Good way to fix Dwarven Defender

[Ambigue]

As you guys all know, I am an expert at game balance, game design, and clear communication. I am also a creature of deep and resplendent humility and a level of self-awareness that has transcended zen.

I have never been unreasonably angry about anything ever.

After deep meditations, punctuated by bouts of sobbing and violent gastro-intestinal distress, my spirit-guide has lead me to the answer to the question that I didn't know needed to be asked:

"Why do Dwarven Defenders kind of suck?" Because they're class ability roots them in place and has limited uses. Since it's impossible to script that to have more uses or run off of a cooldown, the obvious answer is to have them move while standing in place.

I offer you the following elegant solution, as proto-typed in my Crucible of Visionary Design. You are welcome, Arelith.

[High Primate]

That's not a dwarf.

[Ambigue]

That's not a dwarf.

Clearly you've never read Barrelgold Beeraxe's insightful treatise on the nature of dwarfdom. It is called "I....Dwarf?" and can be purchased from my fine and exclusively imaginary retailers. His stance is that Dwarfdom is as much cultural as it is hereditary and that one can be a Dwarf without being a dwarf and that one can be a dwarf without being a Dwarf.

Englebert, here, self-identifies as a "Para-Gnomish Radboi" but assures me his parents were both staunch Dwarf traditionalists. When asked, he indicated that this was not a 'phase' he is going through.

[Xuuldar]

Some random thoughts to maybe turn something silly into something productive....

I like the idea behind the ability and honestly don't mind the rooting in place part. The issue I find is that you start fighting and turn it on, it takes what feels like forever to turn on and by the time it comes online, what you are attacking is about dead. Then I find that it's radius is small and what happens is that as soon as you kill the mob you are fighting, the next mob was either behind it and out of range or is using a weapon with reach and is standing hitting you outside the range and it automatically turns off and you start the whole process over again. This all makes it of limited use.

The str is situational as most characters are gonna be running around at cap anyway, the con is nice and the saves are nice. The AC is nice but you get better from expertise and expertise doesn't root you in place. Sure expertise comes with an AB penalty which defensive stance doesn't have, but with the delays getting it to turn on and stay on, it really becomes situational.

I think changing it to a free action like barbarian rage would make it a much more worthwhile ability and would mitigate the fact that it roots you. I think another thing that would make it awesome would be to give it an effect something like PDK that forces all mobs to attack you for a short time which I would feel would really fit thematically.

[Diegovog]

I can finally make my gnome dwarven defender.

[Ambigue]

I want complex mechanics that support deep, rich role play. I want to know "What is that dwarf defending?" Is it his home? His yu-gi-oh cards? Is it the frightened child inside of him? Depending on the answer, maybe give him +2 to something.

[Tarkus the dog]

hmm...
give them...
...biteback?

: ]

[gilescorey]

great thread

[Ambigue]

hmm...
give them...
...biteback?

: ]

Mmm. Maybe posit it as "Drunkstank". That would be in-line with the established Dwarven lore and should in no way offend any self-identified Dwarfs, Duergar, Squatelves, or JuiceyGnomez. Yes, this is actionable. I will add it to my prototype as soon as I figure out which key on my keyboard is the "Any Key". The box on the screen says I must press it to continue! What an enigmatic challenge!

Oh, that Any Key. The single technological roadblock I've yet to overcome.

[Peppermint]

I'm sorry, Ambigue, but railroads are not setting appropriate.

Please consider yourself banned from Arelith.

[Ambigue]

I'm sorry, Ambigue, but railroads are not setting appropriate.

Please consider yourself banned from Arelith.

This is an unaltered screenshot taken from within the Cordor iron mines. Obviously YOUR experience of the game has not yet been improved by the addition of Jenny's Functional Mine Masonry and FadrKnIghTz Posh MyneKartz visual overhauls.

But if banning is the price I pay for visual luxuriance, then it is a price I pay gladly. In cryptocurrency.

[-XXX-]

Peppermint has not seen the iron mines yet because divination has not been buffed so far ^.^

[Diilicious]

because divination has not been buffed so far ^.^