D&D 5E The Magical Martial

[CreamCloud0]

What I think D&D really needs is a robust but easy to use framework for basic action hero stunts. Jumping over enemies, throwing them at each other, sliding under them etc. It can be ability check based, but once you have the framework, then you can give martials features that interact with this system.

it's the 'only the battlemaster can parry' problem, maneuvres are close to exactly this system(or something very similar) already but it's Been Decided that unless you take a feat only one class can do this thing and only one subclass will ever really be vaguely good at it, martials have had their abilities sectioned off as class specific things, For The Theming, and it's bad for them, only the monk will ever have natural bonus movement and actually good unarmed attacks, because those are Monk Things, and we'll never give them second wind because that's the Fighter Thing

IMO martials really need two things: they really need to pool all their resources together to mix and match them as apropriate and they need to mess with the base mechanical structure of the game more: give them more action economy, expertise on attack rolls, more proficiencies in saves, those sorts of things.

and i've said before in these threads, there outght to be some spells that are replicable with skill checks, not all spells of course and with a few tweaks, but you're telling me identify couldn't be achieved with an arcana check? or disguse self as a deception check? find familiar as animal handling? cure wounds with medicine?

 

[FrogReaver]

Then again, according the rules the same character can wade through lava.

Lava does a ton of damage in 5e. Barring fire resistance or immunity I don’t see any PC wading through lava in 5e.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Yeah...the rules are ridiculous sometimes. There are always places the abstraction and forced simplicity of the system leads to insane results. That's what GMs are for IMO.

Or they could just write these rules differently if they don't want that outcome.

But whilst HP is not just meat, at some point it starts to strain credulity what high level characters can survive, unless you assume that they actually are superhumanly durable.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Or they could just write these rules differently if they don't want that outcome.

But whilst HP is not just meat, at some point it starts to strain credulity what high level characters can survive, unless you assume that they actually are superhumanly durable.

Which the game does not unless the book explicitly says so. I agree the rules in these situations should be changed. A massive damage rule would fix most of it.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Lava does a ton of damage in 5e. Barring fire resistance or immunity I don’t see any PC wading through lava in 5e.

10d10. So about the same than a 9th level fireball. A high level character can survive couple of turns of that, then take a nap and be fine.

 

[FrogReaver]

it's the 'only the battlemaster can parry' problem, maneuvres are close to exactly this system(or something very similar) already but it's Been Decided that unless you take a feat only one class can do this thing and only one subclass will ever really be vaguely good at it, martials have had their abilities sectioned off as class specific things, For The Theming, and it's bad for them, only the monk will ever have natural bonus movement and actually good unarmed attacks, because those are Monk Things, and we'll never give them second wind because that's the Fighter Thing

IMO martials really need two things: they really need to pool all their resources together to mix and match them as apropriate and they need to mess with the base mechanical structure of the game more: give them more action economy, expertise on attack rolls, more proficiencies in saves, those sorts of things.

and i've said before in these threads, there outght to be some spells that are replicable with skill checks, not all spells of course and with a few tweaks, but you're telling me identify couldn't be achieved with an arcana check? or disguse self as a deception check? find familiar as animal handling? cure wounds with medicine?

Agreed with most of this. I’d just add that if parry maneuver didn’t exist then parrying becomes a part of the ac/hp abstraction again, opening up the fantasy of parrying attacks to any martial.

 

[Minigiant]

not following the point here.

There's no valid reason for tier limitations if the inspirations lack them.

You don't need to be supernatural to shoot an ancient dragon in the eye

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

Agreed with most of this. I’d just add that if parry maneuver didn’t exist then parrying becomes a part of the ac/hp abstraction again, opening up the fantasy of parrying attacks to any martial.

That line of thinking leads to getting rid of all class features and at that point I think it's fair to ask why even play a D&D like system.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Agreed with most of this. I’d just add that if parry maneuver didn’t exist then parrying becomes a part of the ac/hp abstraction again, opening up the fantasy of parrying attacks to any martial.

And removing them from actually doing anything, thus handing all that narrative control back to the wizard where apparently the designers and fanbase want it!

 

[Micah Sweet]

Agreed with most of this. I’d just add that if parry maneuver didn’t exist then parrying becomes a part of the ac/hp abstraction again, opening up the fantasy of parrying attacks to any martial.

Level Up fixes just about all of this. A good set of basic maneuvers, weapon qualities, and a cross-class combat maneuver system.