D&D 5E What fighting styles would you add?

[Stormonu]

heh, heh. Here's a mean one:

Great Weapon Fighting: When using a two-handed weapon, when combat begins you can reduce your initiative to gain a bonus to damage equal to the amount you reduce your initiative by (to a minimum of 1). This lasts for up to one minute.

For Cloak and Blade, couldn't you combine Dueling and Defender? The cloak being allowed to be used as a shield (i.e., +2 AC) if you are wearing Light or No Armor?

 

[ko6ux]

Oh, that is a good one! I'll have to talk to our other DM and see what he can come up with (he writes most of the houserules). Are you interested in just a basic 5E-type style or something with the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced degrees like we made?

Both maybe? Certainly, I'd love something basic for regular 5E but something with some deeper options would be appealing too.

 

[Stormonu]

One fighting style - there has been one, probably more, thread about this already - that is missing is the "light two handed weapon" fighting style. Not swinging around a massive axe or zweihander, rather something a lot faster and reactive - think a quarterstaff, a longsword, a katana (all of these were wielded mostly with 2 hands, historically speaking).

I don't remember anyone finding a "satisfactory" answer to what the mechanics of this would be, alas.

How about:

Versatile Fighting: When using a versatile weapon, you can still employ non-weapon objects in your off hand.

This essentially gives you free use of stow/draw, representing switching between one-handed and two-handed use throughout the round as needed. You could, for example, still protect yourself with a shield, hold a torch, handle a magic item in your off-hand and so forth without losing the enhanced damage from versatile.

 

[Horwath]

How about:

Versatile Fighting: When using a versatile weapon, you can still employ non-weapon objects in your off hand.

This essentially gives you free use of stow/draw, representing switching between one-handed and two-handed use throughout the round as needed. You could, for example, still protect yourself with a shield, hold a torch, handle a magic item in your off-hand and so forth without losing the enhanced damage from versatile.

that is on average +1 damage per hit, sure not as bad as great weapon style, but I'm not sure if you want to advertise something that is "not as bad as great weapon style".
I would rather get the boring +1 AC or +2 damage from dueling,

 

[W'rkncacnter]

i don't deny it might be strong but i was explictly designing it for classes who want to lean on a finesse style without getting their damage nerfed by the weaker weapons, 1d8/2d4 might be a compromise? but it's meant to be a boon to rogues, it's meant to used on every attack for the classes with extra attack.

the balance factor for getting your damage nerfed by finesse weapons is being able to hard focus dex (and ranged weapons have that AND not needing to be in melee). not only does giving them sneak attack damage on every attack completely negate that balance factor, it also just straight up makes finesse (and ranged) weapons better damage dealers then any other weapon (GREATSWORDS deal 2d6 per attack - with this fighting style, finesse and ranged weapons deal that AND their normal weapon damage!). reducing that damage to 1d8/2d4 only lessens the degree to which that occurs (even the worst combination - 1d4+1d8 - is basically equal to 2d6).

it'd be one thing if the bonus only applied to one attack like normal sneak attack...but putting it on every attack is extremely busted.

 

[Stormonu]

that is on average +1 damage per hit, sure not as bad as great weapon style, but I'm not sure if you want to advertise something that is "not as bad as great weapon style".
I would rather get the boring +1 AC or +2 damage from dueling,

ah, but it would stack with dueling. Or two-weapon fighting, or the various shield styles.

 

[ezo]

How about:

Versatile Fighting: When using a versatile weapon, you can still employ non-weapon objects in your off hand.

This essentially gives you free use of stow/draw, representing switching between one-handed and two-handed use throughout the round as needed. You could, for example, still protect yourself with a shield, hold a torch, handle a magic item in your off-hand and so forth without losing the enhanced damage from versatile.

And how, precisely, would this work? A small item, maybe, but certainly not a shield...

 

[Stormonu]

And how, precisely, would this work? A small item, maybe, but certainly not a shield...

Yes, with a shield. If the shield is designed with arm & wrist straps (usually as a targe or target shield) and allows the hand to float free (useful for holding a torch), when striking you grasp the weapon with both hands for the lunge/swing. In the case of the spear, there's often a cutout (such as on roman shields) to allow you to use a two-handed thrusting lunge while still gaining the protection of the shield.

 

[Horwath]

ah, but it would stack with dueling. Or two-weapon fighting, or the various shield styles.

it's still next to nothing, that is why no one is taking GWF style.

 

[Stormonu]

it's still next to nothing, that is why no one is taking GWF style.

I'm not fond of GWF, but I do have players who take that style. It would be nice if everything was equally awesome, but don't try to speak for everyone's preferences.