Originally posted by Litigation:
The Paths Illuminated: Paragon and Epic Tier Powers of Note
Paragon Tier powers are listed here as well since the Character Builder allows you to start retraining powers into other classes' from 21st level on. Some of these may tide you over until the later Epic levels. Since this guide can't list
all the powers, most of the powers listed are ones that were worth a mention, so most will be
blue or
sky blue.
Traps will be noted. The powers will be judged on universal appeal, not just the appeal to its native class, so some powers may be rated higher or lower than you'd expect, or not be mentioned at all. Powers will be categorized by attack stat, and whether it uses a weapon or a class' implement.
Stances and Miscellany:
Lv. 15 Daily
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Unyielding Avalanche (Ftr, PHB): Battlefield control, regeneration for CON-heavy melee-ers at its finest.
War Master's Assault (Wld, MP): A gang beatdown that only gets better with a high CHA.
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Lv. 19 Daily
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Increasing the Tempo (Brd, PHB2): Someone's gonna do some killing. Four basic attacks as a free action to an ally of your choice. Ouch.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Reaper's Stance (Ftr, PHB): Can really pile on the damage, especially with a high DEX.
Quicksilver Blade (Sdm, FRPG): Minor-action melee basic attacks every round. Very nice.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Force the Battle (Ftr, PHB): If you have even one Fighter at-will power, definitely
consider going for this. If not,
ignore it.
Mirrorblade Army (Sdm, AP): With a good CON modifier, you can be just about anywhere you want to be. Literally.
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Strength, Weapon:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Storm of Blades (Bbn, PHB2): This power has been recently capped at three attacks flat. And just like before, once you miss with this power, that's it. Still, the potential to hit an enemy three times with a single standard is what it is: a way to kill a standard enemy fast. If you're willing to wait for proper setup every encounter (say, the ability to hit on a 2 or 3), it can still be devastating.
Anvil of Doom (Ftr, PHB): Stuns with a hammer or mace. Not the greatest damage, but it'll tide you over nicely if you're looking for a status-effect power early on.
Chains of Sorrow (Ftr, PHB): Great power-play setup against all defenses if you have a good DEX and a flail.
Armor Splinter (Rgr, PHB): Perfect for dual-wielders with a good WIS looking to set up gross power plays against AC.
Off-Hand Diversion (Rgr, MP): Minor-action attack for dual-wielders, which is grand in itself, and it also sets up combat advantage.
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Lv. 15 Daily
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Blade Cascade (Rgr, PHB): Really needs no introduction. As with Storm of Blades, just make sure to only use it when you've been setup for success.
Renew the Troops (Wld, PHB): Surge-value-and-independent mass healing with an attack. Better with a good CHA.
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Lv. 17 Encounter
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Blinding Light (Clr, PHB): Blinds, attack Fortitude, and Radiant. Good combination.
Hail of Steel (Wld, PHB): Gang beatdown, baby.
Mark of Terror (Pal, DP): For any defender loading up on the stuns.
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Lv. 19 Daily
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Indomitable Spirit (Clr, PHB): Surge-value-and-independent mass healing regardless of hit or miss.
Strike of the Watchful Guard (Ftr, PHB): Even better in the hands of an off-Defender (or even a Barbarian) than a primary defender Fighter. Can force a devastating squeeze play with a primary Defender.
Storm Drake Rage (Bbn, PHB2): Reward enemies for hitting you in melee by knocking them down. Nice. A Defender can really force the issue with this.
Cruel Cage of Steel (Rgr, PHB): Lots of damage and potentially a cocktail of status effects. For dual-wielders.
Smite the Soul (Pal, DP): Save-ends stun with a dazing aftereffect.
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Lv. 23 Encounter
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Skullcrusher (Ftr, PHB): Dazes and blinds with a hammer or mace. Very nice.
Sudden Assault (Wld, PHB): Giving someone a standard action for free is awesome even without the Presence benefit.
Nonchalant Collapse (Rgr, MP): Minor-action attack for dual-wielders that attacks Fortitude and knocks prone. Beautiful.
Staggering Strike (Bbn, PHB2): Attacks Fortitude and stuns. If you're loading up on melee stunning encounter powers, here's one for this level.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Ash Hammer Rage (Bbn, PHB2): Good damage and push on the attack, and a lot of temp HPs for someone with a high CHA to boot.
Stone Tempest Rage (Bbn, PHB2): 18-20 crit range is no joke.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Hurricane of Blades (Bbn, PHB2): Even after errata, four guaranteed attacks is still the most damaging encounter power you'll ever see. It's still more damaging than even most dailies, as well. When it's absolutely, positively gotta die, accept no substitute.
Stunning Smite (Pal, PHB): Can potentially stun everyone around you. And attacks Will to do it. If you're looking for a strong melee control element, this is it.
Death Rend (Rgr, PHB): For dual-wielders, a great combination of high single-target damage and the chance of a stun.
Warlord's Doom (Wld, PHB): For when you absolutely have to extend that nice save-ends status effect for an extra turn.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Rage of the Primal Beast (Bbn, PHB2): AKA you don't miss in this fight.
World Serpent Rage (Bbn, PHB2): All Defenders drool over this one. Fighters even more so, since they can double-punish a shift with their CC and the free-action attack off the same trigger. And if the enemy doesn't want to get away, they eat more damage from your attacks. This one creates one hell of a lose-lose situation.
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Constitution, Warlock Implement:
Lv. 27 Encounter
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Zutwa's Incandescence (AP): AoE blinding power (close burst 2). Attacks Will. Good deal.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Hurl through Hell (PHB): Remove a particularly troublesome enemy from the fight for four rounds, and after that they're stunned. Very nice. Attacks Will, too.[/sblock]
Dexterity, Weapon:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Pinning Strike (Rgr, PHB): While it can be used in melee as a STR-based dual-wielding attack, it shines a lot brighter in its ranged-attack form. Can attack the same foe twice, and it immobilizes.
Stunning Strike (Rog, PHB): Stunning melee attack. Definitely serves its purpose.
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Lv. 15 Daily
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Confounding Arrows (Rgr, PHB): Ranged attack. Big damage and a good chance to stun.
Garrote Grip (Rog, PHB): With some backup in the form of stunning powers or unconscious effects, this melee attack can end an enemy easily. If the enemy is weak in Athletics or Acrobatics, you won't even need the backup.
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Lv. 17 Encounter
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Arrow of Vengeance (Rgr, PHB): Off-action ranged attack when an enemy attacks your ally. Will be used often.
Dragon Tail Strike (Rog, PHB): Can be done melee or ranged and is a good way to discourage retaliation for hitting with it, lest it do even more damage.
Pounding Barrage (Rgr, MP): Three ranged attacks on the same enemy. Does sick damage and can immobilize.
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Lv. 19 Daily
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Feinting Flurry(Rog, PHB): Power-play madness with a high CHA. Can be melee or ranged.
Dead Stop (Rgr, MP): Immediate interrupt ranged attack versus a charge, attacks Reflex, knocks prone. Solid.
Daunting Barrage (Rog, MP): Save-ends mass dazing madness with a Rogue's ranged weapon.
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Lv. 23 Encounter
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Manticore's Volley (Rgr, PHB): Another three-shot against one enemy. Can't really have enough of these.
Steel Entrapment (Rog, PHB): Mass immobilization. Awesome.
Crack Shot (Rog, MP): Doesn't freeze the army Steel Entrapment does, but the range is greater and area burst 1, knock prone ain't bad. For some this might be a fair tradeoff.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Cruel Pursuit (Rog, MP): Two painful melee stabs versus Reflex with a nice little flank-setting dance in between. Beautiful.
Visceral Strike (Rog, MP): Melee attack save-ends stuns, and if they save, they're weakened and slowed until they save again. This one's quite nasty.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Hail of Arrows (Rgr, PHB): The overall usefulness of this power is situational, but no one can say it's not good for minion control.
Lightning Shot (Rgr, PHB): Off-action ranged attack that piles on the damage to an enemy in response to an ally doing damage. Very solid.
Perfect Strike (Rog, PHB): Solid damage and potential to stun. As long as you can beat AC and Fortitude, in most cases the rest will fall into place. Can be done melee or ranged.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Five-Missile Dance (Rgr, MP): Ouchie. That's what an enemy will say after getting mercilessly peppered by this series of ranged attacks. If he's alive to say it.
Cagey Killer (Rog, MP): Save-end stun with a save-end daze as an aftereffect. Very cold. Can be done melee or ranged, but melee-ers are more likely to take it.
Deathweaving Strike (Rog, MP): Ridiculous damage potential for melee if you happen to have a high CHA. It's Reliable, too, and it pops Reflex.
Sight-Stealing Shot (Rog, MP): If you're looking for status-effect lockdown with a ranged weapon, this is it. Blinding and dazing together are almost as good as Cagey Killer's stunning, and it attacks Reflex to pull ahead of Cagey Killer as a ranged attack.
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Intelligence, Weapon:
Lv. 15 Daily
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Hunter's Pursuit (Sdm, AP): A Wizard might use it to immobilize an enemy who gets next to him, and then shift away. The initial attack hits Reflex.
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Lv. 17 Encounter
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Dazzling Display (Sdm, AP): Close burst 1, attacks Reflex. It sets up combat advantage and grants you concealment. Decent.
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Lv. 19 Daily
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Hell's Own Blade (Sdm, FRPG): One of the Swordmage's few multi-attack, focus-fire powers. Piles the damage on one target and blasts a few of his buddies as collateral.
Planar Shock (Sdm, AP): Remove an enemy from the fight for a while or instantly put him in a position where he's gonna get slaughtered for free. Very nice.
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Lv. 23 Encounter
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Thunder Riposte (Sdm, FRPG): Whoa. Where to begin? It's an immediate reaction, it's a close blast 3, and it knocks all enemies in the blast prone and dazes, which unless the targets can teleport is tantamount to a stun. Godly even without the Aegis of Shielding benefit.
Lightning Bolt Charge (Sdm, AP): Multi-attack (and yes, it can attack the same enemy) with a teleport in between. Very nice.
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Intelligence, Wizard Implement:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Prismatic Burst (PHB): AoE blinding with a good range and decent damage. Attacks Will.
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Lv. 15 Daily
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Prismatic Beams (PHB): This is capable of some pretty nice damage, as well as dazing. It's also a close burst 5, so the area is huge and it won't provoke an OA in melee.
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Lv. 23 Encounter
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Thunderclap (PHB): Stuns at a good range along with decent damage.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Maze (PHB): With a good Will defense (high WIS or CHA and a couple feats helps), you'll keep a particularly bothersome enemy out of the fight for at least a couple rounds.
Prismatic Spray (PHB): The Prismatic line of spells is great in general. This one in particular is good for more than just Wizards. Close burst 5, so great area and no provoking OAs, and capable of both great damage and stunning.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Lost in the Mists (AP): Dominates. With a good CHA modifier you turn your puppet into a greater liability to his cronies. Only weakness is the Charm keyword.
Steal Time (AP): The target's stunned, and you took his standard action to boot. Wreak further havoc with it. Best of all, this has no Charm or Illusion keyword, so immunity won't help there.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Legion's Hold (PHB): I don't think this one needs an introduction.
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Intelligence, Swordmage Implement:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Hypnotic Swordplay (AP): Stuns. If you're trying to max out stunning powers from the getgo, it's there.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Waves of Languor (AP): A close-burst Sleep spell that does a little damage and targets only enemies. Hey, can't complain.
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Wisdom, Weapon:
Lv. 25 Daily
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Executioner's Justice (PHB2): Dazes, and possibly stuns. A Cleric might look at this one.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Scatter to the Astral Winds (PHB2): This one's actually really good. Even without the Censure feature, teleporting all nearby enemies 5 squares is a great way to rearrange a battlefield, something anyone regardless of role could make use of.
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Wisdom, Cleric Implement:
Lv. 17 Encounter
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Thunderous Word: Pretty good rearrangement power.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Sacred Word (PHB): Mass stunning. Nice.
Seal of Binding (PHB): In case you needed a reminder, if you have a good amount of regeneration active, this equals guaranteed death on one enemy.
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Wisdom, Avenger Implement:
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Wisdom, Invoker Implement:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Seal of the Heretic (PHB2): Even without the Covenant benefit, putting down a -5 to even one saving throw is valuable. Targets Will and can affect up to three targets.
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Lv. 17 Encounter
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Blood Debt (PHB2): Even a +2 bonus to allies' attacks for betting attacked by the target is pretty good.
Curse of Haemnathuun (PHB2): Dazing and immobilation together are almost as good as a stun, and this does it in a huge close blast area.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Word of the Gods (PHB2): Mass domination on hit. The close blast area is great, too.
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Wisdom, Druid Implement:
Lv. 15 Daily
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Baleful Polymorph (PHB2): Oh, how humiliating. And effective.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Primal Storm (PHB2): Pretty solid control power. Keeps them on their rears.
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Wisdom, Shaman Implement:
Lv. 25 Daily
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Western Wind of Storms (PHB2): Major battlefield rearrangement, and in a nice area size, too.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Sea of Serpents (PHB2): AoE of a good size followed by a zone of overall great combat improvements for allies in it.
Spirit of the Unbroken Vow (PHB2): This one's best used on a Striker to ensure he almost never misses in the fight.
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Charisma, Weapon:
Lv. 13 Encounter
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Couplet of Deceptive Weakness (Brd, AP): Off-action punishment, with a nearby ally coming over to help.
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Lv. 19 Daily
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Corona of Blinding Radiance (Pal, PHB): Close-burst blinding, Radiant, and attacks Reflex. Awesome.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Discipline the Unruly (Pal, DP): Damage and blind anyone within 5 squares who attacks an ally. Sustain this with minor actions. Nasty.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Surge of Valor (Brd, PHB2): Good even without the Virtue, it can set up a gang beatdown of an enemy if your allies are close enough.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Hero's Beacon (Brd, PHB2): Attack followed by a zone that moves with you, heals allies and blasts enemies with radiant damage. Great.
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Charisma, Paladin Implement:
Lv. 23 Encounter
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Demand Respect (DP): Immediate interrupt, knocks an enemy prone and blinds for attacking an ally. Good range, too.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Deific Vengeance (PHB): An immediate reaction with fantastic range against someone who attacks you. Does solid damage, attacks Fortitude at +2 bonus and weakens. Extremely helpful for a lot of classes, even moreso than it is for Paladins.
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Charisma, Warlock Implement:
Lv. 19 Daily
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Passionate Betrayal (FRPG): Dominate a bloodied enemy with a potentially huge penalty to the save. Awesome. Save-ends daze on miss.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Instruction in Darkness (AP): Remove an enemy from the fight until they save, then it and every enemy closeby gets save-ends blinded. Nice. Even if it misses, the target at least gets blinded.[/sblock]
Lv. 29 Daily
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Arrangement of Disorder (AP): Close burst 5 AoE damage followed by rearranging the battlefield. Even if you miss at least allies can teleport.
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Charisma, Bard Implement:
Lv. 23 Encounter
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Chant of Bad Fortune (AP): Inflict massive saving throw penalties to all enemies in the burst, and grant allies a save. Nice.
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Lv. 25 Daily
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Frenzied Rhythm (PHB2): Get your enemies to beat each other up, then stun them for a round. Dazes them if you miss.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Pounding Rhythm (AP): This close blast 3 can result in a lot of stunned enemies, particularly if you have an ally ready to follow up with an AoE.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Horrifying Truth (AP): Good-sized AoE blast that save-ends dazes enemies ... until your friends hit them and they get save-ends stunned instead. The beginning daze happens regardless of hit or miss.
Spellbind (PHB2): Save-ends domination with a damaging and dazing aftereffect.
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Charisma, Sorcerer Implement:
Lv. 17 Encounter
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Dragon Tail Meditation (PHB2): Immediate reaction when you get flanked. Good just for that, even without the Dragon Magic perk.
Poisonous Evasion (PHB2): Immediate reaction AoE when someone misses you with an attack. Pretty good. Be aware poison is the most common resistance, though.
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Lv. 23 Encounter
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Sun and Stars (AP): Two attacks of focus fire with a fantastic range. Rare for implements, so keep this one in mind.
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Lv. 27 Encounter
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Mother Claw (AP): Immediate reaction against a melee attack. Solid damage followed by CHA-mod squares of shifting. Nice.
Overpowering Lightning (AP): Stun from 20 squares away. Nice.
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Lv. 29 Daily
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Entropic Whirlwind (PHB2): Great battlefield rearrangement potential, especially if you have the DEX. Even if not, the effect that can teleport one nearby creature (enemy or ally) every round is great.
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