How do you feel about guardians with focus spells?

[SoulBaker]

I know this is against the spirit of the full martial narrative we were initially presented with and I'm not convinced that it makes sense, but what do others think?

Specifically I am thinking a guardian could gain access to focus spells through feats like a ranger can.

What I was considering would come in 2-3 flavors
-movement control (pulling enemies and making difficult terrain etc.
-damage reflection
-shouts that inflict sonic damage/conditions

[Mellored]

Not a fan. Guardian should be martial.

Now adding some of those spells to the Champion would be fine.

[Sebastian Hirsch]

It could work, but it clashes with the concept of a guardian as the non-magical tank.
I guess stealing some of the commander feats via multiclassing might work but I personally think the Guardian just needs more unique feats.

[Finoan]

I would also throw my vote in on having these two classes be martial-only like Fighter, Rogue, and Inventor. Maybe some expansion books with feats that give some more magical themed abilities. Maybe an archetype or two that are geared towards these types of characters and can add either slot spell casting or focus spell casting.

[Tunu40]

Personally, I don’t think it’s the right direction.

I think instead, having a various multitude of “taunt”-traited actions could be interesting. Could have something “Unstable” similar to limit more powerful taunts or just have them as 1min cooldowns.

So it’s not just one vague taunt, but rather a variety of methods a Guardian can debuff and hamper enemies. And would be a lot more dynamic.

[YuriP]

I fell like a champion that currently get Focus spells! :P

Jokes aside, conceptually Battlecry is a book that will probably be focused on martials avoiding magic (both playtest classes are like that) which obviously includes focus spells in this exception.

Personally, I have nothing against neither the guardian nor the commander having focus spells, but I like the idea of these classes trying solutions that deviate from them.

During the Kineticist playtest I (and a few others) suggested using focus spells as alternatives to overflow (in the playtest the overflow boosts left a lot to be desired, especially in action economy and power parity), but the designers later in a response on the blog they said they were against it because they wanted to do something different, that didn't have limited resources. And the truth is that in the end they, as always, delivered what they wanted and what the class needed without relying on focus spells.

So honestly, I don't expect focus points in these classes, and I think the designers will make the classes really cool without needing to appeal to it.

[WatersLethe]

Hard pass, honestly. I don't think the class needs them mechanically or flavorwise and I would rather see such things in another class one could archetype into if that's what they're interested in.

[Perpdepog]

Finoan wrote:

I would also throw my vote in on having these two classes be martial-only like Fighter, Rogue, and Inventor. Maybe some expansion books with feats that give some more magical themed abilities. Maybe an archetype or two that are geared towards these types of characters and can add either slot spell casting or focus spell casting.

This is my feeling too. I wouldn't mind if they got focus spells someday, I think that's a fun design space--all the typically "full martial" classes getting a dash of magic as an option--but I'd rather the guardian were full martial to begin with, in that case.

I like the idea that Battlecry! is shaping up to be the big book for martials, at least so far. Giving the martial classes in it focus spells would detract from that feel for me. Later on though? In a different book? Absolutely.