantage and many have effects that activate if an opponent is forced into violating the power's effect. Knowing when and where to force a target's movement can be crucial to playing alongside a Shadowcaster, and can make the battlefield a much more tactical place to be.

CLASS TRAITS
Role: Controller.
Power Source: Shadow.
Key Abilities: Charisma, Intelligence.

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Quarterstaff.
Implements: Staffs, Orbs.
Bonus to Defenses: +2 Will.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution score.
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4.
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier.

Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), History (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Streetwise (Cha), Thievery (Dex).

Class Features: Dark Manipulation, Night Eyes, Shade’s Gift, Vanish from Sight

Dark Manipulation: Once per round, as a minor action, you may place a Shade token (see statistics below) in any unoccupied square adjacent to you. A Shade does not prevent movement, but the square it occupies is treated as difficult terrain by your enemies. As a move action you may move the Shade up to 6 squares. As a standard action you may move all currently active Shades up to 6 squares. You may have up to 3 Shades active at a time. At the end of the encounter, all Shades return to the nether realms from whence they came.

Shade – Minion
Medium shadow humanoid (undead)
Shadowy Presence (Shadow) aura 1; Allies within the aura gain concealment.
AC 13 + level, Fortitude 12 + level, Reflex 14 + level, Will 16 + level
Immunities Shade Immunities
Speed fly 6 (hover); phasing
Shade Immunities Shades are immune to all effects and all damage except physic damage and force damage.
Shadow Self Shades always has concealment.

Night Eyes: You can see perfectly in natural or magically created darkness, ignoring any concealment that would be gained in this manner.

Shade’s Gift: Shadowcasters are a varied bunch. Some strike from the shadows, impossible to grasp. Others lurk in the dark corners of the mind, instilling fear into the very souls of their opponents. Choose one of the following two options:
--Dark Wraith: You are considered insubstantial while moving, and may move through enemy spaces freely (although you still provoke attacks of opportunity as normal).
--Night Haunt: Any creature under an ongoing effect from one of your powers with the fear keyword takes a -2 penalty to all saving throws, including saving throws against the aforementioned effect.

Vanish from Sight: Once per encounter, as an immediate reaction after taking damage from an attack, you may turn invisible until the start of your next turn and teleport up to 5 squares.


Level 1 At-Will Umbrae
Clinging Shadows – Shadowcaster Attack 1
Shadows leap up from the cold ground, tangling around your foe’s feet.
At-Will * Cold, Implement, Shadow
Standard Action – Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: Charisma modifier cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Special: If the attack is a critical hit, the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn instead.

Dancing Shadows – Shadowcaster Attack 1
A veil of flitting shadows settles over the area, driving your foes into confusion.
At-Will * Implement, Physic, Shadow
Standard Action – Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 1d4 + Charisma modifier physic damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2d4 + Charisma modifier physic damage at 21st level.

Life Fades – Shadowcaster Attack 1
Your opponent doubles over, their face white and drained as their vitality escapes them.
At-Will * Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d4 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage, and the target reduces the damage dealt by its next attack by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier.
Increase damage to 2d4 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage at 21st level.

Shadow Twist – Shadowcaster Attack 1
As you beckon, your opponent’s shadow rises up, turning on its master.
At-Will * Conjuration, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: Charisma modifier necrotic damage. If you have fewer than 3 active Shades and you have not placed a Shade this round, place a Shade in any unoccupied square adjacent to the target.

Level 1 Encounter Umbrae
Afraid of the Dark – Shadowcaster Attack 1
Your opponent looks into the darkness, and sees his worst fears reflected back at him.
Encounter * Fear, Implement, Physic, Shadow
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: Charisma modifier physic damage, and the target must end its turn at least 2 squares away from any creature with concealment (save ends). If it is incapable of doing so, it is stunned for 1 round.

Fasten the Umbral Chain – Shadowcaster Attack 1
You focus your energy, driving an umbral spike through your opponent’s shadow and staking it to the ground.
Encounter * Implement, Physic, Shadow
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d4 + Charisma modifier physic damage, and the target must remain within 1 square of its current location (save ends). If it is forced out, it is dazed for 1 round.

Level 1 Daily Umbrae
Tendrils of Darkness – Shadowcaster Attack 1
Shadows surge up from the earth, grasping madly at everything within reach.
Daily * Cold, Necrotic, Implement, Shadow
Standard Action – Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature within burst
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: Charisma modifier cold and necrotic damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends).
Aftereffect: The target is slowed (save ends)
Miss: The target is immobilized for 1 round.
Aftereffect: The target is slowed for 1 round.

Arrow of Dusk – Shadowcaster Attack 1
A long lance of darkness darts from your outstretched hand, bringing a hungering night down upon your foe.
Daily * Necrotic, Implement, Shadow
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 +Charisma modifier necrotic damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage, and the target is blinded (save ends both).
Aftereffect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends)
Miss: The target is blinded for 1 round.
Aftereffect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls for 1 round.

[Inyssius Tor]

Awesome. Liking your ideas so far.

One thing: without the powers, I don't know if your shadowcaster is intended to be mixing it up in melee. If she's not, why would she have both Wraith and Vanish From Sight? Surely one of them would be sufficient to flee?

EDIT: Ah, you changed it!

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Yeah, I realized Vanish from Sight was FAR to powerful when it was once a round when you got hit. Unless I'm wrong, it'll stay as it is.

As for the melee issue, no, the shadowcaster won't be mixing it up in melee combat, but it IS a stealthy, teleporting sort of controller, so it's a real pain to pin it down.

[JackMage666]

Dark Manipulation is a bit much. Basically, as a minor action, you make sure the Rogue can have flanking on any target, with next to no effort.

EDIT - A suggestion - Make it a move action, and the target has to be [your speed] squares away (IE, you're moving your own shadow to it, but your shadow reforms behind you), but it shouldn't reform if the target moves. That way, it takes some effort on your part (though not terrible much) and doesn't cripple the enemy for the entire encounter.

Other than that, there's just some formatting issues. Haunt and/or Wraith is a class feature (The character gets to pick which one, like with the Rogue's Rogue Tactics or the Ranger's Fighting Style). Build Options is usually a sample first level build or two from the class.

You're going to want to give it an Implement, unless it's attacking all the time - Otherwise, there's no way to get an Enhancement bonus on it's attack rolls with powers (I'm assuming it'll be casting spells, anyway.)

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Hmmm...what if Dark Manipulation could only be active on one opponent at a time? Or if it didn't allow flanking, but instead could make Attacks of Opportunity to hurt foes, or, for a more controller-esque feel, stop their motion or slow them down?

[JackMage666]

I editted a suggestion in there. You don't want to give an At-Will Minor Action more power than a daily, and typically anything that is unavoidable and lasts the entire encounter is considered Daily-esque.

Also, I'm assuming alot of Cold and Necrotic based attacks, Amiright? I do love the idea, even if I sound a bit harsh.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

A good suggestion indeed. I will probably end up using that, or some variation.

As for powers, we're looking at Cold, Necrotic, and Physic damage, specializing in slowing, immobilizing, weakening, and generally inflicting status conditions on large groups of enemies, although with minimal (sometimes no) damage.

Also a lot of stealth/teleportation in the utilities, to keep this guy as elusive as a shadow.

[Shadow_Elf]

I think that for the Wraith combat style, you mean phasing, not insubstantial. Insubstantial = 1/2 damage from all attacks xcept criticals.
Phasing = ignore difficult terrain and walk through walls.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Nope, I was very clear on that. Granting Phasing on each move would be far to good for a 1st level ability. Wraiths are mobile and capable of getting out of situations, but they can't walk through walls...yet. Attacks of Opportunity, though, aren't that much of a threat to them. Insubstantial was intentional.

[Shadow_Elf]

Nope, I was very clear on that. Granting Phasing on each move would be far to good for a 1st level ability. Wraiths are mobile and capable of getting out of situations, but they can't walk through walls...yet. Attacks of Opportunity, though, aren't that much of a threat to them. Insubstantial was intentional.

I considered you might of meant that... sorry. Makes much more sense. That puts it at about the same power level as the Artful Dodger feature, IMHO, so its nice. its sort of 50/50 all the time instead of increasing the chance for no damage whatsoever.

[KKL]

I'm kinda conflicted. On one hand, these powers are very well designed, on the other hand, damage is retardedly piss poor (albeit this was an intentional design).

On the fence for now, but I think I'm leaning towards like.

[Ninetail]

Excessively powerful.

Dark Manipulation: As a daily power this would be pretty cool. As a minor action, it's ridiculously powerful. Not only is flanking never a problem, but it doubles as damage -- 5 points of unavoidable damage with a move action, just by moving the shade onto an enemy's square, so that the enemy will start its turn in the shade's square.

Night Eyes: Permanent darkvision at level 1 is pretty good. Not necessarily too good, but on top of everything else? I wouldn't expect to see this as a permanent class feature before paragon levels, personally.

Shade's Gift: Night Haunt is similar to a warlock paragon path feature, although a bit weaker. Dark Wraith is probably fine, as the OAs balance out the added movement, especially since this class is a squishy.

Vanish From Sight: An immediate reaction to what? Either way, this is a combination of a level 10 warlock utility power (Warlock's Leap) and a level 12 rogue paragon path power (Impossible to Catch). And Warlock's Leap is a daily, not an encounter.

Powers: Encounter powers shouldn't generally have (save ends) effects, not at level 1 in any case. There are very few encounter powers with such effects -- one notable exception being Fire Shroud (wizard encounter 7). Afraid of the Dark is extremely abusive, and Umbral Chain isn't much better.

At-will powers probably shouldn't cause combat advantage. That's a pretty powerful status to inflict.

The daily's nice, though.

I'd probably cut Bluff from the skill list and add Arcana.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Excessively powerful.

Dark Manipulation: As a daily power this would be pretty cool. As a minor action, it's ridiculously powerful. Not only is flanking never a problem, but it doubles as damage -- 5 points of unavoidable damage with a move action, just by moving the shade onto an enemy's square, so that the enemy will start its turn in the shade's square.

Actually, you can't do that, as phasing requires you to end you movement in an unoccupied square. But I'll think about it.



Powers: Encounter powers shouldn't generally have (save ends) effects, not at level 1 in any case. There are very few encounter powers with such effects -- one notable exception being Fire Shroud (wizard encounter 7). Afraid of the Dark is extremely abusive, and Umbral Chain isn't much better.

True, but most encounter powers also deal more than 3-5 damage...both are also very specific, and not to overpowering unless you set it up just right.

Thanks for the criticism though! I'll definitely bear it in mind when I next look over this.

[Ninetail]

Actually, you can't do that, as phasing requires you to end you movement in an unoccupied square. But I'll think about it.


Ah, yes, you're correct. Though it's still an overpowered feature: the easy flanking still applies, and OAs are irrelevant, as they take no damage from weapon attacks.



True, but most encounter powers also deal more than 3-5 damage...both are also very specific, and not to overpowering unless you set it up just right.


No, sorry. Reduced damage does not make up for overpowering special effects.

Afraid of the Dark does little damage in and of itself -- but it forces the target to take multiple OAs any time there's a shade around, which is nearly always. And if the target is cornered and can't provoke OAs, it's stunned. The stun is only one round, but it doesn't end the 'must move away' effect, so if nothing changes, the target will be stunned the next round too, and the one after that -- the stun is essentially a save-ends effect. Even worse if there's a warlock in the party. It's not a situational power if you have the means of setting up the situation trivially and frequently.

Fasten the Umbral Chain isn't as bad, but forced movement triggers the daze and doesn't end the effect. This means that the target can be repeatedly dazed until it saves.

You've added Arrow of Dusk since my last post. It's overpowered, too. Blind is, like stun, a high-tier control effect; save-ends blindness is strong at level 1. Combine that with ongoing damage, plus an aftereffect, which is also save-ends, and it's just too much.

I'd suggest you take a close look at what the other classes are able to accomplish at first level and work from there. You have some very good ideas, but they're very good ideas for the paragon and epic tiers, not for level 1.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Ah, yes, you're correct. Though it's still an overpowered feature: the easy flanking still applies, and OAs are irrelevant, as they take no damage from weapon attacks.

True. What about the latest version, where they don't grant flanking, but merely count as difficult terrain and give allies adjacent to them concealment? Still to overpowered?




Afraid of the Dark does little damage in and of itself -- but it forces the target to take multiple OAs any time there's a shade around, which is nearly always. And if the target is cornered and can't provoke OAs, it's stunned. The stun is only one round, but it doesn't end the 'must move away' effect, so if nothing changes, the target will be stunned the next round too, and the one after that -- the stun is essentially a save-ends effect. Even worse if there's a warlock in the party. It's not a situational power if you have the means of setting up the situation trivially and frequently.

Fasten the Umbral Chain isn't as bad, but forced movement triggers the daze and doesn't end the effect. This means that the target can be repeatedly dazed until it saves.

You've added Arrow of Dusk since my last post. It's overpowered, too. Blind is, like stun, a high-tier control effect; save-ends blindness is strong at level 1. Combine that with ongoing damage, plus an aftereffect, which is also save-ends, and it's just too much.

I'd suggest you take a close look at what the other classes are able to accomplish at first level and work from there. You have some very good ideas, but they're very good ideas for the paragon and epic tiers, not for level 1.

Alright. I think I'm beginning to catch on to this. I'm still not very good with 4e balance, especially within something as different as this (sacrificing almost all damage). I'll do some revisions.

Thanks for all your help!

[Reverent-One]

Looking over this and the ongoing coversation, I think your main balance issue is you're choosing really good status effects, even though it's first level. A suggestion to balance Fasten the Umbral Chain, change the hit to
Hit: 1d4 + Charisma modifier physic damage, and the target is slowed (save ends). That should be more balanced.