D&D (2024) My proposed minimal fighter/barbarian changes plus feats

[Neonchameleon]

The core problem with the fighter and the barbarian is that they do not scale. A level 1 melee fighter moves at 30' per round and swings a sharpened piece of metal hard and fast at an enemy within reach. A level 20 fighter by contrast moves at 30' per round and swings a sharpened piece of metal very hard and fast against a foe within reach of a weapon of the same length. With the barbarian it's actively worse; rage at level 1 protects against the overwhelming majority of threats as everyone's using physical damage - but there's more and more elemental damage as things level up. Epic wizards exist. Epic fighters and barbarians are little more than their L11 cousins with slightly higher numbers.

I'm also going to say that the low level fighters and barbarians are at least in combat right on top of the power curve. And their ability to climb and swim is really useful at low level. But things like fly, water breathing, water walking, and polymorph render them redundant.

There are also two key problems to feats as they are in 5e:

• All feats are available to L1 vumans and L4 characters in general. Which means your level 8 feat is something that wasn't good enough for you at level 4
• Everyone gets feats at the same levels - but spellcasters also get extra magic at those levels. Non-casters don't.

The first isn't quite as bad as the bullet point makes it sound due to synergy; a Str boost is more valuable on a character with polearm master due to extra attacks than it is to someone who makes fewer attacks, and Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter make each other stronger. But unless there's a feat combo (the other major one being Polearm Master/Sentinel for two handed polearm wielders) you're out of synergies with two stat boosts and a feat - so at L12 for most and L8 for a fighter. Lower for a vuman.

So. What do I propose?

Starting with Feats.
Non-casters (fighters, barbarians, rogues, probably monks) also gain either a skill proficiency or two tool proficiencies with each feat L1-10. L11-20 it's an expertise or a skill and a tool proficiency. They can practice these while others are practicing magic.

There are L12 feats introduced into the game that are explicitly larger than life. The L12 ASI version is either +3 to a stat or +2 to two stats (and yes this is a deliberate monk buff). Feats include +1 Stat and proficiency in two saves, and +2 Str/Con and add your STR to your speed and distance you leap. And +2 Dex Proficiency/Expertise in Acrobatics, and not falling at the end of your turn if you started it on the ground (yeah, it's a double jump. Or CuChulain throwing and jumping off his own spear). These L12 feats are not intended to be damage buffs so much as utility, and this is where you get the mythological/anime movement that the fighter and barbarian are entirely lacking.

Then the Fighter.

The fighter's levelling curve is decent at tiers 1 and 2. Slightly OP at low level, slightly underpowered at levels 7+. If it ain't broke don't fix it (other than giving more skills, as has been done plus a third starting skill). The only changes before level 13 not mentioned by the extra skills are Indomitable becomes Prof times/day and Intimidate gets to use Str rather than Cha for fighters and Barbarians, and with the Extra Attack they gain Mighty Attack; if they take disadvantage on the attack roll they can combine all their attacks into a mega-attack (as a tool to smash through things). Level 13 they poach Survivor (from Champion); they all take a lot of putting down. Level 17's Indomitable upgrades to Truly Indomitable - straight up perma-advantage on saving throws.

The Barbarian is similar. The only low level change is to scatter more resistances for the rage at various levels (I don't want a one level dip for resist all but psychic) and a third starting skill and keeping Instinctive Pounce so that people don't just bail on Barbarian after L6. Brutal Critical can be replaced by Improved Crit Range plus any attack against an inanimate object not worn or held is a crit. (Barb Smash!). Level 13 straight up immunity to environmental damage (loincloths across the tundra? No problem). And they need something biiig for level 17.

Oh, and force effects can (and therefore eventually will) be broken by barb criticals and fighter mighty attacks. They are just that dangerous.

The utility is still far behind but at least they move like badasses rather than first level characters, and have more skill breadth rather than not learning so much. But a lot goes onto the subclasses.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

and with the Extra Attack they gain Mighty Attack; if they take disadvantage on the attack roll they can combine all their attacks into a mega-attack (as a tool to smash through things).

combining all your attacks into one strike is already going to be disadvantageous in at least 90% of circumstances - disadvantage on the attack on top of that just makes it a meme.

 

[Pedantic]

combining all your attacks into one strike is already going to be disadvantageous in at least 90% of circumstances - disadvantage on the attack on top of that just makes it a meme.

I think this is for targeting objects if I'm reading the context properly, but it should definitely be made clear that it's not appropriate for combat against creatures, to avoid player confusion.

 

[Pauln6]

Surely you can already use strength to make intimidation checks if using physical violence?

 

[Shiroiken]

Surely you can already use strength to make intimidation checks if using physical violence?

Only if the DM permits it. In 5E the DM must be using the optional rule of skills with other abilities, and presumably this will continue with 1D&D.

The idea of using Str for Intimidation is usually based off a misunderstanding of Intimidation. It's not about the ability to hurt the target, it's about convincing the target how much. Being a big bruiser doesn't matter; the target should already know they can cause pain (no roll necessary). If the bruiser fails to intimidate, he can always start hurting the target until they give up or die. Someone good at intimidation, however, can convince the target the pain is going to be worse than it actually would be, getting them to give up before having to start torturing them. IMO, the big flaw is the hesitancy of players to follow through on the intimidation and DMs not having NPCs realistically desire to avoid pain, since "pain" is an even more abstract concept than HP.