D&D 5E Weapon Specialization?

[Magil]

But the Sharpshooter is not better than non-specialised fighters.

Precise Shot sacrifices damage for negating cover penalties. This is important for archers, but melee fighters generally don't have the same issues with cover that archers do.

Shift is not archery specific, and Snap Shot is simply the archery version of Jab, to which other fighters have access. Furthermore, Shift and Snap Shot/Jab are situational bonuses - Shift is taking a modest damage hit in order to get a modest amount of movement, and Snap Shot/Jab is taking a major damage hit in order to get a large amount of movement. Neither is simply a power-up, and a fighter who had access to neither of them would be less mobile in combat, but not necessarily less mechanically effective as a fighter for that reason - for example, s/he could be very sticky and/or charge-y instead, negating the need for the mobility that Snap Shot, Jab and Shift open up.

Ah, but it can still be called a "weapon specialization" because Snap Shot and Precise Shot are specifically made to work with ranged weapons. They make you more versatile and effective with ranged weapons in situations where you might not otherwise have those options-but only if you're using a ranged weapon! If you're using a melee weapon, you've given up two maneuver slots for effects that don't help you. So going by the definitions I've heard in this thread, it's still a form of weapon specialization.

 

[billd91]

Ah, but it can still be called a "weapon specialization" because Snap Shot and Precise Shot are specifically made to work with ranged weapons. They make you more versatile and effective with ranged weapons in situations where you might not otherwise have those options-but only if you're using a ranged weapon! If you're using a melee weapon, you've given up two maneuver slots for effects that don't help you. So going by the definitions I've heard in this thread, it's still a form of weapon specialization.

But this group-weapon specialization or style specialization is different from weapon specialization and the nature of that difference is fairly important. The character isn't tied to a single weapon - he's got a limited repertoire of tricks, sure, but he has a variety of fairly diverse tools to choose from.

 

[pemerton]

Ah, but it can still be called a "weapon specialization" because Snap Shot and Precise Shot are specifically made to work with ranged weapons. They make you more versatile and effective with ranged weapons in situations where you might not otherwise have those options-but only if you're using a ranged weapon! If you're using a melee weapon, you've given up two maneuver slots for effects that don't help you. So going by the definitions I've heard in this thread, it's still a form of weapon specialization.

True, but I think they're precisely the form of specialisation that people are saying should be present, if it's going to be there at all - opening up tricks rather than just piling on mechanical effectivenss.

A sharpshooter who ends up in melee with a longsword still has CS dice to add to damage.

And a melee specialist who ends up plinking away at range still has CS dice to add to damage, even if s/he is not as good at dealing with cover as is the sharpshooter specialist. (I'm not a big fan of Precise Shot for another reason - the mathematics of optimising its use is irritating enough that, like Power Attack, clever players will want a spreadsheet - but that's orthogonal to this discussion.)

 

[JCraigmile]

I've never understood how a fighter who has trained his whole career with a longsword can suddenly pick up something more exotic like a sodegarami or chukonu and be awesome with them out of the blue. That's my issue with generalization.

The overly specialized axe fighter, on the other hand, should probably look at his newly acquired Vorpal scimitar and offer it up to the rogue or someone else in the party because, "it's not an axe." Maybe he never gets the Awesome Axe of Unholy Destruction artifact, but the specialization bonuses he's had up through level 10 more than made up for it.

I think Fighters and just Fighters should get a specialization +2 to hit, +3 to damage and work it into an archetype called Weaponmaster or Kensai. For Everyone else- Weapon of Choice. +1 to hit with one specific weapon type to represent the weapon most commonly used/trained with by the character.

Lastly, has everyone forgotten the Black Box Basic D&D Master's Set? That's where I remember seeing specialization first, if I remember correctly.

 

[BookBarbarian]

This is one of the most successful Raise Thread spells I've seen. More than 4 years has this thread lay six feet under the dirt of the forum graveyards.

 

[JCraigmile]

This is one of the most successful Raise Thread spells I've seen. More than 4 years has this thread lay six feet under the dirt of the forum graveyards.

Lol! I was digging to see what had been said about Weapon Specialization in 5E. This was the first thing to pop up.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Since the thread was originally laid to rest, Unearthed Arcana published some weapon feats. The pdf is here.

It includes Fell Handed (hafted weapons), Blade Mastery (bladed weapons), Spear Mastery (pokey weapons) and Flail Mastery (chainy weapons).

 

[Charles Rampant]

It includes Fell Handed (hafted weapons), Blade Mastery (bladed weapons), Spear Mastery (pokey weapons) and Flail Mastery (chainy weapons).

I really hope that they rename those feats to these new names. I want to play Bob, the Variant Human Chainy Weapons Fighter.

 

[Barolo]

I can't believe this just now struck me, but where is fighter weapon specialization? That uses to be the fighter's "thing" beyond just using weapons. I like combat superiority and how it stays around, but now that I've noticed the absence of weapon specialization I kind of miss it.

I am used to understand the "Fighting Style" feature as a broadened weapon specialization of sorts, with combat feats and weapon master maneuvers further adding to the concept. It seems I am totally off mark.

 

[CydKnight]

Lol! I was digging to see what had been said about Weapon Specialization in 5E. This was the first thing to pop up.

In case it isn't obvious, this thread previously ended before 5E was in existence.