Level Up (A5E) Combat Maneuvers Feeling a bit Underpowered?

[Stone Dog]

​

Wait until you look at Sanguine Knot and you realize like all of the 1st and 2nd degree manuvers are just grappling and knocking creatures prone. Woo, really needed 5 ways to do that. Definitely didn't want combo manuvers.

This seemed like it would be odd, so I had to check it out.

None of the 1st degree Sanguine Knot Maneuvers are grappling or knocking down. Double Team lets an ally shove an enemy as a bonus action along with an attack. Shoulder Check lets you knock an enemy that just hit an ally 10 feet away and gives you a ten-foot followup move.

Of the 2nd degree SKMs, Double Tackle is knocking down, but also gives an ally 20' of movement as a reaction. Dual Grapple inflicts Restrained on the target, improving the grapple of your ally.

I'd have to say that none of the 1st or 2nd degree Sanguine Knot maneuvers are "just grappling and knocking creatures prone."

 

[Morrus]

and I feel like although the utility of them all are there, the lack of that damage boost makes many of the maneuvers feel a lot worse than in older versions. Thoughts?

These maneuvers are new to Level Up. They weren't in any older versions of the game.

 

[Faolyn]

These maneuvers are new to Level Up. They weren't in any older versions of the game.

I'm guessing they mean Battlemaster maneuvers. Which aren't anything like LU's maneuvers except in name.

 

[Anonymous3]

Over the course of the year since they were first designed combat maneuvers lost most of their damage boosts and the focus became very much on the doing of Cool Things™. If you wanted to get more damage out of them however, I could definitely see a homebrew feat or archetype that does something to the effect of "when using a combat maneuver that includes an attack roll, after hitting you can spend 1 exertion to deal extra damage based on the maneuver's degree (1st: 1d4, 2nd: 1d6, 3rd: 1d8, 4th: 1d10, 5th: 1d12)."

To my knowledge Technical Fighting basically does this - whenever you use you a maneuver you do +2 damage and DC increases by 1. Pretty solid.

If you use Dangerous strikes on an attack (+2); happen to roll 18? Use your Reaction to activate Twist the Blade (add another +2).

That said, for me maneuvers are for stuff to do and not for damage.

 

[Corinnguard]

I'm guessing they mean Battlemaster maneuvers. Which aren't anything like LU's maneuvers except in name.

Every martial class in Level Up, thanks to the numerous Combat Traditions in Level Up, is a Battlemaster.

 

[Morrus]

Of course technically--though it sounds like overload on options--you could use the 5E Battlemaster subclass along with the A5E fighter and combat maneuvers...

 

[Corinnguard]

Of course technically--though it sounds like overload on options--you could use the 5E Battlemaster subclass along with the A5E fighter and combat maneuvers...

Wouldn't such a subclass be pretty moot when every martial class in A5e has access to combat maneuvers?

 

[Morrus]

Wouldn't such a subclass be pretty moot when every martial class in A5e has access to combat maneuvers?

Sure. I was being silly. But technically it's doable!

 

[Corinnguard]

Sure. I was being silly. But technically it's doable!

Exertion points in the place of Superiority Die?

 

[Morrus]

Exertion points in the place of Superiority Die?

Nah, just use both at the same time! We could then have a feat called the Inefficient Tactician with pre-requisites that you have access to both!