Are we overthinking the warlord?

[TheCosmicKid]

So it struck me that the core fighter abilities cover the basics of what most people want the warlord to do pretty well -- wait! keep reading! -- except for the one issue that they affect the fighter instead of other people. So what if we just, y'know, changed that?

Inspire Second Wind
Once per turn, you can use a bonus action to restore hit points to a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you. The amount regained equals 1d10 + your warlord level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you use it again.

Call to Action
Starting at 2nd level, on your turn, you can use your action to allow a friendly creature within 30 feet who can hear you to immediately take an action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Coordinate Attack
Beginning at 5th level, once per round, when a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you takes the Attack action, you can use your reaction to allow that creature to attack one additional time as part of that action.
When you reach 11th level, you gain a second reaction each round and can use this feature twice per round, but only once on the same creature's turn. The number of reactions and uses of this feature increase to three when you reach 20th level.

Indomitable Leader
Beginning at 9th level, when a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you fails a saving throw, you can allow them to reroll the saving throw. They must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

That looks like a pretty good starting point for a 5e warlord to me. Something for both the "a warlord is just a type of fighter" and the "no it isn't!" camps.

 

[FrogReaver]

So it struck me that the core fighter abilities cover the basics of what most people want the warlord to do pretty well -- wait! keep reading! -- except for the one issue that they affect the fighter instead of other people. So what if we just, y'know, changed that?

Inspire Second Wind
Once per turn, you can use a bonus action to restore hit points to a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you. The amount regained equals 1d10 + your warlord level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you use it again.

Call to Action
Starting at 2nd level, on your turn, you can use your action to allow a friendly creature within 30 feet who can hear you to immediately take an action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Coordinate Attack
Beginning at 5th level, once per round, when a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you takes the Attack action, you can use your reaction to allow that creature to attack one additional time as part of that action.
When you reach 11th level, you gain a second reaction each round and can use this feature twice per round, but only once on the same creature's turn. The number of reactions and uses of this feature increase to three when you reach 20th level.

Indomitable Leader
Beginning at 9th level, when a friendly creature within 30 feet of you who can hear you fails a saving throw, you can allow them to reroll the saving throw. They must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

That looks like a pretty good starting point for a 5e warlord to me. Something for both the "a warlord is just a type of fighter" and the "no it isn't!" camps.

Looks can be deceiving

1. Abilities that can affect any ally are generally stronger than abilities that must affect just the fighter. (For example I worry about any level 2 ability that can grant anyone in the party an additional action. Spell nova's can be very strong and this enables them like crazy).
2. It's not a bad starting point but it doesn't cover everything a warlord class needs (no lazylord concept for example)
3. There is next to no ally buffing and really only enough healing to say look our warlord has healing (though I suppose the subclass may could fill in those gaps)

All in all it's not a bad start but it's still pretty far from what we are looking for.

 

[Leatherhead]

As per the thread title: Yes we are.

Fortunately, Mearls will have a Rough Draft of the Warlord subclass to show off tomorrow. Which will most likely smack us all upside the head with a new twist for a previously unexplored mechanic.

 

[MechaPilot]

Compared to the design staff? Yes, I'm certain we are.

I'm equally certain that people considering the warlord here are placing substantially different values on sacrificing your ability to act so an ally can act.

I'm also fairly certain that a lot of the consideration here is being done in absence of actually trying out these ideas.

 

[Yaarel]

The warlord needs to stand in as a primary healer. At least one of its subclasses does. It doesnt need to do things the way that a magical cleric or bard or druid does, but the warlord needs to cope satisfactorily with continual hit point loss.

 

[Zardnaar]

The warlord needs to stand in as a primary healer. At least one of its subclasses does. It doesnt need to do things the way that a magical cleric or bard or druid does, but the warlord needs to cope satisfactorily with continual hit point loss.

More or less agree but if you have good healer plus good damage dealer you have a problem.

 

[FrogReaver]

More or less agree but if you have good healer plus good damage dealer you have a problem.

Unless you are trading healing for damage or vice versa?

 

[Al2O3]

Remove the limit on Call to Action. Change inspiring second wind to something closer to the non-spell healing of the celestial warlock and I might be satisfied.

 

[Zardnaar]

Unless you are trading healing for damage or vice versa?

Still needs to be limited lol. This is what spellslots do.

 

[TwoSix]

More or less agree but if you have good healer plus good damage dealer you have a problem.

In a world with 40 HP Goodberries and Healing Spirit, it's very easy to overrate the importance of healing.