Corpsetaker
First Post
I actually gave examples of things I think would be fitting and interesting for a mid to high level fighter to do in post #322. Here is a short recap:
*Getting expertise in athletics or treating a roll of 9 or less as a 10 for Athletics checks would be fitting and flavorful.
*Doubling the damage they deal to objects and structures is another such ability that could work.
*Flat out giving them a climb and swim speed so they don't need to make athletics checks to do those tasks would work too.
*Doubling their jumping distance so they could make amazing leaps would be cool.
*Doubling their carrying capacity so they can move large terrain would be amazing.
But the issue was never what can't a fighter accomplish. It was what can a fighter accomplish that some other character could not accomplish equally well if not better. I get that some people want the fighter to be at the bottom rung in terms of non-combat capability. I however would like for the party to every now and then say, "wow, glad we brought a fighter along to help us get past this (Insert exploration related challenge here)."
As things are, pretty much anyone with a decent strength score and training in athletics can contribute just as much to exploration as a fighter. All classes have access to the exact same non-combat abilities the fighter does (feats and skills). That effectively means the fighter is at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to any pillar other than combat. Basically every class gains some features that contribute either meaningfully or uniquely to non-combat scenarios such as spells, rituals, cantrips, expertise, etc.
1: With Athlete you basically have a climbing speed because your movement is no longer halved. You can basically climb at full speed.
2: With the same feat you are allowed to stand up from prone by only spending 5 feet of movement.
3: With the same feat you can make a running high jump by only moving 5 feet. Nothing wrong with that.
4: Why do you need to double their carrying capacity? No DM is going to allow you to carry 50 suits of plate mail even though if you were only looking at it weight wise you probably could but because of the sheer mass you couldn't store them on your person. With a strength of 20 you are able to carry a hell of a lot of weight (300).
5: Athletics. Your Strength (Athletics) check covers
difficult situations you encounter while climbing,
jumping, or swimming. Examples include the
following activities:
• You attempt to climb a sheer or slippery cliff, avoid
hazards while scaling a wall, or cling to a surface
while something is trying to knock you off.
• You try to jump an unusually long distance or pull
off a stunt midjump.
• You struggle to swim or stay afloat in treacherous currents,
storm-tossed waves, or areas o f thick seaweed.
Or another creature tries to push or pull you underwater
or otherwise interfere with your swimming.
6: So you want automatic success when it comes to Athletics I assume?
I would also like to turn your attention to this little bit.
Improvising an Action
Your character can do things not covered by the actions in
this chapter, such as breaking down doors, intimidating
enemies, sensing weaknesses in magical defenses, or calling
for a parley with a foe. The only limits to the actions you can
attempt are your imagination and your character’s ability
scores. See the descriptions of the ability scores in chapter 7
for inspiration as you improvise.
When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in
the rules, the DM tells you whether that action is possible
and what kind of roll you need to make, if any, to determine
success or failure.
Have fun.