D&D 5E Spellcasters and Balance in 5e: A Poll

[ECMO3]

Being a sub-class of Fighter dictates a ranger's attack and save tables.

But in 1E that is most of the class. The classes, especially fighter classes, in 1E are extremely thin.

Also all the magic items restricted to fighters could also be used by Rangers and Paladins.

 

[Don Durito]

You can already do this if you convince your DM the situation warrants it.


I don't think that has anything to do with class. It has to do with Charisma. Now if you are a fighter you might use your sword to do that, but it being able to convince those people has nothing to do with being a fighter. Quite frankly it has nothing to do with class at all and a Bard that decided to dump Charisma would not (and should not) be very good at it either.

Hitler did not convince 80 million Germans to follow him into WW2 by talking about a great soldier he was in WW1.

We should really do that with magic.

Just give the wizard the class feature: "has magic". Think about how much space we could save in the rule book! Then the wizard player can just constantly be asking the GM whether he can use his magic in this situation.

 

[ECMO3]

I'm pretty sure the issue is not whether you can translate a fictional concept into 5e rules in some way.

The question is whether doing so will be satisfying and fun.

So you are suggesting it is more fun if you just call it a warlord?

 

[Don Durito]

So you are suggesting it is more fun if you just call it a warlord?

No. What a weird interpretation!

 

[ECMO3]

Why do you say this? Lay on Hands and Detect Evil (sorry, Divine Sense) for the Paladin; Natural Explorer for the Ranger.

Natural explorer does very little to give a character a Ranger feel, especially when you can do a lot of that with the right background and either a feat or a Rogue at level 1. Rogue, Ranger, Warlock, Druid, and Cleric don't really feel to me like they are "in" their class until level 2 or more. Maybe Bard too but I never play one of them.

Fighters, barbarians, Sorcerers, Paladins and wizards all feel like their class from level 1.

Monk is on the fence.

The analogue for the warlord might be an ability to bolster in some fashion - either hp restoration, action economy manipulation, or an appropriately balanced way of doing both.

Fighters can heal at level 1 and manipulate action economy at level 2 (or even level 1 with the right fighting style).

 

[ECMO3]

We should really do that with magic.

I think you can do it with magic if you choose the right spells.

I don't get the second part of your post.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm pretty sure the issue is not whether you can translate a fictional concept into 5e rules in some way.

The question is whether doing so will be satisfying and fun.

That's the crux of it, ain't it.

The base of the fghter is a big dumb jock. Turning that into a sauve noble, a wise sensei, a genius bandit leader, or a terrifying commissar often results in something not satisfying to the player or the other member of the party.

 

[pemerton]

But in 1E that is most of the class. The classes, especially fighter classes, in 1E are extremely thin.

It's only a part of Paladins and Rangers. That's my point!

Also all the magic items restricted to fighters could also be used by Rangers and Paladins.

Not uniformly. For example, a Manual of Puissant Skill-at-Arms works differently for Paladins and Rangers. (And of course there are magic-items that Paladins and Rangers have special abilities with, like Holy Avengers and Crystal Balls.)

 

[pemerton]

Fighters can heal at level 1 and manipulate action economy at level 2 (or even level 1 with the right fighting style).

Fighters at level 1 can't restore others' hit points in meaningful amounts during combat; nor can they confer bonus or enhances actions on others.

A warlord is not "self only".

 

[pemerton]

We should really do that with magic.

Just give the wizard the class feature: "has magic". Think about how much space we could save in the rule book! Then the wizard player can just constantly be asking the GM whether he can use his magic in this situation.

This is how Marvel Heroic RP handles it - Doctor Strange et al have the Sorcery ability, which is rated from d6 to d12. The rulebook gives a general indication of what can be done at each level of ability.

It works pretty well, but does rely upon a structured resolution framework that 5e D&D tends to eschew.