D&D (2024) Weapon Masteries too Ubiquitous? New Fighter ability suggestion.

[Chaosmancer]

Fair enough but

This is not going to change, not from Wizards of the Coast at any rate. For starters to change anything would break compatibility and even if they were willing to make such a change it would never pass muster at the survey. It is not that you are wrong, as much as I would like to emulate Finn McCool or even a bankai or a shaikai, it is not going to happen in official D&D.

"They will never do it" is a poor reason to not ask for it. Because if you don't ask, you are most certainly correct that it will not be done.

 

[Chaosmancer]

My thought is that thanks to all their training and experience, all fighters should have a baseline ability to assess the battlefield situation and give their team a tactical head's up at key moments. Not with the more specific commands of the Battlemaster - no need to step on their toes - but in a more general sense.

"This doesn't feel right, guys...be alert!" (advantage on initiative)
"Find cover, NOW!" (half AoE damage)
"Reform/fall back!" (instant half movement with no opportunity attacks - this would happen right away during the fighter's reaction, which I think would be unique and cool)

There has to be some sort of limit on the initiative one, or it will be done all the time. It is the only one that can't be done in combat after all.

 

[Chaosmancer]

More attacks (action surge, Multiattack 3) to use them.

A paladin will never be able to topple more than twice per round.
A fighter will get up to 8 topples a round.

How does a 20th level action surge help them at level 6 when they are just the same as the paladin?

And sure, the fighter has action surge... once. They have it once. Very powerful ability, but it isn't exactly something they do round to round to differentiate themselves.

 

[Clint_L]

There has to be some sort of limit on the initiative one, or it will be done all the time. It is the only one that can't be done in combat after all.

I had this as an ability that you could do once/short rest, like action surge. But, again, just spitballing - feel free to offer an alternative or improvement!

 

[Horwath]

Right, but that isn't the argument.

Rangers get Weapon Mastery AND their spells and abilities
Paladins get Weapon Mastery AND their spells and abilities
Monks get Weapon Mastery AND Martial Arts and Ki abilities
Rogues get Weapon Mastery AND Cunning/Devious strikes and Cunning Action
Barbarians get Weapon Mastery AND their rage abilities
Anyone can get one weapon mastery for a feat.

Fighters get Weapon Mastery.... and?

Second wind and Action surge?

 

[Kobold Stew]

At level 7 they can swap masteries, but that largely doesn't matter. It is a neat trick, but generally you can't put a mastery on a weapon that you couldn't get a similiar effect from just using a different weapon. It is usually a 1 pt difference in damage.

This argument is diminished in the face of a magic weapon, though.

By level 7, most fighters could have a +1 weapon (at least), and so the ability is letting you add mastery to th emagic weapon you want to use. Swapping is decidedly less than that.

 

[fuindordm]

Fighters should be able to get more powerful mastery effects compared to others. Higher save DC, longer duration, multiple uses per turn, that sort of thing.
I'm not convinced that just having access to 3 or 4 masteries instead of 2 is a big deal especially since they can be swapped with so little effort.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Weapon Masteries are there to make weapons more interesting, given the limited number of weapon properties that exist in this game. They do not give an edge to the fighter IMO.

You want an interesting Fighter, introduce
(1) Interesting weapon feats -

Fell Handed (battle-axe, dwarvern axes, longaxe, warhammer, maul);​

Flail Mastery (flail, spiked-chain); and​

Spear Mastery (harpoons, long spear, tridents)​

(2) Another class feature to choose from - Tactician, Diplomat or Specialist. None of these are to improve one's personal combat ability but rather focus on either assisting allies or improve one's capabilities or options in the Social and Exploration pillars.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Playing Diablo IV gave me some ideas:

Arsenal: You can switch your weapons as part of your attack without restrictions; so with four attacks you could go with ie Halberd trip -> Maul bash -> Maul bash -> dual Scimitars nick -> Bonus Action second Scimitar nick.

Secret of Steel: As part of a long rest with smith's tool, you can transfer the magical effect of a weapons from one to another.

Weaponmaster: Choose 4 weapon types, you can never have disadvantage on attack rolls with those weapons as long as you can see the target. If you attack with Advantage using one of those weapon, roll an extra d20 and take the best result (ala Elven Accuracy).

Overwhelm: On your turn, if you hit a creature with a weapon , the following attacks against the same creature using a weapon with the same Mastery as the first hit deal extra damage equals to half you proficiency bonus.

 

[TwoSix]

I'm going to use the same solution for fighters in 2024 I've used for the past 30 years:

Never play one.