Chris_Nightwing
First Post
Today I thought I'd post about fighting styles - which ones I'd like to see supported by themes, and what those fighting styles should do in play. I'd be interested to hear other ideas, but I'm keeping the focus on non-magical, Fighter-y stuff here. Some inspiration has been gathered from previous editions, and Baldur's Gate II, which did a fine job of offering interesting choices for martial characters.
Two-Weapon Fighting
Two-Handed
Sword and Board
Free Hand
Archery
Unarmed
So, the questions I'm interested in discussing are whether there are further styles you would like to see, whether there are more interesting benefits these styles could provide, and I'm also curious as to whether people want small bonuses, +2 here, +1 there, or if sweeping effects like advantage, die roll minima or 'ignore this penalty' are preferable.
Two-Weapon Fighting
- First of all, a decision has to be made about how two-weapon fighting interacts with weapon damage. Either it grants an extra attack, or the secondary weapon has some other effect.
- My preference is an additional attack, which means that for balance purposes, two-handed weapons really ought to deal twice as much damage as one-handed weapons.
- The obvious alternative would be granting advantage on a two-weapon attack, but this would become a no-brainer for any damage-centred Rogue. I am struggling to think of a way to include some cost here.
- Another option is to go back to penalties for TWF, mitigated by a theme. Again, to avoid numbers, the offhand attack could normally have disadvantage, mitigated by the first feat in this theme.
- Finally, there are always numbers. Bonus damage from the offhand weapon, perhaps bonus defence, the sort of stuff we saw in 3E/4E. Fiddly, in my opinion.
- If you want to mix together fighting styles with manoeuvres, this would be a good candidate for improved disarming.
Two-Handed
- Obviously, the damage output of a two-handed weapon depends on your attitude to two-weapon fighting. I do like the simplicity of one-handed weapons dealing 1d#, with two-handed equivalents dealing 2d#.
- This is a damage-centred style, but to avoid numbers again we could increase damage dice, or have minima on die rolls, based on Strength for instance - 2d6, but you can't roll lower than your Str mod on either dice.
- Again, mixing this with manoeuvres, this is a good candidate for AC-sundering or knockdown.
Sword and Board
- Aside from the obvious bonus to AC granted by this style, the Guardian theme was a good starting point, protecting an ally simply and effectively each round.
- Perhaps there should be an option to protect yourself too, particularly against ranged attacks.
- There is also the possibility of providing a save bonus against bursts and breath weapons, but that might involve numbers.
- Any manoeuvres involving pushing are most suitable for this style.
Free Hand
- This is for flexible combatants, fencers, duelists, that sort of style: a one-handed weapon and nothing more.
- To go with the fencing theme, maybe this should be the defend-yourself theme - though you lack the AC bonus of a shield, maybe you can parry or even counterattack in the way a guardian blocks.
- Manoeuvres such as feinting (for advantage next attack) and perhaps tripping seem to fit with the general flamboyance of this style
Archery
- The most straight forward style really, though I wonder how to improve it. Obviously there is removing the disadvantage penalty for firing whilst you are in melee.
- There is no mention of a penalty for firing *into* a melee yet, but that would be another good thing to remove with this theme.
- Later in the theme, penalties for opponents using cover could be mitigated, but I'm struggling to think of exciting benefits that don't involve more attacks (which might be acceptable if bows do 1 damage dice).
- There aren't many ranged manoeuvres either, though I could conceive of situations in which you might pin an opponent, or distract them with a well-placed arrow that provides an ally of yours with advantage against them in melee.
Unarmed
- Quite the specialist style, I'm not sure it should be offered out of the gate so as not to tread on the monk - though they may well be available right away.
- I imagine this will mostly focus on increasing the damage dice of your unarmed attacks and removing any penalties that might exist.
- Grapple is the obviously suitable manoeuvre, though disarm could apply in some contexts.
So, the questions I'm interested in discussing are whether there are further styles you would like to see, whether there are more interesting benefits these styles could provide, and I'm also curious as to whether people want small bonuses, +2 here, +1 there, or if sweeping effects like advantage, die roll minima or 'ignore this penalty' are preferable.
