D&D (2024) Martials getting specific weapon masteries.
Marandahir
Crown-Forester (he/him)
I prefer the exploit to be tied to the weapon's characteristics, with Fighters being able to modify the characteristics because they're better at Fighting than anyone else. This feels like something that's explicitly Martial but also something to be shared between Fighters, Barbarians, Monks, Rogues, Paladins, and Rangers (and some martial-gishy subclasses) that shows why they're all part of the Martial Power Source.
I'm glad that the rigid grid of Class Groups were dropped this packet because it's clear that even if Ranger is an Expert it's also a Priest and also a Warrior, and Paladins are both Priests and Warriors, and Monks are Warriors but with substantial Priest and Expert flavours but perhaps not features that are usually shared by those groups… instead we can show these class group thematic ties between classes by shared features like Weapon Mastery, Fighting Styles, Magical Power Source Spell Lists, and Expertise-granting features.
I'm glad that the rigid grid of Class Groups were dropped this packet because it's clear that even if Ranger is an Expert it's also a Priest and also a Warrior, and Paladins are both Priests and Warriors, and Monks are Warriors but with substantial Priest and Expert flavours but perhaps not features that are usually shared by those groups… instead we can show these class group thematic ties between classes by shared features like Weapon Mastery, Fighting Styles, Magical Power Source Spell Lists, and Expertise-granting features.
Having playtested a group of a fighter, ranger, and barbarian, giving weapon mastery, to all the martial classes does make fighters feel like everyone turned up at the prom in the same dress but the others have better hair and make-up.
Given the thinking behind cunning strikes, I wonder if there are a few minor abilities that can be given to fighters to make them feel like they have some combat skills?
Maybe instead of the current version of action surge, fighters could adopt something like the Warpriest ability at level 2 to get a second attack 2/short rest as a bonus action. This would still synergise with nick, and even with normal two weapon wielding, it would give a damage boost occasionally. The main thing would be that it would not be as amazing as a 2 level dip.
Then move the existing action surge to a higher level claa feature upgrade of the Lv2 feature, excluding spell casting from the list of options (unless an eldritch knight?). So higher level action surge is now twice per short rest.
Then give fighters the ability to swap weapon masteries on a particular weapon as a bonus action (not obviously useful before level 7 but still potentially useful at lower levels with a feat). Finally, at higher levels when you swap around masteries for free, make it a bonus action to use two masteries on one attack each round).
A fair bit of competition for bonus action off-hand attack possibly but then you would not be using the other abilities every round?
Plus I think fighters need a class feature at level 2 to impose disadvantage on opportunity attacks against them as a reaction.
Given the thinking behind cunning strikes, I wonder if there are a few minor abilities that can be given to fighters to make them feel like they have some combat skills?
Maybe instead of the current version of action surge, fighters could adopt something like the Warpriest ability at level 2 to get a second attack 2/short rest as a bonus action. This would still synergise with nick, and even with normal two weapon wielding, it would give a damage boost occasionally. The main thing would be that it would not be as amazing as a 2 level dip.
Then move the existing action surge to a higher level claa feature upgrade of the Lv2 feature, excluding spell casting from the list of options (unless an eldritch knight?). So higher level action surge is now twice per short rest.
Then give fighters the ability to swap weapon masteries on a particular weapon as a bonus action (not obviously useful before level 7 but still potentially useful at lower levels with a feat). Finally, at higher levels when you swap around masteries for free, make it a bonus action to use two masteries on one attack each round).
A fair bit of competition for bonus action off-hand attack possibly but then you would not be using the other abilities every round?
Plus I think fighters need a class feature at level 2 to impose disadvantage on opportunity attacks against them as a reaction.
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