D&D (2024) 4/26 Playtest: The Fighter

[Minigiant]

Yeah if that is the case then they should scale at 5th 11th and 17th

That has always been the problem.

The Fighter since 0e except for 4e just been "do the stuff you can do at level 1 better".
Which is fine if every class did that. But that's not true for casters.
Old School D&D nly masked this by having almost no one play high levels to see the different curves.

The problem started in 3e when most groups started playing past level 9.

Before level 11 warlock barbarian ranger and paliden get extra attack and if other subclass show up that will be some bards and wizards

2014 Fighters really needed a feature that other classes didn't steal before level 11.

 

[Garthanos]

On the push versus spike growth, isn't there a clause or ruling somewhere that most forced movement effects don't trigger spell damage for movement through the area?

Can you back that up? I mean "most" is vague and in general this is kind of anti-teamwork. All across the board (once per turn activation seems much more sensible)

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

On the push versus spike growth, isn't there a clause or ruling somewhere that most forced movement effects don't trigger spell damage for movement through the area?

Opportunity attacks specify that they cannot be from forced movement. Booming Blade says it activates when the target 'willingly moves'.

Most spells have no such limitations.

 

[Minigiant]

Quite frankly,they just didn't go far enough.

If fighters can switch Masteries on weapons the route was

1. Make sure no 2 weapons were identical.
   1. Change Battle Axe or Longsword
   2. Change Glaive or or Halberd
2. Make new Masteries that were in on the default list of masteries

Here are some masteies I've though up since this Playtest's publishing

Crack
Prerequisite: Heavy, Two-Handed, or Versatile Property
If you hit a creature with this weapon and would deal at least 15 damage to the creature, you can forgo all damage with this attack and the creature is Stunned until the start of your next turn.

Crush
Prerequisite: Melee weapon that deals Bludgeoning Damage.
If you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Flourish
Prerequisite: Finesse, Light, or Versatile property
If you hit a creature with this weapon with Advantage, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage of your attack roll.

Hew
Prerequisite: Melee weapon that deals Slashing Damage.
If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can have the next attack you make another creature deal an additional 1d6 damage.

Jut
Prerequisite: Reach Property
If you hit a creature not adjacent to you with this weapon, that creature considers the area within 10 feet of you as difficult terrain until the start of your next turn. This effect end if you not longer have this weapon equipped.

Puncture
Prerequisite: Melee weapon that deals Piercing Damage.
If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can choose for the creature to be Grappled with this weapon.

Vault
Prerequisite: Heavy or Reach Property
If you hit a creature not adjacent to you with this weapon, you use 1d12 as its weapon die if you succeeded a long Jump or High Jump before making their attack.

 

[mellored]

Stunned is too strong. Try dazed instead.

Someone else's suggestion but...

Feint: when you miss with an attack, you have Advantage on your next attack against the target before the end of your next turn.

Pull (whip): pull a creature 5' closer to you.

Reach: increase your reach by 5'.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Having Heavy as a prerequisite just means a number of characters can just never use them.

 

[ZetaShift]

I really just think masteries should've been basic techniques martials can pick up to modify their gameplay regardless of weapon, then actually commit to making weapons distinct in their properties by changing alot of them/adding alot of properties.

Level 7 Fighter just recreates the problem of weapons being the same with numerical differences and that's not okay.

 

[mellored]

Level 7 Fighter just recreates the problem of weapons being the same with numerical differences and that's not okay.

You can't put any mastery on any weapon. So they are all still different.

Not sure it's worth the complexity of having to look up what ability is allowed on what weapon, but they are different.

 

[Azzy]

A lot of people, most of which aren't on the forums, disagree. It's popular because it's simple.

Is it though? Or is it because the warrior is one of the most common protagonists in genre fiction.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I have been a bit curious, so I decided to alter the list a bit. Here are the nine masteries, after them are the weapons that that mastery can be used with, listed by the weapon's damage die. I'm not bothering to include things like reach, as most people here can quickly check that.

Mastery
Cleave (Heavy Melee Weapon)	Glaive (1d10), Halberd (1d10), Pike (1d10) Lance(1d10), Greataxe (1d12), Maul (2d6), Greatsword (2d6),
Flex (Versatile Property)	Staff (d6/d8), Spear (d6/d8), Battleaxe (d8/d10), Longsword (d8/d10), Warpick (d8/d10), Warhammer (d8/d10), Trident (d8/d10)
Graze (Heavy Melee Weapon)	Glaive (1d10), Halberd (1d10), Pike (1d10) Lance(1d10), Greataxe (1d12), Maul (2d6), Greatsword (2d6),
Nick (Light)	Club (1d4), Dagger (1d4), sickle (1d4), Handaxe (1d6), Light Hammer (1d6), Shortsword (1d6), Scimitar (1d6), Hand Crossbow (1d6)
Push (heavy, Two-handed, or Versatile)	Shortbow (1d6), Staff (d6/d8), Spear (d6/d8), Greatclub (1d8), Light Crossbow (1d8), Longbow (1d8), Battleaxe (d8/d10), Longsword (d8/d10), Warpick (d8/d10), Warhammer (d8/d10), Trident (d8/d10) Glaive (1d10), Halberd (1d10), Pike (1d10) Lance(1d10), Heavy Crossbow (1d10), Greataxe (1d12), Maul (2d6), Greatsword (2d6), Musket (1d12)
Sap (Cannot have any properties)	Mace (1d6), Flail (1d8), Morningstar (1d8)
Slow (No Pre-req)	-- ALL WEAPONS --
Topple (Heavy, Reach, or Versatile)	Whip (1d4), Staff (d6/d8), Spear (d6/d8), Longbow (1d8), Battleaxe (d8/d10), Longsword (d8/d10), Warpick (d8/d10), Warhammer (d8/d10), Trident (d8/d10), Glaive (1d10), Halberd (1d10), Pike (1d10) Lance(1d10), Heavy Crossbow (1d10), Greataxe (1d12), Maul (2d6), Greatsword (2d6),
Vex (Ammuntion, Light, or Finesse)	Whip (1d4), Club (1d4), Dagger (1d4), sickle (1d4), Handaxe (1d6), Light Hammer (1d6), Shortsword (1d6), Scimitar (1d6), Rapier (1d8) -- ALL RANGED WEAPONS--

Well.... this immediately had interesting results, didn't it? I'd missed it before but the weapons that have Sap already? Those are the only weapons that CAN have sap. That's stupid.

Cleave and Graze have no Simple Weapons. Cleave and Graze are the only two that are identical in terms of lists.

The Battleaxe and the Trident are the only weapons that can have Flex, that doesn't start with it. And both have Topple, with the Trident being the better weapon of the two


The Pistol, Dart, Sling, and Blowgun can only have two possible Masteries. Vex or Slow. This ties them for least number with the Mace, Flail and Morningstar, which can only have Sap or Slow.

Heavy Melee Weapons have five potential Masteries (Cleave, Graze, Topple, Push, or Slow). Versatile Weapons have Four (Topple, Push, Slow or Flex) meaning there is little reason to use a Versatile weapon except for the shield, again.

Heavy Ranged Weapons have four masteries (Vex, Slow, Push, Topple) but that category only includes Longbows and Heavy Crossbows. Most ranged weapons not listed above have three (Vex, Slow, Push)

Light weapons have three masteries (Vex, Nick, and Slow)


I find this list really eye-opening to how limiting some of these options truly are.