Elemental Striker - ???
Elemental Leader - ???
Elemental Defender - ???
Well, we already had threads on Arcane, Divine, Primal, Psionic, Shadow, and Ki.
I figured the last mentioned power source deserved a little chatter too, although I really won't expect to see it till PHB IV in 2011. Only mention so far has been the "dwarf elementalist" in R&C. So, any thoughts as to what the elemental power source will entail? I see two major options for it
1) An extraplanar chaos type power source, considering the nature of the elemental Chaos. A dark conjuration feel, as opposed to the shiny fey evocation feel of arcane and the druid weather spells of primal.
2) Classes focused on the properties of particular elements, like the genasi PPs on steroids. Earthen defender, fire shooting striker, wind storm using controller, watery leader, something like that.
Thoughts?
Controller: Water Element
Versions:
Water-slowing and liquid-based controls. Maliable and moving.
Ice-Blocking and reflecting. Solid and dissapating.
Striker: Fire Element
Fire- direct damage and area effects. Fast and burning
Lava - DoT powers focused on long-term melting away of the enemy.
Leader: Air Element
Hurricane - powers to push allies forward, enemies back.
Tornado - Using air powers to protect and buff, surrounding your allies.
Defender: Earth Element
Stone - Defender buffs itself by partially changing to stone.
Landslide - Walls and stone shields add defense and survivability
Anyway, it's just a thought
PHBII - Arcane(2), Divine(2), Primal(4)
PHBIII & PHBIV - Between the two 4 each Psionic, Shadow, Ki, and Elemental.
So, the question is, Which will come first...
That aside.
Elemental Powersource speculation.
I expect a source that focuses on the Elemental Chaos.
I predict powers that have a random elemental type.
I expect it to divide up as Fire, Cold, Acid, Lightning/Thunder.
I expect ALL classes in the elemental source to have a mix of powers.
I'd kind of like to see the defender have no armor proficiencies, but rather have a class feature that created elemental armor around him.
Maybe have some utilities that improved said elemental armor.
Ideally, the Elemental casters from the Asian settings of 3.X will be Elemental Power source classes. They fit the concept much better than they fit Ki.
Perhaps this.
Elemental Controller - Wu Jen - 3.X they were basically elemental specialist wizards, So a wizard with an Elemental focus would make a good Elemental Controller.
Elemental Striker - Elementalist - Unless it's been specifically stated somewhere that Elementalist is a controller, It could be a Striker. Something along the lines of a Warlock. Give them a Spell Surge class feature (replace Spell with whatever their powers are called) that adds damage to their elemental powers once per turn (Ala Sneak Attack, Warlocks Curse, Hunters Quarry).
Elemental Leader - Shugenja - 3.X Sugenja were Clerics with an elemental Focus, ergo they probably will fall into the Leader Roll.
Elemental Defender - Warder - My Elemental Defender Concept. Class feature, Wards, serve in place of Armor. Utilities Buff the wards. Earth wards have Higher base AC. Fire does responsive damage, Water does dodge, Air does movement effect.
Secondary Effect of his Mark depends on his current Ward. Fire ward might damage the target, Water might increase the attack penalty, Wind might let you shift him, etc.
Although my initial instinct is to have the Elemental power users be multi-elemental, It would be kind of cool to have one element for each role, and different aspects of each element be the variations within the class. For instance:
Controller: Water Element
Versions:
Water-slowing and liquid-based controls. Maliable and moving.
Ice-Blocking and reflecting. Solid and dissapating.
Striker: Fire Element
Fire- direct damage and area effects. Fast and burning
Lava - DoT powers focused on long-term melting away of the enemy.
Leader: Air Element
Hurricane - powers to push allies forward, enemies back.
Tornado - Using air powers to protect and buff, surrounding your allies.
Defender: Earth Element
Stone - Defender buffs itself by partially changing to stone.
Landslide - Walls and stone shields add defense and survivability
Anyway, it's just a thought
Personally if we were to go for the single element per role(which I doubt they will), I think water would do better as a leader since it is traditionally associated with healing and such.
Honestly I think the Genasi are a good idea of what we are likely to see for the Elemental power source.
PHBI - Arcane(2), Divine(2), Martial(4)
PHBII - Arcane(2), Divine(2), Primal(4)
PHBIII & PHBIV - Between the two 4 each Psionic, Shadow, Ki, and Elemental.
So, the question is, Which will come first...
My personal guess is Shadow will have 4 classes in PHBIII, as well as 2 psionic (a leader and a controller) and 2 Ki (Monk and something else). PHBIV will have any leftover psionic and Ki, as well as elemental and maybe a new class that doesn't fit pre-existing power sources.
Ideally, the Elemental casters from the Asian settings of 3.X will be Elemental Power source classes. They fit the concept much better than they fit Ki.
I think the question is do they do elemental as the classical elements, or do they focus on elemental as a flip-side to divine, focused on primordial worship?
Personally if we were to go for the single element per role(which I doubt they will), I think water would do better as a leader since it is traditionally associated with healing and such.
Water is also, in the case of floods and hurricanes, the most destructive force in nature.
Water is also, in the case of floods and hurricanes, the most destructive force in nature.
Yeah and wind can be just as destructive through tornados and hurricanes(they are a part of them after all).
Frankly any and all of the four classical elements(or five D&D elements) have helpful and harmful aspects.
Earth is the loving mother who provides sustenance for all living beings, but it can also be uncaring and consume those who stand upon it(sink holes or mine collapses) or destroy all upon its surface(earthquakes).
Fire consumes all that gets near it. However it also provides warmth in winter, making survival much easier for those not suited for the cold.
Water is the very basis of the lifeblood of all living creatures, yet it can wash everything away in an instant.
Wind is the most inconsequential of them all, but it does represent the breath of life in a romantic view. Yet as described above it can be just as cruel as any of the others.
Lightning kills all that it touches, yet without its power we would not be talking now.
Yeah and wind can be just as destructive through tornados and hurricanes(they are a part of them after all).
Frankly any and all of the four classical elements(or five D&D elements) have helpful and harmful aspects.
Earth is the loving mother who provides sustenance for all living beings, but it can also be uncaring and consume those who stand upon it(sink holes or mine collapses) or destroy all upon its surface(earthquakes).
Fire consumes all that gets near it. However it also provides warmth in winter, making survival much easier for those not suited for the cold.
Water is the very basis of the lifeblood of all living creatures, yet it can wash everything away in an instant.
Wind is the most inconsequential of them all, but it does represent the breath of life in a romantic view. Yet as described above it can be just as cruel as any of the others.
Lightning kills all that it touches, yet without its power we would not be talking now.
Which is exactly why they are not going to make each elemental class a single element only. Otherwise you might as well treat each element as its own power source. (Water Leader, Water Striker, Water Defender, Water Controller, Air Leader, etc., etc.)
Not that I don't like any of the different takes on the elements that have been posted....
Considering how much the wizard ended up like the Dreden files, I might like to see Butcher's elemental magic concept bended into a class or three.
It divides the world into the six elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Metal, Water, and Wood.
Each provides control over its sphere, but also provides passive abilities for the wielder, as well as specific powers and emotional attunements.
For example, earth allows control of rock and soil, but also gives the crafter great physical strength, the ability to move over land very swiftly, and the ability to tweak basic, primal emotional needs. Wood can control plants and the like, lets the adept hide in natural terrain, and allows impossible feats of archery. Metal increases physical fortitude and discipline, as well as enhancing swordplay. Water is the most emotional, allowing one to feel the people around them, but also allows healing and gives the crafter longevity. Fire can instill fear just as easily as it can burn, and air's power of flight is secondary to its agility and speed.
The reason I find it so very nifty is that the elements become far more than simple spells. An adept metal and windcrafter is likely an accomplished swordsman, capable of amazing speed and accuracy in melee combat. Switch the elements to wood and earth, and you have a powerful archer, capable of using extremely powerful bows and hitting targets at impossible distances.
It would be interesting to see, perhaps, synergy between different elemental powers. If I have a utility power that allows me to manipulate metal, it would be awesome to have it increase in power slightly for every other power I possess with the Metal keyword. Likewise, each power could handle its own sphere a bit differently, ie healing, melee, ranged, AoE, movement, and defense, with enough overlap to allow any particular flavor the player wishes.
Think the incarnate, I suppose, which would be incredibly different depending on which soulmelds the player chose. Likewise, a single Elementalist class could fit many, many different roles depending on their distribution of powers.
As for my predictions...
Transmuter/Truenamer (FMA Alchemist) (Leader)
Shudinja (5 element caster, "Cleric" of primordials) (Controller)
Demonoligist/Binder (Binding the denzions of the EC and Abyss to his will) (summoning Defender)
Elementalist? (Element-focused builds) (striker)
Shugenja and Wu Jen are all but confirmed for the power source, though in what way I have no idea - that is, how they will relate to the story.
If Elemental is about creation and manipulation of matter itself, I really don't know how Wu Jen and their taboos will fit in. But they're based around the five Chinese Elements, so I assume they're here.
Shugenja are one of those classes that really played differently depending on the build - it was like the druid in which it encapsulated multiple roles. It'll have to focus itself into four elemental builds, probably with Void as a PP requiring dabbling in all the elements.
I can see Transmuter going here too.
Binder would be stepping on Bindlock's toes, as well as Summoner Wizard's. How is summoning demons much different from summoning creatures of various arcane kinds (many from the Chaos)? How different really are vestiges from demons or primordials? They're ghosts, yes; however, many are primordials, and summoner's been done too much. Plus, summoning may be a build, but only for Controllers - it's too powerful and niche a build for any other class role.
Alchemist: Mid-Range Controller/Striker
Alchemists are wielders of mystic knowledge of matter and energy. By using a combination of chemistry and magic, you are able to convert one substance to another, and to reshape matter at will.
The Alchemist uses his powers to transmute his surroundings - particularly equipment, metals, and flesh - into other substances, the complexity and scope of the transformations grows as the Alchemist does. Is exceptionally good at striking one enemy with debilitating transformations or causing large chemical reactions and explosions.
Summoner: Ranged Controller
Summoners control spirits that personify the raw fury of the elements. By forming pacts with these chaotic creatures, the Summoner is able to wreak large-scale havoc on the foes.
The Summoner essentially has a wide variety of monsters from Elemental planes to summon. Some of them will fulfill the roles of other classes (IE - a Leader pet, a Defender Pet) but most of them are concerned with doing large scale area of effect damage.
Incarnate: Melee Striker/Defender
The Incarnate has transformed his body into a living elemental cauldron, being able to shift from a being of pure fire, water, air, and earth to deal close range damage to his foes.
The Incarnate is sort of like the Druid meets a Monk - he has 4 different Elemental transformations that allow him to do barefisted damage with elemental effects. As he levels up, he can transform more of his body to fully transform into an Elemental being.
Geomancer: Ranged Defender/Controller
The Geomancer uses the power of the elements to control the landscape, summoning walls of stone to deflect attacks, or rivers of magma to ward off oncoming opponents.
The Geomancer is mostly a full-on landscape manipulating Defender that controls the terrain to give elemental advantages to his team and disadvantages to his foes. He can alter the landscape to become a sylvan grove, a volcanic wasteland, a storm-swept plane, or the depths of the ocean.
With Ki axed, but Elemental and Shadow officially confirmed as still being around by Mike Meyers...
Mike Meyers the comedian or the serial killer? I don't think either of them is a reliable source.