Fighter Subclass: The Bravura! (INT-based, tactical, non-magical)

mellored · Feb 2, 2018

Elfcrusher said:
...how about a Monk variant? I could see a real Captain America type of character built on the Monk chassis.

- Ki doesn't regenerate each turn, so that's a more limited resource.
- However, bonus actions are valuable to all monks, so that could be used to fuel reactions. Also their one extra attack.

So by 5th level you could have a default of three extra reactions each round (2 attacks, 1 bonus), plus more if you want to spend Ki.

Meh... Monks has a lot of individual powers already, like arrow catching, slow fall, stun, evasion, immunities, and whatever trick their sub-class gives them.
And they don't have easy numbers attached like sneak attack and multi-attack.

Wednesday Boy said:
I like the idea of it as a Rogue subclass. The original class was more like a Fighter but I think you could capture the feel of a Warlord with the Rogue as the main class. The Rogue has a number of read the battlefield and reacted quickly abilities that fit well with the tactical genius theme of the subclass.

I don't know if it would make a difference but a Rogue Bravura would have less armor and weapons than a Fighter Bravura and would be missing the protection fighting style (which I think is important to the Bravura but it could be added as another contingency). I haven't played a 5th Edition Rogue but perhaps some special consideration would be needed if they use their reaction frequently for Uncanny Dodge.

Possibly split the sub-class?

Fighter as more of a bonus giver. Jumping in the way of attacks and helping allies.
Rogue as more of a penatly giver. Fooling, tricking, and hampering enemies. Using minor illusion as a reaction would be pretty fun.

With room to overlap, of course. Plenty of classes can cast fireball.

Also, rogues have a built in reaction. So there's a nice default to trade.

Guest 6801328 · Mar 10, 2018

I still haven't actually playtested this homebrew, but a friend is running a one-shot (well, four-shot) campaign for level 12 characters and while tinkering with an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian and an Open Hand Monk I found myself thinking, "Dang, I really wish there were a way to trade attacks (or something) for reactions." And that's without having any new reactions to choose from: just class abilities, AoO's, and feats.

I might try to brew a monk subclass that only has one new reaction, but has the feature that lets you take extra reactions (either spend Ki or sacrifice your next bonus action...which for Monks is a meaningful sacrifice.)

mellored · Mar 10, 2018

Elfcrusher said:
I still haven't actually playtested this homebrew, but a friend is running a one-shot (well, four-shot) campaign for level 12 characters and while tinkering with an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian and an Open Hand Monk I found myself thinking, "Dang, I really wish there were a way to trade attacks (or something) for reactions." And that's without having any new reactions to choose from: just class abilities, AoO's, and feats.

I might try to brew a monk subclass that only has one new reaction, but has the feature that lets you take extra reactions (either spend Ki or sacrifice your next bonus action...which for Monks is a meaningful sacrifice.)

I haven't tried this on specificly, but I did try two quick versions. One was just "twice per round, you can let someone reroll a d20", and litterally nothing else. The balance was actually pretty good, but it felt empty story wise.
Then I tried a "twice per round, you can move 10' and let someone reroll a d20". Which was a bit weak, but worked better story wise.
Team level was 6.

Tony Vargas · Mar 10, 2018

Elfcrusher said:
Yeah, yeah, I hijacked the name Bravura. Sue me.

You have been served. ;P

Seriously, though, the name suggests foolhardy bravery, 'bravado,' and intimidation. Not so much tactics.

The Bravura warlord build is about the only one that could actually make sense as a fighter sub-class. It was tougher than other warlords, the powers it was best at tended towards higher risk and higher damage, and could allow it to function as a secondary defender. So analogous to other faux-multi-class builds we've seen in Essentials and 5e, like the Bladesinger (Wizard, but a bit fighter) or EK (Fighter but a bit Wizard).

Bravuras were Warlords who were a bit Fighter, so it's no worse than flipping the names and calling the EK a Bladesinger.

FWIW. Name's aren't that important.

Guest 6801328 · Mar 11, 2018

Tony Vargas said:
You have been served. ;P

Seriously, though, the name suggests foolhardy bravery, 'bravado,' and intimidation. Not so much tactics.

The Bravura warlord build is about the only one that could actually make sense as a fighter sub-class. It was tougher than other warlords, the powers it was best at tended towards higher risk and higher damage, and could allow it to function as a secondary defender. So analogous to other faux-multi-class builds we've seen in Essentials and 5e, like the Bladesinger (Wizard, but a bit fighter) or EK (Fighter but a bit Wizard).

Bravuras were Warlords who were a bit Fighter, so it's no worse than flipping the names and calling the EK a Bladesinger.

FWIW. Name's aren't that important.

bra·vu·ra
brəˈv

o͞orə
noun
great technical skill and brilliance shown in a performance or activity.
"the recital ended with a blazing display of bravura"
synonyms: virtuoso, masterly, outstanding, excellent, superb, brilliant, dazzling, first-class, expert; More
the display of great daring.
"the show of bravura hid a guilty timidity"

(rather a bit of formatting lost with the copy-paste...)

But it's really kind of the perfect word.

If I'm stepping on the toes of the Warlord from previous editions...well, that's just frosting.

mellored · Mar 12, 2018

Here's a thought that I put into my attempt. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?624264-Marshal-port-(-warlord)
(Since I'm totally stealing the extra reaction idea... i'll should give some back.)

"Prepared: Instead of gaining multi-attack at fighter levels 5, 11, and 20, you gain an extra reaction instead."
-Simplify the whole things trade-thing by doing it once.

"Always Readied: At the end of any turn, you can use your reaction to move 10' and make a single weapon attack. You can use multiple reactions, making 1 attack for each one, but only move once."
-Still lets you attack like crazy if you fall back to normal fighter-mode if you don't get your special reactions.

Parduz · Mar 12, 2018

Tony Vargas said:
Seriously, though, the name suggests foolhardy bravery, 'bravado,' and intimidation. Not so much tactics.

Stumbled in this thread, and while i'm still grasping it, I'd like to comment this:
The meaning of the word "bravo" (which is the root of 'bravado' and 'bravura') is both negative and positive.
In the early italian his meaning was "strong and able both in his arm and his willpower, both in good and bad meaning". There was some mercenary called "Bravi".
Later "bravo" gained also a only positive meaning: lost the specific fighting meaning for a generic, all-around, ability to do something, and a new "good" meaning ("un brav'uomo" = a very good, responsible, person).

Elfcrusher said:
bra·vu·ra
brəˈvo͞orə
noun
great technical skill and brilliance shown in a performance or activity.
"the recital ended with a blazing display of bravura"
synonyms: virtuoso, masterly, outstanding, excellent, superb, brilliant, dazzling, first-class, expert; More
the display of great daring.
"the show of bravura hid a guilty timidity"

So this is totally true.

I don't know how "exotic" may sound "Bravura" to you all, but i was pleased to find it here

Guest 6801328 · Mar 12, 2018

Parduz said:
Stumbled in this thread, and while i'm still grasping it, I'd like to comment this:
The meaning of the word "bravo" (which is the root of 'bravado' and 'bravura') is both negative and positive.
In the early italian his meaning was "strong and able both in his arm and his willpower, both in good and bad meaning". There was some mercenary called "Bravi".
Later "bravo" gained also a only positive meaning: lost the specific fighting meaning for a generic, all-around, ability to do something, and a new "good" meaning ("un brav'uomo" = a very good, responsible, person).

So this is totally true.

I don't know how "exotic" may sound "Bravura" to you all, but i was pleased to find it here

Grazie mille!

Tony Vargas · Mar 12, 2018

Parduz said:
Stumbled in this thread, and while i'm still grasping it, I'd like to comment this:
The meaning of the word "bravo" (which is the root of 'bravado' and 'bravura') is both negative and positive.
In the early italian his meaning was "strong and able both in his arm and his willpower, both in good and bad meaning". There was some mercenary called "Bravi".
Later "bravo" gained also a only positive meaning: lost the specific fighting meaning for a generic, all-around, ability to do something, and a new "good" meaning ("un brav'uomo" = a very good, responsible, person).

Interesting. Thanks for the insight.

I don't know how "exotic" may sound "Bravura" to you all, but i was pleased to find it here

It sounded pretty obscure & exotic - and suggestive of the 'false bravado' idiom, when it first came up as a Warlord 'build'/Presence (sub-class in 5e parlance) in Martial Power 2 for 4e. The bravura warlord specialized in high-risk exploits, could off-defend, and tended to be a bit if a combat-accelerator...

Fighter Subclass: The Bravura! (INT-based, tactical, non-magical)

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