Awesome defense (which is made even more awesome if the mobs are susceptible to your maledictions), good melee damage and can put out some hurt with kicks and owaza, the before-mentioned ability of seeing almost everything, blindness dust, vanish, bind wounds for quicker healing (though not as quick as a bard, granted) and last but not least... martial trance. Very useful for taking out big nasties who you otherwise couldn't beat. Trance won't hinder healing preps either, so you can flee for a quick hit of speckleds and return to the fray while the trance lasts.