Spellcasters vs. Melee classes

[CybAnt1]

The one thing I find a bit ... off... about the game's class system, is that spell casters have a lot of spells, but the melee classes don't have a lot of talents or abilities. 

 

There's no "hybridism" meaning rangers don't get a limited selection of druid spells, paladins a limited selection of priest spells, etc., and that makes sense. That was a D & D mechanic which was dump-able. 

 

However, I sorta expected each class to have more active abilities. They certainly have some passives which improve what they do in melee, and some modals which are usually "improve this at the sake of that," but not many powers they can activate.

 

I mean, by level 12, my ranger could mark a target for death, and do a wounding shot. That's about it. Where were all the other trick shots? I wanted a Hawkeye that had all kinds of special shots with special effects. Bouncing shots, stunning shots, splitting shots, fiery arrows. And my animal companion to have more than 2 abilities. 

 

Same thing with the paladin. Lay on hands, a couple modal auras, a few blessings, oh and set their weapon on fire. 

 

It just seems a bit weird. By level 12, most of my spell casters had a choice of about 40 or so spells, I think. But by level 12, most melee characters had a choice of about 2 activated abilities. 

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not so desirous of button bloat that the melee chars. should have 40 active abilities, but 8-10 or so would have been cool. 

Edited April 21, 2015 by CybAnt1

[perilisk]

I think it's probably to some extent due to the need for maintaining an IE (or at least D&D in the case of the psionist... err, cipher) sort of feel with the classes.

 

It's not like you couldn't make a more interesting fighter class concept (say, let them define fighting styles by stringing together moves like a chanter's phrases, with each move boosting the ones that follow).

[LadyCrimson]

I wouldn't have minded Fighters having one or two more in-combat skills (vs. passive or modals)...as long as it makes sense for melee or melee-tanking. I never like weird magical melee skills like Whirlwind. I don't know why. I'm old school melee I guess - doesn't feel like warrior-melee then.

 

But yeah...they could have done a little more in PoE I think, without turning it into that.