D&D (2024) Should full casters and Monks have one weapon mastery?

[UngeheuerLich]

I fully agree

I noted that one of the gishes build in 5.5 (the bladelock) is a total glass cannon. It doesn't really "work" if you go single class, it's just too fragile.

If you are willing to sacrifice a few points of damage, you get by without multiclassing fighter.

Make use of armor of agathys. Take the false life invocation until you are a bit higher level. Take the fiend patron for regaining temp hp later.

You actually want to get hit with AoA up. Don't use hex.

 

[ECMO3]

When people are talking about 'Martial Abilities' they are not talking about accessing spells, or jumping through multi-class soup builds, or leveraging caster feats.

When people ask about "cool spell effects" they are presumably talking specifically about spells and those are the words used that I replied to.

They mean, being a Fighter, or a Barbarian, or Rogue, that doesnt use spells.

If that is the case they should have specified Fighter, Barbarian or Rogue, but they didn't, they said "martial" and as I alluded to above Fighters and Rogues can both get spells through a subclass.

 

[ECMO3]

I noted that one of the gishes build in 5.5 (the bladelock) is a total glass cannon. It doesn't really "work" if you go single class, it's just too fragile.

It actually works great because of Armor of Agathys. AOA is a bonus action to cast now, so you don't lose your attack when you need to reup and AOA with your highest level slot is going to be more hps then a d10 class would get.

You pretty much give up using other leveled spells in melee and at high level you need all your invocations to focus on bladewielding, but it is very effective in melee when played this way.

I've seen it played with a GOO Warlock and that is really good, but I think a Fiend Bladelock would be even better and I think either of these are better in melee than most single class non-caster builds.

But if you take a single dip in fighter, you solve so many problems. Your armor class is now decent, and you have a self heal. Your swordfighting is also improved by the fighting style and the weapon mastery. Con saves. Etc etc.

It is better at even levels, but not at odd levels. Extra invocations and higher level slots are going to be better than medium armor proficiency at odd levels, and if you are going to go for heavy armor you really need to rob from either dexterity or constitution.

If you are going the heavy armor route, I think Paladin is better than Fighter generally because of the 1st level spell slots.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It actually works great because of Armor of Agathys. AOA is a bonus action to cast now, so you don't lose your attack when you need to reup and AOA with your highest level slot is going to be more hps then a d10 class would get.

You pretty much give up using other leveled spells in melee and at high level you need all your invocations to focus on bladewielding, but it is very effective in melee when played this way.

I've seen it played with a GOO Warlock and that is really good, but I think a Fiend Bladelock would be even better and I think either of these are better in melee than most single class non-caster builds.

And then you propose to give them free weapon masteries on top of that?

 

[LordEntrails]

Caster's already have a weapon mastery, it's called a spell focus.
How boring when every class has the abilities of the others.

 

[ezo]

How boring when every class has the abilities of the others.

Exceedingly so!

 

[Scribe]

When people ask about "cool spell effects" they are presumably talking specifically about spells and those are the words used that I replied to.

No they are asking about "cool spell EFFECTS". Its the mechanics people want, without feeling like they are just another caster.

 

[ECMO3]

And then you propose to give them free weapon masteries on top of that?

Yes, because of the coolness factor, and to be clear I suggested one mastery, not multiple.

 

[ECMO3]

No they are asking about "cool spell EFFECTS". Its the mechanics people want, without feeling like they are just another caster.

Cool SPELL effects would logically come from a spell, otherwise they are just cool effects and if you want effects that are specifically not from spells you should say cool effects from something other than a spell or cool non-spell effects.

Further regardless of what meaning you are using, both bases are covered pretty effectively; Paladin and Ranger have cool SPELL effects in spades, and other martials have cool non-spell effects ... weapon masteries being just one of them, with numerous others available.

I don't know this for a fact firmly believe they were talking about spells specifically i.e. - give casters martial effects when martials get spell effects, but whether they are talking about cool spell effects or cool non-spell effects, there are lots of examples of both of those provided to martial classes (many provided ONLY to martial classes) in the 2024 rules.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yes, because of the coolness factor, and to be clear I suggested one mastery, not multiple.

...

I think having a spell is cool as martial too...