ART!
Deluxe Unhuman
I've been playing the UA fighter for a while, and I have some thoughts. This got me wondering what other peoples' experiences have been with the UA playtest class revisions.
I like that the fighter has a new layer of options in combat now. A lot of this comes from Weapon Mastery, but also things like the option to use a Seconf Wind on Tactical Mind (and if it doesn't work you don't lose that use of Second Wind! WOOT!)
The character I'm doing this with is a thri-kreen Battle Master with Two-Weapon Fighting. Now, I understand thri-kreen are a special case, but I thought it would be a good way to test the class.
With his secondary arms he usually uses two shortswords. Shortswords have the "Vex" Mastery Property, which is "If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn."
So, this means that every time he hits with his first Shortsword attack, he has advantage on his Bonus Action, Two-Weapon Fighting, Shortsword attack. He can do this every turn. If the second one hits, he then has advantage on his first one on his next turn. This seems too powerful.
On top of that, the Sweeping Attack maneuver he gets from Battle Master does the following: "When you hit a creature with a melee attack using a weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one Superiority Die to attempt to damage another creature. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your Superiority Die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack."
So, 4 times per Short Rest he can reasonably expect to have an automatic hit on a 3rd attack, as well as have advantage on two other attacks. And that's as just a 3rd-level fighter.
Also, he usually has a halberd in his primary hands. That has the "Cleave" Mastery Property, which is "If you hit a creature with a melee attack using this weapon, you can make an attack roll with the weapon against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the weapon’s damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn."
This isn't automatic, like Sweeping Attack, but I can hypothetically do it every turn, ad nauseum.
Anyway: I like the nuance, but there seem to be some hiccups.
I'd love to hear what you've experienced, with fighter or with any other UA playtest class.
I like that the fighter has a new layer of options in combat now. A lot of this comes from Weapon Mastery, but also things like the option to use a Seconf Wind on Tactical Mind (and if it doesn't work you don't lose that use of Second Wind! WOOT!)
The character I'm doing this with is a thri-kreen Battle Master with Two-Weapon Fighting. Now, I understand thri-kreen are a special case, but I thought it would be a good way to test the class.
With his secondary arms he usually uses two shortswords. Shortswords have the "Vex" Mastery Property, which is "If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn."
So, this means that every time he hits with his first Shortsword attack, he has advantage on his Bonus Action, Two-Weapon Fighting, Shortsword attack. He can do this every turn. If the second one hits, he then has advantage on his first one on his next turn. This seems too powerful.
On top of that, the Sweeping Attack maneuver he gets from Battle Master does the following: "When you hit a creature with a melee attack using a weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one Superiority Die to attempt to damage another creature. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your Superiority Die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack."
So, 4 times per Short Rest he can reasonably expect to have an automatic hit on a 3rd attack, as well as have advantage on two other attacks. And that's as just a 3rd-level fighter.
Also, he usually has a halberd in his primary hands. That has the "Cleave" Mastery Property, which is "If you hit a creature with a melee attack using this weapon, you can make an attack roll with the weapon against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the weapon’s damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn."
This isn't automatic, like Sweeping Attack, but I can hypothetically do it every turn, ad nauseum.
Anyway: I like the nuance, but there seem to be some hiccups.
I'd love to hear what you've experienced, with fighter or with any other UA playtest class.
