D&D 5E (+) Ideas For Martial Features

[Corinnguard]

What if there was a way to get more out of your chosen Fighting Style? Currently they just give you a benefit at first level. They don't get better after that without picking up a certain feat. Ex. Two-Weapon Fighting and the Dual-Wielder feat. There ought to be class levels where your Fighting Style picks up an additional benefit.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I would look at this through the lens of adding for Combat Maneuver traditions (and more maneuvers to existing traditions) to Level Up, but absolutely martials should have more options. I use an exotic weapon category with my personal homebrew that is gated behind a feat or a specialized base class (the craftsman) for gear that is mechanically stronger than simple or martial weapons. I have a lot more weapon qualities than the PH too. One of my exotic weapons is a Cap-style throwing shield. I also allow specific weapons to have special effects for proficient users of an appropriate level.

I hope this is ok. I didn't see "WotC" anywhere in the OP.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I concur.


Here too, but force effects would, for me, definitely be Tier 4.

Idk I could see breaking spell effects starting around level 5-7. What should be gated to tier 4 is breaking high level effects.

A bit of both, I would think. I would want to expand the Fighting Maneuver list as well as having abilities that you choose as you go up in level. If there are, say, 10 abilities that can be chosen over 20 levels you can build guilds that feature 3-5 particular maneuvers. Perhaps this would imply capstone abilities at levels 12 and 20.

What I’d really like is about a dozen each per martial class, and then at least a dozen non-class, and you can learn more as you adventure.

Disabling foe's abilities as well; disabling flight so a creature has to land for a round, a whirlwind attack that hits everyone of a rolled AC that's next to you, blinding a basilisk for a round so that others don't have disadvantage on attack, &c.

I currently have that firmly in the Ranger’s wheelhouse, but yeah they could share.

What if there was a way to get more out of your chosen Fighting Style? Currently they just give you a benefit at first level. They don't get better after that without picking up a certain feat. Ex. Two-Weapon Fighting and the Dual-Wielder feat. There ought to be class levels where your Fighting Style picks up an additional benefit.

I’d support that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I would look at this through the lens of adding for Combat Maneuver traditions (and more maneuvers to existing traditions) to Level Up, but absolutely martials should have more options. I use an exotic weapon category with my personal homebrew that is gated behind a feat or a specialized base class (the craftsman) for gear that is mechanically stronger than simple or martial weapons. I have a lot more weapon qualities than the PH too. One of my exotic weapons is a Cap-style throwing shield. I also allow specific weapons to have special effects for proficient users of an appropriate level.

I hope this is ok. I didn't see "WotC" anywhere in the OP.

You’re good.

 

[Steampunkette]

So... something I'm looking at doing in an upcoming potential product from Purple Martin Games is the idea of gaining increasing quantities of 'Reactions' kinda.

You'd get a number of "Reserve Actions" that you can use between turns. Things that would normally cost you your action to ready (like pulling a lever) can be set aside as reserve actions. And then you get a Reaction which is a type of reserve action but you can only use one and you cannot prepare it.

So. Things like "If this guy comes past me I'm going to try and trip/grapple/shove/etc to stop him from getting past" is separate from your opportunity attack... but uses the same kind of action.

If you only have one Reserve Action, but don't have Sentinel, you can ready an attack to grab someone as they run past. But if you ready an action, you can't use that reserve action as a reaction.

Later on, you get 2 or even 3 Reserve Actions.

 

[jmartkdr2]

If we’re talking about maneuver lists that are powered by a resource - I think there should definitely be noncombat skill maneuvers and saving throw maneuvers.

Noncombat skill maneuvers already exist like “commanding presence” (I think that’s what it’s called) that adds to most charisma checks, but nearly every skill should get support, with breadth depending on balance. A perception maneuver might only apply to one sense or situation, an animal handling maneuver might also apply to survival and/or nature.

Saving throw maneuvers are similar in concept- spend a superiority die and add it to any charisma saving throw - you might be able to lump that in with intelligence, but wisdom might need to be broken up.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So... something I'm looking at doing in an upcoming potential product from Purple Martin Games is the idea of gaining increasing quantities of 'Reactions' kinda.

You'd get a number of "Reserve Actions" that you can use between turns. Things that would normally cost you your action to ready (like pulling a lever) can be set aside as reserve actions. And then you get a Reaction which is a type of reserve action but you can only use one and you cannot prepare it.

So. Things like "If this guy comes past me I'm going to try and trip/grapple/shove/etc to stop him from getting past" is separate from your opportunity attack... but uses the same kind of action.

If you only have one Reserve Action, but don't have Sentinel, you can ready an attack to grab someone as they run past. But if you ready an action, you can't use that reserve action as a reaction.

Later on, you get 2 or even 3 Reserve Actions.

I like that a lot. That's rad as hell.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I like a lot of the suggestions presented. I’ve felt some things have been missing and have incorporated them into my own game, like holding the line against multiple foes, more shield stuff, disabling monsters special abilities, covering/suppressive fire, weapon mastery, attacking multiple low level foes, etc. but I have missed, and am stealing from above, cleaving through obstacles out of combat

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I like a lot of the suggestions presented. I’ve felt some things have been missing and have incorporated them into my own game, like holding the line against multiple foes, more shield stuff, disabling monsters special abilities, covering/suppressive fire, weapon mastery, attacking multiple low level foes, etc. but I have missed, and am stealing from above, cleaving through obstacles out of combat

Yeah it's like, how do we make "hit stuff good" into a non combat ability. Oh! Break magic stuff! lol

 

[Stormonu]

On the magical weapon front - I think that should be an action surge sort of thing - something that takes superhuman effort to do, but can’t be always on until after, say, 15th level. There should remain a benefit for picking up a magic weapon, but the martials shouldn’t feel shut down or useless for lack of one.

I think Force spells should go back to having HP, damage resistance to all attack types (save force & poison, having immunity) and a damage threshold. Tough to take down, but not the utter show stoppers they are now.