lichmaster
Hero
Wow, lots of super interesting stuff here!!!
In general I'm not super fond of the idea of adding more classes, unless they explore a completely new aspect of the game (like psionics). I'd rather have archetypes than fully fledged classes, but that's me.
I'm not sure I'd want specific weapons to be tied to (or benefiting mostly) specific classes, but at the same time reinforcing some concepts already baked in the class while allowing more versatility by sacrificing those additional benefits could be interesting.
One thing I think could be cool is more nuanced proficiency with weapons: currently, characters being proficient in a weapon is a binary condition and the attack bonus is simply dictated by their level. One character that has just learned to use a new weapon will have the same baseline skill of another character that picked the same weapon at level 1. Sure, they may be able to play different tricks with that weapon due to class difference and combat tradition, but their basic level of weapon wielding would be identical (same weapon damage, weapon properties, attack bonus etc). What if instead there was a simple system that could show an improvement of even the baseline skill with the weapon, related on how long they have been using it?
Something like being able to use the weapon as if it had additional properties, tiered to their experience? This wouldn't overshadow class skills or combat traditions, but still give that bit of an edge (pun intended) to characters with greater mastery over a weapon, showing their superiority with even a simple unmodified attack
In general I'm not super fond of the idea of adding more classes, unless they explore a completely new aspect of the game (like psionics). I'd rather have archetypes than fully fledged classes, but that's me.
I'm all in for new combat traditions instead. There's a giant design space here that can be filled. Actually, I think some of the above mentioned classes could be represented quite well with existing classes and a new archetype that exploits new combat traditions (like a gun slinging tradition).New Combat Traditions
Deepwood Sniper for more archery and ranged combat options. Inquisitor's Brand for righteous crusaders and exorcists. Serpent's Grip for wrasslin' and grappling. Thundering Bombard for guns and cannons, specifically. And I'm still planning to do the Elemental Bending styles, but haven't got names for them, yet.
For what I understood this was the original plan, which was very cool for me. I'm all in for this!Combat Synergies
The core of what this thread was about, essentially. Just even more of them.
This has potential but is also in a space with several alternatives, created over different periods, rulesets and crunchy-ness profile. I like the 3.5 version created (adopted) for War of the Burning Sky, which seems to blend the two ideas you're describing here. Maybe you can give a look to that to better differentiate your idea?Mass Combat as Roles
Mass Combat is best with the players involved, but often gets bogged down by big rules-heavy systems. So instead make units into creatures with stat blocks and specific benefits based on their role in combat, and allow players to chose a mass combat role that keys into the NPC stat blocks.
So you'd pick one of four roles:
Artillery: Archers, Mages, Ranged Damage NPC Units
Flanker: Cavalry, Rogues, Fast Moving NPC Units
Front Line: Fighters, Ogres, Melee Damage NPC Units.
Support: Commanders, Priests, Supportive NPC Units.
Each unit has a weakness against one of the other unit types (Support has disadvantage on attacks against enemy Artillery, for example) but PC commands grant a unit advantage against two other, pre-determined, unit types (Artillery is good against Front Line and Support, for example).
Players pick the units they want to command and go on through the encounter, giving directions for who their unit should attack. This can be done either as a purely-mass combat structure... Or:
Mass Combat as Dungeons
Yup. Mass combat as dungeons involves setting up various battle-set-pieces largely as backdrops on the action between the players and their objectives. Whether that's killing an enemy commander, taking a wall from NPC soldiers, or otherwise performing dungeon-activities on a battlefield. The Mass Combat Roles still apply, but act as a 'timer' for players to succeed at a goal before their forces are "overwhelmed" and forced to retreat, ending the encounter.
The party then has to choose whether to continue fighting for their objective (with increased personal danger) or retreat with their forces to safety.
This is also interesting, albeit I'd prefer a system to generate weapons than an over growing list that may need maintenance (I think I found such a system, I'll post it in a separate thread). However guns are a minority, so probably this space deserves more options if one wants them to be a preponderant aspect of the gameNew Weaponry
Mostly guns. Specifically guns that are more or less balanced against standard A5e weapons like swords and axes. Meant to be used in settings where firearms are more common and less "Oh my gosh look at this super rare item, better make it really good and slap a 300gp price tag boost on it!"... But also things like two-handed finesse weapons, whips that are stronger, and...
This seems a different twist over the simple/martial/exotic simple system of 5e, and could be interesting.Class Weaponry
13th Age may have been right. Here's an alternate system wherein weapons deal more or less damage based on who is wielding them and their proficiency with them. Or other benefits. Like Throwing Knives that scale their damage and range in the hands of Rogues to make them similar in usefulness to a shortbow so you don't feel like you have to sacrifice character concept for combat effectiveness.
I'm not sure I'd want specific weapons to be tied to (or benefiting mostly) specific classes, but at the same time reinforcing some concepts already baked in the class while allowing more versatility by sacrificing those additional benefits could be interesting.
I'm really curious to see what you'll come up with!So my questions to y'all are twofold:
1) Do you like this content?
2) What else would you like to see in the book?
One thing I think could be cool is more nuanced proficiency with weapons: currently, characters being proficient in a weapon is a binary condition and the attack bonus is simply dictated by their level. One character that has just learned to use a new weapon will have the same baseline skill of another character that picked the same weapon at level 1. Sure, they may be able to play different tricks with that weapon due to class difference and combat tradition, but their basic level of weapon wielding would be identical (same weapon damage, weapon properties, attack bonus etc). What if instead there was a simple system that could show an improvement of even the baseline skill with the weapon, related on how long they have been using it?
Something like being able to use the weapon as if it had additional properties, tiered to their experience? This wouldn't overshadow class skills or combat traditions, but still give that bit of an edge (pun intended) to characters with greater mastery over a weapon, showing their superiority with even a simple unmodified attack