Another preview from PHB2 has been released, and I just finished getting a good look at it. The new class is the Invoker (divine controller) and I have to say, this class is pretty darn nice. No, really – I quite like it. It’s like a wizard in that it makes attack and damage rolls with the primary attribute and gains bonuses from the secondary attributes. This is good, WotC is sticking to their established formula this time around and not introducing ridiculous things like a WIS-based fightizard.
This appears to be a Deva Invoker.
The Primary stats are WIS, CON and INT (in that order). The class features are Channel Divinity, Divine Covenant and Ritual Caster. All invokers start with Channel Divinity: Rebuke Undead and get one additional Channel Divinity power based on the Covenant they enter into. Ritual Caster is every wizard and cleric’s favorite bonus feat, same as always. Invoker’s start with the Hand of Fate ritual and one other 1st-level ritual of their choosing. Once per day, an Invoker can cast Hand of Fate without having to pay the component cost.
Both covenants also bestow a perk upon the Invoker in the form of a Manifestation. Invokers who enter into a Covenant of Preservation will be able to slide an ally within 10 squares 1 square whenever they use a divine encounter or daily attack power. Invokers who choose the Covenant of Wrath, however, can deal 1 additional point of damage with their divine encounter and daily attack powers for each target affected by the power. Neither of these options look to be too good or too bad in my opinion.
The preview states that Devas and Dwarves will both make excellent Invokers, so there’s two races listed for the powergamers already… and by two I mean one: Dwarf. Because Dwarves are awesome. Herein lies the one minor issue I have with the class as presented: The at-will power Avenging Light. It’s too damned good for Dwarves (or anything else with both a decent WIS and CON score, for that matter). It’s a ranged 10 attack, WIS vs. Fort and it deals 1d10+WIS on a hit. That gets bumped up to 1d10+WIS+CON if a bloodied ally is adjacent to the target. I recommend bumping the damage die on this thing down to a d8.
A friend of mine has voiced concern over the at-will power “Grasping Shards.” Burst 1 within 10 Squares, WIS vs. Fortitude, deal damage equal to your WIS modifier and target is slowed until the end of your next turn. At level 1 an Invoker could deal 3 to 5 damage (depending on how he fills out his attributes) and slow everything within a 3×3 grid. It’s really good, but I don’t think it’s overpowered. Your teammates will be able to thoroughly molest the affected enemies, but the power itself is not very damaging.
I’ve got to say that WotC did an overall good job on this one. I’m hoping that the PHB2 will be filled with things that are this well thought-out.
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[...] take another look at what WotC has in store for the future. I genuinely liked what I saw in the Invoker preview; the Druid preview… not so much. Alright then, let’s shake hands and meet the [...]