D&D 5E The Legacy of the Fighter in 5 to 10 years

[RotGrub]

When you look back on D&D in 5 to 10 years, what do you think the legacy of the fighter be?

Will you consider Extra actions and Self Healing to be the Fighter's legacy?

Here is what Mearl's said in a recent podcast

"...and if we've done our job in 5-10 years people will think oh that's what fighters do, they get extra actions, they can heal themselves..."

 

[Remathilis]

Its no worse a legacy than weapon specialization, bonus feats, and marking.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I don't think there will be a legacy of self healing, since second wind is pretty weak after level 2 or so. I think the legacy of the 5e fighter in 5 to 10 years is going to be:

* one of the best combat machines in the game
* a class full of choice (with two extra feats above and beyond every other class, which is huge since feats are broad and offer several abilities).

For example, I just saw a player play a fighter where he didn't care about optimizing DPR with GWM or anything like that. He was human, and had the lucky, heavy armor mastery, and magic initiate (shield spell) feats. He also had the defensive fighting style and was a BM with maneuvers like parry. The dude just couldn't be hit, and when he was, he was able to absorb some of the damage. His staying power was truly impressive.

 

[Wik]

I don't think there will be a legacy of self healing, since second wind is pretty weak after level 2 or so. I think the legacy of the 5e fighter in 5 to 10 years is going to be:

* one of the best combat machines in the game
* a class full of choice (with two extra feats above and beyond every other class, which is huge since feats are broad and offer several abilities).

For example, I just saw a player play a fighter where he didn't care about optimizing DPR with GWM or anything like that. He was human, and had the lucky, heavy armor mastery, and magic initiate (shield spell) feats. He also had the defensive fighting style and was a BM with maneuvers like parry. The dude just couldn't be hit, and when he was, he was able to absorb some of the damage. His staying power was truly impressive.

Yeah, the fighter in the party I GM for is definitely not the damage type either. A Tiefling Battlemaster with the Protection combat style and his sole feat being the Inspiring One. He grants the party Temp HP each short rest, and uses his maneuvers to help out allies and grant temp HP when they're on the front line. He stays close to the party barbarian, and protects her when she's targeted by an enemy (so her AC of 12 at least gets disadvantage for enemies attacking her, which is pretty nice).

There are many fights where he doesn't even draw his weapon. Last combat, he just grabbed an enemy while the party wailed on it. Good times.

 

[Celtavian]

The fighter's legacy is he can fight without need of spells or anything else.

 

[Li Shenron]

For me it would be plenty enough if the legacy of the Fighter was "best at combat, also thanks to features that are UNAVAILABLE to everybody else".

 

[Klaus]

If you look at the last three editions of the game, the Fighter has increasingly gained abilties beyond "I attack, I deal damage". From 3e's "Improved X" bonus feats, to 4e's powers, to 5e's maneuvers.

 

[Quickleaf]

In 5e, the new additions to the fighter are actually Indomitable and the Battlemaster maneuvers.

I think those are a good legacy to leave for the class.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yeah, the fighter in the party I GM for is definitely not the damage type either. A Tiefling Battlemaster with the Protection combat style and his sole feat being the Inspiring One. He grants the party Temp HP each short rest, and uses his maneuvers to help out allies and grant temp HP when they're on the front line. He stays close to the party barbarian, and protects her when she's targeted by an enemy (so her AC of 12 at least gets disadvantage for enemies attacking her, which is pretty nice).

There are many fights where he doesn't even draw his weapon. Last combat, he just grabbed an enemy while the party wailed on it. Good times.

*SPOILER ALERT HotDQ******

Yesterday during our gaming session, we attacked a certain tower in a certain flying castle where a vampire and two spawn were residing. It was sunny outside. We gained entrance by scaling the tower to the balcony. It was a fairly long battle, but long story short, all three of them eventually got grappled and tossed off the balcony, dying by combination of hitting the ground from 75 feet up and the sun. Grappling is the most underrated thing out there, IMO. With all the attention to DEX based builds, and how DEX is super uber and STR sucks unless you're a GWM, I think people aren't even paying attention to how powerful grappling is.

For me it would be plenty enough if the legacy of the Fighter was "best at combat, also thanks to features that are UNAVAILABLE to everybody else".

you mean like Action Surge?

 

[Li Shenron]

you mean like Action Surge?

Yes, but not only.

Keep in mind that I don't have the PHB yet so this may be wrong... but the Fighter in Basic has:

- Fighting Style
- Second Wind
- Action Surge
- Extra Attack
- Indomitable

I know for sure that other classes in the PHB get Extra Attack but IIRC only one, so the Fighter is the only class that ever gets more than 2 attacks with the regular action.

Not sure about Fighting Style (the Ranger gets it too?), but I think all others are Fighter-only.

Even if all these might have a bit vanilla feel compared to other classes' features, or there might be similar features (e.g. for re-rolling saving throws), the whole bunch feels altogether quite good.

Then of course, there are also the Fighter-only subclasses...