Bawylie's Warlord Draft

Here's my pass. Please review and destroy constructively.

I hate to say this because I like your ideas and I know you put a lot of work into it, but it's really hard to read to read the photographs of handwriting so I'm only partway through it. :-(

I did think this thread would be a good place to discuss your other ideas. I liked your variant of Shield Wall, using the fighting styles, but on further thought I have a question: are you proposing that everybody within 5' is granted the style, whether or not they are wielding an appropriate weapon/weapon? If so I find it a little weird. I.e., granting Protection style to somebody with a bow should, in theory, only work if they are wielding a shield, which they are not.

Or were you suggesting that each individual gets to choose the style they prefer? So the archer takes Archery, the barbarian takes GWF, etc.? That makes more practical sense, but I like the flavor a lot less. Suddenly the W is granting abilities that he himself doesn't current have.

So conceptually I LOVE the idea of leveraging fighting styles, but now I'm not convinced it works.

Thoughts?

A fighting style only applies if you meet the preconditions. So even if you have the style, it doesn't mean that you can use it.

It works as Ainulindalion says. W can share his fighting style, but anyone trying to benefit has to meet the style's requirements.

So if he chooses archery style, if someone else is gonna benefit, they need to be using a bow.

And, if W wants to benefit from someone else's style, he needs to match their style, too.

So he can join up with someone else, or others can join him. He can "lend" style or "borrow" style, but he can't transfer it.

Bawylie said:

It works as Ainulindalion says. W can share his fighting style, but anyone trying to benefit has to meet the style's requirements.

So if he chooses archery style, if someone else is gonna benefit, they need to be using a bow.

And, if W wants to benefit from someone else's style, he needs to match their style, too.

So he can join up with someone else, or others can join him. He can "lend" style or "borrow" style, but he can't transfer it.

Click to expand...

Would it just be a passive benefit? If so I could see it being a nice goodie.

Elfcrusher said:

Would it just be a passive benefit? If so I could see it being a nice goodie.

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Yup, passive. You just move into position. Front line, artillery, whatever. Move up and you're now granting benefit, like an aura I guess.

Bawylie said:

Yup, passive. You just move into position. Front line, artillery, whatever. Move up and you're now granting benefit, like an aura I guess.

Click to expand...

Sounds....magical.

Elfcrusher said:

Sounds....magical.

Click to expand...

Maybe. I go for discipline myself. But so long as he's not a fundamental spellcaster I'm good. Spells in subclass, ok. Main chassis, open to interpretation ok.

This looks great. Two thoughts on the main class:

1. Combat Inspiration. You've chosen to make it a benefit that can be spent within an hour, and take only a bonus action. I'd tilt it one way or the other:

1. if it's a bonus action, the inspiration should only be used in that given combat.
2. if it's given before combat begins, it can last until the next short rest (i.e. longer than an hour).

Of the two, I like the second better, as more fitting what I'd want a military leader to offer.

2. Vanguard. This is brilliant, but I would insist that it only goes one way -- others get to use the Warlord's fighting style. That makes it a giving-only ability, and avoids recursive loops. I'd also specify that no one can benefit from receiving the same fighting style more than once (i.e. if they already have it, they don't get it twice).

It'll take a bit of time to fully think through what you're doing with the subclasses, but I think you've got some fun ideas here.

I wouldn't give the Warlord a combat style at all especially at level 1 as it is kind of a fighter thing. If you do bump it to level 2 like a ranger/paladin IMHO. If you do give up some of the comabt oomph of the warrior type classes you can put a bit more power into the warlordy type stuff you presumably want to focus on.

Since it is purely a martial class (like the rogue/fighter) an extra feat or 2 could also be doable instead of the feat/ASI pattern all of the other classes follow due to spells/supernatural abilities. You could pick a warlord archetype at level 2 for example as well a'la the wizard.