So, the new ranger preview has revealed that there is a general feat for snares, and rangers get some cool class feats that enhance it.
But it got me wondering, who else may have class feats that enhance snares? The alchemist (since many of them seem based off alchemical weapons)? the Rogue (thematically closely tied to traps and trapmaking)? Would it be possible to make a viable non-casting battlefield controller by multi-classing to pick up those class feats? What level would they be viable at and what do they do until then?
I realise we probably don't have enough info to answer all these questions, but there are people out there who know more than I do and may be able to (partially) answer how this might work.
It's certainly got me salivating at the prospect, I can't wait to see how the multiclassing system works.
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All signs point to battlefield control being more relevant to mundanes. Combat maneuvers don't need feats just to avoid provoking and will target similar defenses to spells. And it seems like there will be lots of ways for martials to inflict conditions on enemies, including Hampered.
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I'm also hoping for those classes who do get AoO to get feats like, "If a target 5-10 ft outside of your reach takes a provoking action, you can step up to them as part of the attack of opportunity" and other such shenanigans.
I don't think multi-classing will help you that much.
-An Alchemist powers up their alchemy via gaining levels so lose a step to gain mediocre traps. A dip for a Ranger to get some ingredients might aid on a trap whose damage is predetermined anyway.
-A Ranger gains access to higher level traps at higher levels, plus the ability to make them for free at a lower DC, the ability to tie the DC to their level & stat, and the ability to make them swifter.
-A Rogue dip might help w/ disabling or a surge of skills at 1st, but that seems about it.
(This is assuming access to higher level abilities is still based on class level rather than character level.)
That said, it sounds like traps are a subsystem like alchemy, where there's one specialist class, but you can also use skills & skill feats to access making them (just not as well). So your Rogue (with all those extra skill abilities) or your Alchemist (with all the free ingredients for alchemy traps) can likely make decent trapmakers, but until we see those skill feats we won't know how well they can catch up with Ranger.
Also, I want to see some better traps for high level play before I commit.
I would be a little surprised if Rogues had nothing to do with traps except disarming them.
That said, the mere possibility of a variety of non-casting battlefield control builds still gets me excited (multi-classed or not). I just hope they are viable.
And who makes magical traps? or are all traps now non-magical using alchemy? is it controlled by a general feat that's separate from snares?
Perhaps there will be an archetype to support this.
Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Yes, an archetype.
I forgot to mention it, but there almost has to be an archetype for trapmaking, hopefully not one that overshadows a trap Ranger, but rather allows others to be viable with traps.
I would be a little surprised if Rogues had nothing to do with traps except disarming them.
It's been stated previously that Rogues aren't innately trapfinders anymore; what was previously Trapfinding has almost certainly been rolled into Thievery skill feats that anyone can take (though obviously Rogues can take more of them than anyone else if they really want to be the trapfinder).
If there was a blog about combat maneuvers, I must have missed it. I'd need that info to know what battle field control looks like now. There's also the restriction on attacks of opportunity narrowing martial battlefield control down to fighters.
Traps and tanglefoot bags are all good, but it looks like it would be expensive.