Bawylie
A very OK person
As far back as I can recall, the Fighter’s defining feature has been the ability to use all the weapons and armors without any real limitation. In conjunction with that they get the best attack matrix and highest HP (I know about barbarian).
As the game evolved, spells and casters seemed to increase in complexity (and take up more design space) while weapons and gear became less complex, more streamlined, and now I’d have to say “boring.”
I think if you’re re-designing the fighter, you have to go back to the idea of what each weapon can actually DO in the hands of a master. And rather than a martial maneuver list, we instead say “ok you have these tools, pick out the right one for the job and get to work.”
This isn’t a full design but see if this concept grabs you in any way at all. You have a subclass of fighter called slayer - no frills. It’s a baseline fighter in all respects. Every time the slayer deals damage with a weapon, they roll twice. (So your 1d8+4 longsword instead deals 2d8+8). Its all the slayer does. And it models the very simple fighter everyone seems to think we need for beginners. The other subclass is the weapon master. The weapon master does not double the damage of each successful attack. Instead, the weapon master automatically uses whatever special utility each weapon has (say for example a polearm automatically pushes the target to the end of the pole or a hooked axe automatically pulls down a defender’s shield, negating the shield bonus). And so forth. Now instead of saving throws and all that, if the defender cannot be affected by a weapon’s utility, or resists for whatever reason (too big to push, let’s say - or not wearing a shield) - THEN the weapon master gets the double-damage instead of the effect.
Essentially I propose that the fighter recapture the identity of “best with weapons and armor” with a focused redesign of weapons and allowing additional effects as automatic riders or bonus damage, depending.
Why can’t a barbarian do these extra things? They can - but not automatically like the fighter. Their focus on rage precludes the mastery of weapons like a fighter does. Why not a paladin? Similarly they can, as actions. Their commitment to fighting evil and saving the weak and pursuing justice grants them powers and abilities such that they never master weapons for martial perfection - focusing on the Good outcome of conflict rather than conflict itself, like a fighter would.
It just occurred to me that fighters only have a list of various sticks while the casters have complex tools. Then i thought each “stick” is designed for purpose so we might as well have a class that uses them as intended. Sure we have javelins but we also have pilums which were deliberately heavy so they weighed down shields. What if we have a pilum in D&D? Maybe the weight of a pilum means a reduction in a target’s movement or flight speed! (Maybe picture Jaws with those barrels attached).
Anyway we don’t need maneuvers - we need some mastery over weapons that defines the class. The idea of extra damage (and/or) riders added to the attack (situation depending) seems like fertile ground for design.
As a side bonus, that may well introduce gear progression and crafting in a naturally progressive way that aligns with level. Versus “oh I’m level 5 and have the best gear I’ll ever have until I stumble on some magic gear that’s +1 better.”
As the game evolved, spells and casters seemed to increase in complexity (and take up more design space) while weapons and gear became less complex, more streamlined, and now I’d have to say “boring.”
I think if you’re re-designing the fighter, you have to go back to the idea of what each weapon can actually DO in the hands of a master. And rather than a martial maneuver list, we instead say “ok you have these tools, pick out the right one for the job and get to work.”
This isn’t a full design but see if this concept grabs you in any way at all. You have a subclass of fighter called slayer - no frills. It’s a baseline fighter in all respects. Every time the slayer deals damage with a weapon, they roll twice. (So your 1d8+4 longsword instead deals 2d8+8). Its all the slayer does. And it models the very simple fighter everyone seems to think we need for beginners. The other subclass is the weapon master. The weapon master does not double the damage of each successful attack. Instead, the weapon master automatically uses whatever special utility each weapon has (say for example a polearm automatically pushes the target to the end of the pole or a hooked axe automatically pulls down a defender’s shield, negating the shield bonus). And so forth. Now instead of saving throws and all that, if the defender cannot be affected by a weapon’s utility, or resists for whatever reason (too big to push, let’s say - or not wearing a shield) - THEN the weapon master gets the double-damage instead of the effect.
Essentially I propose that the fighter recapture the identity of “best with weapons and armor” with a focused redesign of weapons and allowing additional effects as automatic riders or bonus damage, depending.
Why can’t a barbarian do these extra things? They can - but not automatically like the fighter. Their focus on rage precludes the mastery of weapons like a fighter does. Why not a paladin? Similarly they can, as actions. Their commitment to fighting evil and saving the weak and pursuing justice grants them powers and abilities such that they never master weapons for martial perfection - focusing on the Good outcome of conflict rather than conflict itself, like a fighter would.
It just occurred to me that fighters only have a list of various sticks while the casters have complex tools. Then i thought each “stick” is designed for purpose so we might as well have a class that uses them as intended. Sure we have javelins but we also have pilums which were deliberately heavy so they weighed down shields. What if we have a pilum in D&D? Maybe the weight of a pilum means a reduction in a target’s movement or flight speed! (Maybe picture Jaws with those barrels attached).
Anyway we don’t need maneuvers - we need some mastery over weapons that defines the class. The idea of extra damage (and/or) riders added to the attack (situation depending) seems like fertile ground for design.
As a side bonus, that may well introduce gear progression and crafting in a naturally progressive way that aligns with level. Versus “oh I’m level 5 and have the best gear I’ll ever have until I stumble on some magic gear that’s +1 better.”
