What is a controller?

[Quickleaf]

Is this a sufficient definition of the controller role?
For example, should the definition include "ranged attacks"?

Controller (Wizard)

Controllers deal with large numbers of enemies at the same time. They favor offense over defense, using powers that deal damage to multiple foes at once, as well as subtler powers that weaken, confuse, or delay their foes.

p.s. I know this has been discussed to death, so feel free to link to other threads.

 

[Rechan]

What is a controller?

 

[Rechan]

For example, should the definition include "ranged attacks"?

The Druid has melee attacks, so there's little reason to spell out "ranged".

 

[fba827]

I believe a recent interview with Mike Mearls (?) further went to state that in developing the PHB2 they were able to better refine the controller role. Something akin to the oppostite of the leader role.

So "debuffing" enemies (either by imposing penalities on them or moving them around via forced movement) or just area damage to make them want to scatter (rather than forcing them to scatter).

There is no reason to specifiy it to ranged attacks because not all are ranged. Some can be close blasts, for instance.

 

[Starglim]

Attacking at a distance is smart for controllers, since they "favor offense over defense", often present particular threats that enemies want to concentrate on and silence, and therefore should stay out of range of monster attacks when they can, but I don't see that it's a necessary part of the definition.

In the strict sense, it's not hard to build a wizard with no ranged attacks (or, for that matter, a fighter with ranged, close and area options).

 

[Minigiant]

It's not a requirement as much as the easier route. Controllers use AOE and debuffing. It's easier to hit the target that are grouped together or need a particular debuff when to can shoot the effect straight at them instead of just walking and geting oppy-smacked 1-4 times. The whole point of a a role is to do something without getting yourself killed in the process.

You could easily make a controller with mostly close attacks.

 

[webrunner]

What is a controller

A miserable little pile of secrets.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Yeah, best to think of them in terms of characters who can screw the enemy up, and prevent your party being swamped by mass wave attacks.

"They're coming out of the gawd damn walls on wire!"

"EAT WALL OF FIRE, XENOMORPHS!"

it's not just the killing of minions, it's way their walls, slows, stuns, knockbacks etc act as "force amplifiers", and disrupt enemy interaction, as contollers can channel enemies into tight groups for blasting, or to prevent flanking, let other allies utilize powers to better effect, etc.

A Wall of Fire or Ice can protect the party's flank, prevent enemies flanking the fighter and damage them too, even simply block a doorway completely so the enemy can't get to you, etc.

I loved "Grease" in prior editions, such an AWESOME spell

Oh, with the ring that gives exra damage to close effects (Ring of the Dragonborn EMperor), then the Paragon feat that lets close attacks originated up to 2 squares away (Arcane Reach), and suitable impliment, oh yeah, you can kick ass!

 

[DracoSuave]

You're there to spoil plans.

Look at at-will AoEs. Yes, they're good for cacking clumped dudes, but they have another use that a lot of people neglect.

We're doing a LFR game and I'm the wizard. We come across a situation with a goblin archer atop a tower, ready to fire at us and call for help. The archer tried to hit him but the cover and concealment made it really difficult.

Enter Scorching Burst. The -other- benefit of Area attacks is the fact that they ignore concealment, and their displaced origin means they often ignore cover.

When we fought goblins+hexer later, it proved invaluable in actually hitting the little rotters.

You mess up their plans, and there are many ways for your spells to do it that the Hit: line does not always tell you.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

It's also important to remember that each of the roles are designed with dependencies on the other roles.

Controllers have low defenses and low damage output with regard to individuals. They need defenders to keep opponents off of them.

The level of that need varies. Druids have some decent Melee - though i don't know that they could survive in that position without help - and Wizards can get some bitchin AC but it takes more to get them there versus Defenders who have more hit points and surges right out the gate.

There's a section of the DMG expanding on this aspect of the role definitions but I don't have one with me to track them down.