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View Full Version : Questions and advice regarding a player [4eish]



ninja_penguin
2008-10-25, 10:15 PM
So, in our gaming group, we've got one guy who is the standard gung-ho frontliner, with a habit for going unconscious and nearly dying, a lot. I'm hoping to pick people's brains for an idea of what to suggest to him to play in 4e, as we've been playing for a bit already, and after we finish the next module, some of us might roll up new characters just for a change of pace and I'm looking to see if I can help him find something he'd like more.

He's playing a Human Inspiring warlord, and he's not an idiotic player, but he's not easily settling into the leader role. His personality just sort of has him trying to match everybody in the party in what he can do. (exception of wizards/arcane types) Given that we have a two-handed weapon fighter in the party, and a rogue, he keeps drifting into playstyles that would be more suited for strikers or defenders. He also tends to get impatient in between combats and ends up at the front of the group. This wouldn't be so bad, but he's really bad at knowing when he should retreat, and sometimes spending his inspiring words on himself to keep himself alive.

Also suffers from stat envy, as he ditched his light shield of protection for a mundane heavy shield after he saw how high I could get my Dwarven Paladin's AC. Me and the other Co-DM have repeatedly tried to dissuade him from his attempts to match the fighter and rogue's damage output (He's now using a bastard sword, took Powerful Charge, and has a horned helmet [which we've dubbed 'the helm of charging every turn'), but he generally takes it personally if he feels like we're trying to choose things for him, which I guess is a fair stance.

I think he can also get into a downward spiral of trying to prove that his character isn't inferior or something (which nobody has ever said), because in sessions where he gets obliterated, he seems to put his character in more obliteration-deserving situations. Also sometimes relies on my Paladin's healing abilities a little too much. I have no problems helping out if he's just been taking hits, and needs the boost, but it's frustrating when his situational assessment is 'I'm fine, you can heal me if I get hit again', and I'm a room and a half (and a good turn and a half of moving) to get to him. Also develops tunnel vision if an enemy escapes from him.

Also, this thread is NOT a 'should we ditch this player?' thread. He's a fine guy overall, just vacillates wildly between leader-style play, and 'smash everything' play, and I want to see if I can at least point him at something more suited to him.

The party composition:

1. Elven Rogue (unlikely to change)
2. Dragonborn Fighter (unlikely to change)
3. Eladrin Swordmage or Half-elf Starlock
4. Human Warlord (player I'm referring to
5. Co-DM slot. (Dwarven Paladin or Human Wizard, depending on who is DM'ing. If we reroll, it'd be a Fey-pact Warlock or a Ranger, respectively)

So, thoughts, opinions?

Fiendish_Dire_Moose
2008-10-25, 10:31 PM
Tell him he's neither a fighter nor a Paladin. He's a combat based sub Cleric and should play as one.
He does not belong in front absorbing damage, that's the fighters job. If he wants to whack things on the front line suggest he play a Paladin.
He seems to have the problem that I did at first. names and roles are confusing. The defender role refers solely to the fact that they direct damage to themselves. And it always made me confused. Then again, meat shield is so unproffesional.

Vortling
2008-10-25, 10:35 PM
You could have him try a dwarven cleric. They're reasonably smashy and can still do the leader stuff alright if you choose the right feats and powers. Though maybe he'd be better off as a Dragonborn Paladin (I know you already have one of those) since he likes to do the smashy and leader stuff.

Mando Knight
2008-10-25, 10:47 PM
Barbarian. Massive power output, decent defenses, especially if he goes Barbarian/Fighter or picks up Scale...