Drow, Gensai, and Swordmages!

[PhoenixInferno]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/news/lfrcharacters

[Banor]

+STR/INT !!!! Finally Genasi seem pretty damn nice

[PhoenixInferno]

When I go to GenCon and play the 8-hour adventure, I'm definitely going to rock the Gensai Swordmage!  Not sure if I want Earthsoul or Windsoul...Flight @ 1st level is SO TASTY, but ability+2 vs Reflex for Prone is also quite nice.

[highbulp]

Holy hell those look nice...

Swordmage has Melee, Ranged 3, and Close Burst 1 at-will powers. That's a lot more flexibility than most other classes. Seems ripe for humans. Half-elf dilettante abilities could work nicely with some of these as well.

[Banor]

I'm torn between Earthsoul and Watersoul myself, both seem freaking great.

[PhoenixInferno]

I'm torn between Earthsoul and Watersoul myself, both seem freaking great.

That seems good too.

[Kuroimaken]

Holy COW this seems awesome.

[Commx]

Earth Genasi seems to have a good synergy with the Rogue. Use your Move action to get there (if needed), your minor to knock them down, and then use your Standard action to kick them while they're down (and get your Sneak Attack for doing so.)

[Bozwevial]

The swordsage's Aegis class feature is also extremely awesome. A mark that either lets you teleport next to the marked enemy after he attacks someone else and respond in kind, or decrease the damage he deals by a fair amount? Sign me up.

I've been looking forward to this class since I read the preview book, and it looks like I won't be disappointed. Genasi are the icing on the cake.

[ImperiousLeader]

I don't play FR, but I'd consider the getting the Player's Guide, if it's got good stuff like this in it. Swordmage does seem quite awesome, and Genasi look cool.

[BowenSilverclaw]

So, they'll both be in the FR Player's Guide?
Any idea when it comes out, guys? This sounds pretty awesome

[PhoenixInferno]

I believe its coming in September.

[X-Codes]

Buyer beware, WotC is releasing some kinda FR "preview" book or something a month before the real deal.  Make sure it's the one the WotC store says contains the Swordmage class... and then go buy it from Amazon for 30% off or so.

[PhoenixInferno]

It is NOT a preview book - it is the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide.  Just as the DMG has stuff that a player never needs to see, the FRCS has stuff the player never needs to see.  The Forgotten Realms Player's Guide is the PHB-equivalent.

Yes, they're actually asking you to buy two books.

[Bozwevial]

Isn't that what they did with 3.5? I'm certain that's what they did with Eberron.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

No, the FRCS has the crunch for 3.0.  PGtF was basically the update.  They did do it in Eberron, but the ECS had both and the PGtE was just extra fluff with bits of crunch here and there.

Whereas this looks like fluff and crunch compeltely segregated -- which is fine with me, because D&D fluff can suck my cock.  I've only ever bought fluff for two systems, and that's Shadowrun and Mutants and Masterminds.  (And M&M only counts because I consider every comic book ever a fluff book for M&M.)

[brislove]

I imagine the FRCS will have DMing information, towns, maps, adventure ideas, hooks, possibly even some full adventures and/or a starting town (DMG style).

My best guess is that they are trying very hard to have books with DM information, and books with player information. and keep most of that separate.

FRCS seems like it's going to be. "here's what you need to run in FR, get to it lest thay own your punk ass."