In 1e AD&D fighters could attack X number of times equal to their level against opponents of less than 1HD. In the D&D Cyclopedia fighters had the smash attack option. In 3e D&D it was cleave for fighters and 4e allows a fighter to cleave at-will. An agruement I've heard before is that fighters are boring... eh, ok. Some of the posts I'm reading about D&D Next is that fighters are still boring... x2 eh, ok.
I have an idea and this is where the trouble starts. The "Swath of Destruction" power. Make it feat building off cleave, or a daily power. In 3.5e a fighter could use it 3 times a day plus strength bonus. For 4e it's a daily power. Basically, a fighter moves and makes attacks at the same time. A fighter starts in a square and attacks surrounding enemies. If the attack causes enough damage to down a foe the fighter moves into that enemies square to continue attacking. As long as a foe falls dead the fighter can move up to his/her speed for that round making those attacks. The fighter can continue doing so up to 1 round/level.
For example, Hombart the slayer (who is 4th level) is in front of the party surrounded by minions of the Nasty Narteth the wizard. Well, Nasty Narteth is 100 feet (or 20 squares) away and protected by a horde of goblins. Undaunted, Hombart beats a path to Narteth. Hombart downs several goblins around him and steps up. Hombart continues his swath of destruction for up to 4 rounds in a path strewn with dead goblins. With a movement rate of 5, Hombart can clear a path of 20 squares to Narteth. Here's the caveat, along the way any foe not falling in his path gives attack opportunities against Hombart. Hombart cut and bleeding with a pile of corpeses behind his path confronts Narteth who is now white as a sheet.
This is an idea and hasn't been play-tested yet. The path doesn't always have to be in a straight line. Sometimes a path may take you somewhere you whouldn't want to go in the first place. Is it too powerful? Does it harken back to the days of 1e?
I have an idea and this is where the trouble starts. The "Swath of Destruction" power. Make it feat building off cleave, or a daily power. In 3.5e a fighter could use it 3 times a day plus strength bonus. For 4e it's a daily power. Basically, a fighter moves and makes attacks at the same time. A fighter starts in a square and attacks surrounding enemies. If the attack causes enough damage to down a foe the fighter moves into that enemies square to continue attacking. As long as a foe falls dead the fighter can move up to his/her speed for that round making those attacks. The fighter can continue doing so up to 1 round/level.
For example, Hombart the slayer (who is 4th level) is in front of the party surrounded by minions of the Nasty Narteth the wizard. Well, Nasty Narteth is 100 feet (or 20 squares) away and protected by a horde of goblins. Undaunted, Hombart beats a path to Narteth. Hombart downs several goblins around him and steps up. Hombart continues his swath of destruction for up to 4 rounds in a path strewn with dead goblins. With a movement rate of 5, Hombart can clear a path of 20 squares to Narteth. Here's the caveat, along the way any foe not falling in his path gives attack opportunities against Hombart. Hombart cut and bleeding with a pile of corpeses behind his path confronts Narteth who is now white as a sheet.
This is an idea and hasn't been play-tested yet. The path doesn't always have to be in a straight line. Sometimes a path may take you somewhere you whouldn't want to go in the first place. Is it too powerful? Does it harken back to the days of 1e?
