D&D 5E Fighter subclasses for every ability score

Blue · Jun 10, 2019

Hey, one thing the Fighter is definitely missing is non-combat and ribbon options. What do we give the various subclasses to round them out?

ART! · Jun 10, 2019

Xeviat said:
You know, inching in on the territory of the Barbarian, Bard, monk, paladin, and ranger might be okay, as an option for people who want to play an archetype that leans that way but without the magic.

I am ALL IN on this. For instance, I'm a big fan of the spell-less ranger variants out there.

Xeviat said:
I don't feel like a STR/dex melee concept lends itself to an archetype, though. Those archetypes feel better served by the Rogue. I'm seeing a fast striking melee warrior, someone who lacks the weapon master's artful techniques and focus, but that isn't screaming a character to me, just a mechanic. Unless "warrior" feels like an archetype separate from a big brute.

I can see a STR-based fighter who hits less often but does lots more damage per hit, and a DEX-based fighter who does less damage per hit but can go for more (and different types of) attacks per round.

Tony Vargas said:
Actually a Guard - who's actually good at his job for the first time in D&D history - would be a possibility. A sniper also makes sense - about calm, deliberate attacks and spotting targets.

I'm reminded of Clint Eastwood's character in Unforgiven, Will Munney, talking about the quick-draw gunfighter who shot himself in the foot or something because he was in too big a hurry. He goes on to say how the quickest draws usually lost a gunfight to the slower, more careful sure-shots.

Xeviat said:
It is interesting how Action Surge and Extra Attack 3 and 4 really do lock the fighter in to a specific play style. The fighter could have been better suited with bigger subclasses and a little less on the core chasis, hu?

Would it work to have an option where a fighter has a choice to pick another action OR an extra dice of damage per attack, or something like that, either making that choice at the level that feature gets added, or on a turn-by-turn basis?

Tony Vargas · Jun 10, 2019

Blue said:
Hey, one thing the Fighter is definitely missing is non-combat and ribbon options. What do we give the various subclasses to round them out?

9 levels of spellcasting

ART! · Jun 12, 2019

Maybe someone has mentioned this already, but it occurs to me that you could do this with other classes, too. What's a STR-based wizard like? An INT-based Paladin? A DEX-based Cleric?

Tony Vargas · Jun 12, 2019

ART! said:
it occurs to me that you could do this with other classes, too.

Sure, if a fighter can do it, clearly everyone should be able to do it. Check me out, I'm an INT-based Commoner, I work for Realmsoft.

ART! said:
What's a STR-based wizard like?

Ogg very proud he invent magic, but get very tired of carrying huge stone tablets everywhere.

An INT-based Paladin?

"I Theologize him to death!"

A DEX-based Cleric?

A temple dancer.

Blue · Jun 13, 2019

ART! said:
Maybe someone has mentioned this already, but it occurs to me that you could do this with other classes, too. What's a STR-based wizard like? An INT-based Paladin? A DEX-based Cleric?

Absolutely. Though with how wonderfully "wide" the responses were here, in some of the more crowded design spaces it might be better to break out of specific classes for a more general "If there was a "Arcane Caster" base class, what would it be if CON was it's secondary ability score. How does that differ if it's WIS, or DEX, or ...

Xeviat · Jun 13, 2019

I still feel like too much of the discussion here is starting with the mechanics. That's why champion and battle master were bland: they lacked character. Rather than starting with a mechanic, why don't we pitch what these fighters are first.

Xeviat · Jun 13, 2019

Blue said:
Hey, one thing the Fighter is definitely missing is non-combat and ribbon options. What do we give the various subclasses to round them out?

All fighter subclasses should have a nice ribbon at 3rd level that supports their story.

Garthanos · Jun 13, 2019

Fun idea all around!!!

Garthanos · Jun 13, 2019

Blue said:
I struggled with a strong concept for WIS. Are these so close that maybe it should be a single subclass that can trigger of INT or WIS for it's features?

Wis as being steady perceptive it reacts more but does so by being aware and it might take longer on its attack for some benefit? I think of Int as being quick predictive thinking instead of reacting to an already occurring situation but it is highly analytical and preplanning too hmmmmm .

So yeah there may be difficulty differentiating them in anything but a flavor fashion..

I was thinking in 4e that most of the powers and feats with Figher Wisdom riders ended up being the same ones I would Tweak via a combat style into being Intelligence riders.