I figure the Blackguard kit is the standard D&D blackguard, it is just a paladin kit that requires you to be evil and gives you the opposite of the paladin's abilities, like smite good instead of evil, detect good instead of evil and so on. Frankly, I have my doubts about how useful this kit is actually going to be since most of the enemies you fight are evil, some neutral and hardly any are good.
It could be nice for roleplaying purposes, not tactical advantage.
I figure the Blackguard kit is the standard D&D blackguard, it is just a paladin kit that requires you to be evil and gives you the opposite of the paladin's abilities, like smite good instead of evil, detect good instead of evil and so on. Frankly, I have my doubts about how useful this kit is actually going to be since most of the enemies you fight are evil, some neutral and hardly any are good.
This is exactly what I do not want them to do. And, since others have stated that Beamdog claims this will be their own take on the Blackguard class and not an attempt to shoehorn in the 3.5 PRC, it looks like I'll get my wish. A welcome relief, but I still want to know exactly what it does!
Personally, I've always found d&d blackguard, or antipaladin kits to be really lazy and boring. Please don't just invert all the abilities a regular paladin has. What is the point of casting cause moderate wounds if you are already swinging a bloody huge greatsword around 3 times a round?
Personally, I've always found d&d blackguard, or antipaladin kits to be really lazy and boring. Please don't just invert all the abilities a regular paladin has. What is the point of casting cause moderate wounds if you are already swinging a bloody huge greatsword around 3 times a round?
If you check the 3.5 Blackguard, while they have some opposite abilities, they also have some abilities completely separate from each other:
Poison Use, sneak attack, Aura of Despair, Fiendish Servant aren't opposites of the Paladin abilities, and a lot of Paladin abilities the Blackguard doesn't get anything related to.
Of course, this wouldn't work very well in BG, as despite everything, it's still mostly a "save the world" setting. And does Poison Use even have any use whatsoever in BG?
Poison Use doesn't actually provide poison. It only eliminates the chance for someone to poison himself when applying it.
Of course that could be altered as they see fit. I think I'd actually like to see that, Blackguards coating their weapons with poison. Sounds more interesting than "Smite Good", which will barely be useful.
I'd like to see something similar to the Assassin kit's poisons as well, if that's the only option. Though, I think my earlier idea of having a passive +1 damage of a "sinister" elemental type like acid or cold on weapon attacks would better imply a supernatural evil aspect on the part of the Blackguard. Where the Assassin is subtle and practical, the Blackguard is showy and much more brutal.
Unless if there was a class overhaul... or if Dorn is a "Very special orc" then I think Blackgaurd is a fighter because as of right now, only humans may be paladins (which I still disagree with partially, but whatever)
Well the announcement says that (at least some) tobex components are in bgee. Two tobex components are: "no race/class restrictions" and (because the possibility of dual class was raised) "dual class/multi class open to everyone". Not sure that they will be in the release but these will probably be soft coded for easy modding
Just knowing if it's a fighter or paladin kit (or its own class) would be informative. I could see half orcs being able to select paladins but (like the gnomish illusionist) be forced to take the blackguard kit.
But I bet that it'll be a fighter kit. So lets assume that. Disadvantages are easier so lets start there; what does the fighter have to lose?
The most obvious is grandmastery. I'm just going to assume that they can only specialize. Ranged weapons? There are some viscous ranged weapons that I think would fit the blackguard just fine (poisoned arrows, darts, bolts). I don't think these will be restricted.
Dual class options (a la swashbuckler?) The "dark powers"--I read that dorn made a pact with dark powers didn't I?--probably don't want the competition so I could imagine the cleric is barred. Thief and wizard seem compatible enough though (of course, it's possible that all dual is out...)
Alignment? probably requires an evil alignment but it is possible that it's restricted to non good alignments. myth is filed with demons and dark gods that just love to corrupt the desperate but it's probably just evil. D&d is still probably the main inspiration and dd blackguards know what they're doing.
What else? Stats? they're not really disadvantages unless they are for a "useless" stat. The 3.5 blackguard uses wisdom as his casting stat so maybe a 14 requirement.
As for her advantages? this, of course, is harder to determine. We have to go with what we know: pnp.
use poison (a la assassin) seems appropriate. I doubt they will get this at first level though. I don't even remember if assassins get it at first level.
I could see them having some spelllike abilities at higher level. There are some very appropriate spells already (cloak of fear; repel and control undead; I could imagine a cold/acid version of the flame sword spell; the drain spells, etc).
(personally I would prefer having these as spells rather than abilities as some would only be useful on some occasions (e.g. repel undead) and the prep system handles this nicely. this might be a nice way to display to modders some soft coded goodness. But who knows. )
I couldn't imagine the loss of grandmastery worth anymore than that .
Edit: the description talks about his "black sword" it would be interesting if the blackguard has a summon able weapon that gets more powerful as he levels
Comments
It's not gonna be the Blackguard of 3.5 edition. They said it's their own creation.
And it's probably a fighter kit, not a paladin, half-orcs can't be paladins. He could be an exception of course but meh.
Paladin: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/paladin.htm
Blackguard: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/blackguard.htm
Poison Use, sneak attack, Aura of Despair, Fiendish Servant aren't opposites of the Paladin abilities, and a lot of Paladin abilities the Blackguard doesn't get anything related to.
Of course, this wouldn't work very well in BG, as despite everything, it's still mostly a "save the world" setting. And does Poison Use even have any use whatsoever in BG?
I think Assassins can coat their weapon with poison.
Poison Use doesn't actually provide poison. It only eliminates the chance for someone to poison himself when applying it.
Of course that could be altered as they see fit. I think I'd actually like to see that, Blackguards coating their weapons with poison. Sounds more interesting than "Smite Good", which will barely be useful.
Just knowing if it's a fighter or paladin kit (or its own class) would be informative. I could see half orcs being able to select paladins but (like the gnomish illusionist) be forced to take the blackguard kit.
But I bet that it'll be a fighter kit. So lets assume that. Disadvantages are easier so lets start there; what does the fighter have to lose?
The most obvious is grandmastery. I'm just going to assume that they can only specialize. Ranged weapons? There are some viscous ranged weapons that I think would fit the blackguard just fine (poisoned arrows, darts, bolts). I don't think these will be restricted.
Dual class options (a la swashbuckler?) The "dark powers"--I read that dorn made a pact with dark powers didn't I?--probably don't want the competition so I could imagine the cleric is barred. Thief and wizard seem compatible enough though (of course, it's possible that all dual is out...)
Alignment? probably requires an evil alignment but it is possible that it's restricted to non good alignments. myth is filed with demons and dark gods that just love to corrupt the desperate but it's probably just evil. D&d is still probably the main inspiration and dd blackguards know what they're doing.
What else? Stats? they're not really disadvantages unless they are for a "useless" stat. The 3.5 blackguard uses wisdom as his casting stat so maybe a 14 requirement.
As for her advantages? this, of course, is harder to determine. We have to go with what we know: pnp.
use poison (a la assassin) seems appropriate. I doubt they will get this at first level though. I don't even remember if assassins get it at first level.
I could see them having some spelllike abilities at higher level. There are some very appropriate spells already (cloak of fear; repel and control undead; I could imagine a cold/acid version of the flame sword spell; the drain spells, etc).
(personally I would prefer having these as spells rather than abilities as some would only be useful on some occasions (e.g. repel undead) and the prep system handles this nicely. this might be a nice way to display to modders some soft coded goodness. But who knows. )
I couldn't imagine the loss of grandmastery worth anymore than that .
Edit: the description talks about his "black sword" it would be interesting if the blackguard has a summon able weapon that gets more powerful as he levels
http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/black_knight_xlg.jpg
it fits perfectly to the definition, right?