D&D 5E How game-breaking is it if GW Fighting Style applies to smites?

[Horwath]

Nope because then it encourages people to pick the best weapons via feat support.

this sound like weapon balance problem then, it should not be solved by not adding magical weapons of certain kind.

Eg a +2 short-story becomes a +2 weapon that's vastly better due to the -5/+10 feats espicially ranged ones.

I do provide a list of weapons more likely to turn up eg in Norse game swords, spears, axes.

Magical hand crossbows and polearms generally don't exist.

ofc, setting appropriate, there should be limit to weapons, but if you do put limits, then ban them all together and not let players get their starting weapons without any hope of upgrading them.

 

[Horwath]

I have heard some do. I have never done this myself or played with one who did and I play a lot of D&D with people worldwide.



The things is people do use them, as long as they don't take feats like GWM.

My fighter who starts off with a Maul and takes no feat is going to do fine with a dragontooth dagger he finds, losing no damage at all in damage when he goes from the "big gun" to the "little poker".

I'm playing a 19th level strength martial in a game right now who is swinging a Staff of Thunder and Lighting. That is an awesome weapon, it can stun opponents once a day and do an extra 2d6 damage once a day in addition to giving some spell-like options. If I had GWM I would still be using it because it is the best weapon we have, but I never took that feat.

my barbarian would have probably sold Staff of thunder for a +1 greataxe, because why would he use weakling wizards walking stick.

 

[Gorck]

I feel like the question is about great weapon fighting style.

I.e. reroll 1 and 2 on the damage.

I would allow it to reroll smite damage as well. It's pretty weak otherwise.

I don’t know why you would think that when the OP specifically mentioned “damage bonus” in the first paragraph and “feat” in the second paragraph.

 

[ezo]

I don’t know why you would think that when the OP specifically mentioned “damage bonus” in the first paragraph and “feat” in the second paragraph.

Because it really doesn't make any sense otherwise? What is the OP actually asking??

 

[Gorck]

Because it really doesn't make any sense otherwise? What is the OP actually asking??

I don’t want to speak for the OP, but maybe they meant “if you make the bonus attack from GWM, can you smite on it too?”

Or maybe the OP misunderstood what their player was asking

 

[FrogReaver]

I don’t know why you would think that when the OP specifically mentioned “damage bonus” in the first paragraph and “feat” in the second paragraph.

Because it’s a common historical mistake to mix up the names of GWM and GWF

 

[Zardnaar]

this sound like weapon balance problem then, it should not be solved by not adding magical weapons of certain kind.

ofc, setting appropriate, there should be limit to weapons, but if you do put limits, then ban them all together and not let players get their starting weapons without any hope of upgrading them.

And yet here we are. Those fears got nerfed in the playtest.

Say there's a +2 flaming (+1d6 fire) whatever in an adventure. DM makes it a polearm due to a player having PAM.

Sword and board fighter misses out.

See the problem.

How about a pair of +2 weapons. F
Sword and board fighter gets one and another PC gets one. But they're using a -5/+10 feat.

What I would if I had to would put a +2 2d6 dagger or whatever and a basic +1 polearm, missile weapon or great weapon.

 

[billd91]

I feel like the question is about great weapon fighting style.

I.e. reroll 1 and 2 on the damage.

I would allow it to reroll smite damage as well. It's pretty weak otherwise.

Yeah, that's what I was wondering as well since there shouldn't be rule issue with using the Great Weapon Mastery feat with a smite. The only clarification I'd look at there is the extra 10 points of damage should be the same type as the weapon, not the radiant damage from the smite.

 

[Willie the Duck]

If so, that makes MUCH more sense why the OP would post about it...

That being the case, applying the GWF style raises each die for smite from an average of 4.5 to 5, so at hardly a notable increase at all, at best typically 2 or 3 points.

Not a big deal at all since smites are limited, and even at 11th level Paladin, with IDS, it is just the 4.5 to 5 bump.

And, of course, unless you house-rule it, GWF style doesn't work with sneak attack (might be an exception or two, but nothing springs to mind).

This doesn't change the my position on your analysis at all (IMO, you are right). However, the damage average for a d8 goes from (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8)/8=4.5 to (4.5+4.5+3+4+5+6+7+8)/8 = 5.25.

 

[jayoungr]

I feel like the question is about great weapon fighting style.

I.e. reroll 1 and 2 on the damage.

Or maybe the OP misunderstood what their player was asking

Because it’s a common historical mistake to mix up the names of GWM and GWF

Yeah, that's what I was wondering as well since there shouldn't be rule issue with using the Great Weapon Mastery feat with a smite.

....



Guys, I'm a complete idiot. I should have double-checked the character sheet before posting.

Yes, you're right. It is the great weapon fighting style, not the Great Weapon Master feat.

Boy, do I feel dumb now.