D&D 5E What IS a level 1 Fighter?

[Ruin Explorer]

Err, yes, most farm boy heroes have magical powers. That's kind of the point. It goes back to the Greek Myths that so heavily inspired D&D, where most heroes where the illegitimate offspring of gods (as well as farm boys).

That's my point. Claiming a Fighter represents a farm boy hero is thus ridiculous.

Those novels don't tell us anything apart from your taste in literature. They all fall into a narrow subset of a far larger genre - modern, gritty, dark, anti-heroic. And they all have one thing in common - NONE of them are in the original Appendix N list of books that inspired D&D.

Now if you had picked out Conan or John Carter as characters with military training you might have been on stronger ground. But military training doesn't stop you being a hero, it's just not a requirement.

So you get to quote stuff like The Hobbit and Aliens, and my pointing out the vast majority of fantasy written in the last 40 years isn't like the Hobbit just shows I'm a trash person with trash tastes? Also the only things allowed to influence D&D are on Appendix N because history stopped in 1977? 'Kay.

 

[Nebulous]

Though you can certainly do it. It's just weird explaining how your farmhand is fully proficient in all armors, shields, and weapons the moment they stepped off the farm for a life of adventure.

That sums it up right there. But even the class itself is faulty. Being able to wield ANY weapon and any armor, yet having such crappy chance to hit at 1st level doesn't make sense. It probably takes years to master a single weapon, much less all of them.

 

[Oofta]

That sums it up right there. But even the class itself is faulty. Being able to wield ANY weapon and any armor, yet having such crappy chance to hit at 1st level doesn't make sense. It probably takes years to master a single weapon, much less all of them.

Have you ever seen a game where a fighter uses more than 2-4 weapons in a campaign? Because I don't remember it ever happening. The only one I've seen is going from a short bow to long and maybe use a small variety of thrown weapons or switching because the PC found a magic weapon.

That was somewhat different in previous edition, but even now when fighting monsters that have vulnerability to slashing or bludgeoning I rarely see it.

Historically people fought with at least a few different weapons depending on the situation. They switched from lance or pike to hammers to swords, potentially even using daggers.

We could make weapon proficiencies more "granular" but the effect on actual gameplay (other than people picking the "wrong" weapon) would be minimal.

 

[Nebulous]

We could make weapon proficiencies more "granular" but the effect on actual gameplay (other than people picking the "wrong" weapon) would be minimal.

I'm all for more granularity in 5e, but that goes against their design aesthetic and allowing new players to easily, very easily, pick up DnD. That's another topic, but I would be onboard for a 5.5 edition with new sub mechanics.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Class doesn't matter - parties that consist of mostly fighters are entirely possible in D&D and are common in fantasy literature of all types.

Possible, sure. Would such a party play out like the colonial marines in Aliens?
Most likely.

Y'know, Ripley leveling up from her previous adventure (no one to split XP with), acquiring henchmen, and getting them all killed, fits - I could imagine Robilar doing that.

How many clerics do you see in stories that aren't directly based on D&D?

Certainly not many that wear heavy armor, have an aversion to sharppointy weapons, and stand behind the hero healing him so he can make it through the fight.

Err, yes, most farm boy heroes have magical powers. That's kind of the point. It goes back to the Greek Myths that so heavily inspired D&D, where most heroes where the illegitimate offspring of gods (as well as farm boys).

Only Heracles (superhuman strength) and Achilles (supernatural invulnerability) got something concrete out of that heritage, the latter indirectly.
(Well, and Perseus was the original magic-item Xmas tree.)

 

[Arnwolf666]

I think 5E is different than us ad&d players in this respect. In early editions a 1st level fighter was a season warrior for sure. Now in 5E they are calling the low levels 1-2 apprentice levels. Although if you look at the chapter that begins around page 342 of PHB a commoner only has 4 hp. A bandit has 11 hp. So you could argue the 1st level fighter is still pretty badass. Especially because they still have some bells and whistles the commoner and bandit doesn’t have.

 

[generic]

I view the default Level One D&D Fighter as the equivalent of a general soldier, proficient in a wise array of weapons, but probably only using two or three often.

The default Fighter at level one is a soldier who has completed his or her training, but hasn't fought in many battles.

Alternatively, maybe the fighter is a mercenary with a few years of experience, but no formal training.

 

[Undrave]

"A veteran who turns his skills with weapons toward adventuring"

can someone please attempt to convince me of this particular one even being plausible? It doesnt make any sense to me.

Soldier background? Sailor/Pirate background? Gladiator background? The character has seen active combat before, probably in the old school "form lines and run at each other" way of fighitng battles, and now he's tired of risking his necks for others so he's gonna try this whole adventuring thing he's heard about.

He knows his way around a fight, he knows how to use weapons and armors and maybe do some climbing. He's just not well versed in stuff like "usual tactics of kobolds", "how to navigate crumbling dungeons", "how to recognize a trap", "what is a good place to look for loot", "What are the laws of the land regarding found treasures and bounty hunting" and other adventuring stuff.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Soldier background? Sailor/Pirate background? Gladiator background? The character has seen active combat before, probably in the old school "form lines and run at each other" way of fighitng battles, and now he's tired of risking his necks for others so he's gonna try this whole adventuring thing he's heard about.

He knows his way around a fight, he knows how to use weapons and armors and maybe do some climbing. He's just not well versed in stuff like "usual tactics of kobolds", "how to navigate crumbling dungeons", "how to recognize a trap", "what is a good place to look for loot", "What are the laws of the land regarding found treasures and bounty hunting" and other adventuring stuff.

I should have been more clear. I dont see how this "veteran" would be as weak as a 1st level fighter (at least a normal veteran probably wouldnt be)

 

[Hriston]

A 1st-level fighter (or 1st-level whatever) is equivalent to an “elite” warrior, like a member of a special forces unit or a king’s personal guard, i.e. a cut above a “regular” soldier.