Tee-hee!

[Morgenstern]

This would have come in handy for over the Feast of Chocolate Weekend.

Two players teamed up with a 1/2 Elf Centaur Martial Artist and a 1/2 Elf Thug/Scout with plenty of Sneak Attack and Wolf Pack Mastery it quickly became a thing of amazing synergy.

Adding the tidbits of Mounted Combat would have only increased the bloodshed

Yes and no. Remember, when combined as a 'mounted character', they share vitality, but they are only -one- character - so they fewer actions each round and don't trigger flanking by themselves. Its not automatically better than they are seperately, just different, with new strengths (shared larger size and likely speed) and new weaknesses (use the lowest of each of their three saves), especially without any specific training/feats.

In the instance where one character has gotten hammered and is looking dicey on the damage taken front, giving up those actions is still a fantasitic trade-off for taking cover behind the other character's vitality.

The Lancer's abilities to always pick the best of the shared stats lets them hide the weaknessess of one behind the strengths of the other. That's where some of the true nastiness comes in. For those who have World on Fire, read through the spear feats and ponder...

[Toccata]

Either I'm missing something, or the Lancer has some way of counting another character's Melee combat feats towards the total he is considered to possess.

Because Guardian Circle and the permanent benefits of Spear Basics are the only ones I see having additional effectiveness in this situation otherwise.

Admittedly, getting a bonus to a bull rush because the goblin on your back is holding a long, pointy stick is still quite nice.

[Desertpuma]

Where is the Lancer located?

[Crafty_Alex]

Nowhere. You guys have only seen it in name only. But it's a Fantasy Wheelman.

[Medwyn]

Nowhere. You guys have only seen it in name only. But it's a Fantasy Wheelman.

Any hint to when we will see the Lancer? Or Captain? Or more of the Sage? or anything exciting and crafty new?

[OverNinja]

Nowhere. You guys have only seen it in name only. But it's a Fantasy Wheelman.

Any hint to when we will see the Lancer? Or Captain? Or more of the Sage? or anything exciting and crafty new?

FantasyCraft. FantasyCraft. FantasyCraft. Or when they start teasing us with (say it) FantasyCraft.

[spinningdice]

So far we've had 5-level previews of all new base classes - so we'll probably see them at some point. I doubt the same applies to those classes that just have minor changes and keep the same name.

[Morgenstern]

We're getting enough finalized this week to start looking at a preview of some sort in the not too distant future.

Goblins got a last little tweak (2 of their species benefits were just way too synergistic - in the hands of NPCs they'd be anhilating players with alarming regularity). For those who follow Magic: the Gathering (or have decent wiki-fu) you might get a chuckle that goblins can take the Lava-Born and Lava-Clan feats from OotS: Classic Fantasy...

Akki are GO! 

[Daedalus4096]

We're getting enough finalized this week to start looking at a preview of some sort in the not too distant future.

I would like to be the first to request assurance that this is not simply an April Fools' tease. 

[Morgenstern]

Believe me, after finishing up Drakes (playable dragons) this afternoon, I'm wantin' to do some teasin' as much as you guys want some inside goods. I'd guess we'll avoid any serious info today, but it's only 9 hours or so to go before the day of sillies is concluded .

[Golden Dragon]

[chant]
drakes, drakes, drakes, drakes, ....
[/chant]

[Mister Andersen]

I was assuming by Morg's wording (plus several earlier teases) that Wargs are a playable PC talent (that are probably barred from making checks with the Hands On, or at least given all-thumbs), which would require a Personal Lieutenant instead of just an Animal Partner.

They won't appear in Fantasy Craft, but yes, I'm pretty committed to publishing a Big Bad Wolf as a playable race

4th ed Worgs. I guess goblins aren't likely to ride these anymore without some seriously-cushioned saddles.:


Doesn't look much like a wolf, does it? EN World posters have noticed that this is basically a version of the Third Edition guulvorg, or "war worg" in Goblin, from Monster Manual V:

[Mister Andersen]

Wizards of the Coast designer Logan Bonner has posted on EN World to confirm that the picture above is a guulvorg, a Huge variant of the worg, and that the standard worg looks different.

[MugMug]

Note to self, riding the guulvorg = vasectomy.

Walter

[Gentry]

Well didn't you know 4e Goblins breed by budding, like fungus?  They don't have hurty-bits to hurt on a guulvorg.