D&D 5E Replace Martial Damage Bonus with Extra Attacks

[Starfox]

I like the "current" system with one big attack. I like its swinginess and that your choice of weapon isn't very important. The one problem I see with it is that it could use some cleave mechanic to allow fighters to take out multiple lesser opponents, but not as well as wizards (this is their schtick, after all).

 

[NotAYakk]

Level 1: [W]+Str+[MDD] = [4-7] + [3-4] + [3-4] =~ 12.5 damage/hit, 44% [W], 28% Str, 28% [MDD], damage =~ fighter HP of 12 (14 con)
Level 20: Figher HP =~ 212. (16 con). Static =~ 55, MDD =~ 55, [W] =~ 90. So 16[W], 8d12 [MDD], and a +55 static bonus to damage.

That seems to be pushing it a bit.

If we presume the ratio of Fighter HP to Damage to halve by level 20 (ie, a fighter , we get ~8[W], 4d12 [MDD] and a +25 static bonus to damage. Of that static damage, 5 comes from strength.

Now, having static bonuses to damage that scale may be a bad idea, because the SD of 10d6 is might tighter than the SD of 1d6 as a percentage of the average. Ie, an attack at level 1 where half of the bonus is static has a similar distribution to one at level 20 where there is next to no static damage.

In that case, the level 20 fighter might deal 10[W] + 6d12 [MDD]+10 on a hit, and deal about half of their max HP per blow.

A dagger or unarmed fighter's average damage would be 74, a longsword 94, a greatsword 104 and a greataxe 114. In comparison, at level 1 these values would be 10/12/13/14 -- the difference between the dagger and the greatsword is only slightly greater at level 20 than at level 1 (40% better at level 1, 54% better at level 20).

10[W] and 6d12 MDD does seem a bit much, however.

 

[A'koss]

The one problem I see with it is that it could use some cleave mechanic to allow fighters to take out multiple lesser opponents, but not as well as wizards (this is their schtick, after all).

Well there is Whirlwind attack to help deal with multiple LL opponents. Throw in a Cleave reaction, extra reaction feat, potential Haste from the wizard, possibly pick up an offhand weapon to deal with mooks and I'm sure things I've forgotten. There are ways and I'm sure there'll be more before the game goes to press.