D&D 5E (2024) The Versatile STR Fighter: Melee with a Real Ranged Option

[Minigiant]

The fighting style I miss from 2014 is Superior Technique. It is not the most powerful by far, but it is the most fun.

Upping it to 2 d6 Superiority dice would have been great.

The D&D designers are and have been too caster focused. This is why all optimization is about snagging and abusing spells.

Since 5.5e turned Fighting Styles into feats, you dont have to worry about the complexity load. Newbies wont see it nor take it .

Superior Technique Fighting Style Feat (Prerequisite: Fighting Style Feature).

• You learn one maneuver of your choice. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice.)
• You gain two superiority die, which are d6s (this dice is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). These dice is used to fuel any maneuvers you have. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a Short or Long Rest

Weapon Specialization Fighting Style Feat (Prerequisite: Fighting Style Feature)

Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery property of one kind of Martial weapon of your choice, provided you have proficiency with it. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kind of weapon to another eligible kind.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I was hoping for something that drastically alters fighting style

Balanced: +1 AC
Hybrid: +2 to ranged and two handed weapons
Dragon Style: Unarmed or Light weapon attack as Bonus Action, -1 AC
Giant Style: +3 AC, -2 to attack rolls with weapons

it was late when i posted that so i didn't really get my thoughts in order properly, here's my second stab at it

if i took, for example, Two Weapon Fighting as my fighting style, what it would require for it to live up to the bar of a proper fighting style for me would ideally provide all of the following:

-the Nick mastery's trait of making your bonus action offhand attack as part of your attack action applies to all light weapons for you, and your offhand weapon is the one that matters for carrying the light property for this to trigger not your primary weapon (meaning, you could make a regular attack with a 1-H longsword and then make a free attack with an offhand shortsword).

-you can make an additional offhand attack with your bonus action if both of your weapons have the light property.

-the TWF trait of letting you add your ability score modifier to your offhand attacks when you get extra attack from a light weapon.

-dual wielder feat's Quick Draw trait of letting you stow or draw two weapons when you would usually only be able to draw one.

-an adaption of the defensive duelist's parry, where when you are hit with a melee attack while wielding a light weapon you can use your reaction to increase your AC equal to your PB until the start of your next turn.

now i realize this is alot compared to current fighting styles but it provides:
1) a unique action or bonus effect to your attack action when using your chosen fighting style's weapon,
2) something to do with at least one (preferrably both) of your bonus actions or reactions for your fighting style,
3) at least one passive boon or effect to assist your fighting style.
but that is what i think a proper fighting style should provide your character.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

First, I want to be clear, this is not the main advantage afforded by Blind Fighting. It is one advantage and it can be used, but the main advantage is seeing invisibile enemies, especially if you do not automatically know where they are located at your table. Being able to see someone who you could not otherwise see is a big deal in the game, especially for casters and front line tank type characters. It enables AOOs and it enables a lot of spells, including the Shield Spell. Depending on how your DM plays "Invisible" it may allow you to find enemies you would not even be able to find and attack.

That said you can use obscuration for your advantage and you would do this when the situation warrants to give yourself a big advantage, typically when you are fighting holding down one flank, while the rest of the party fights another or when you are facing an enemy caster you want to isolate (as most spells require the caster to see the target). You obviously do it when it is advantageous to your party. But it is a big advantage when it is.

Depending on how your DM interprets the invisible condition it can hurt ranged characters, but it has little affect on melee allies unless their build relies heavily on AOOs.

RAW when you cast Fog Cloud or Darkness everyone inside instantly has the Invisible condition with respect to everyone inside and outside, further everyone outside the AOE has the invisible condition from people inside or people on the other side of it. All those people are invisible unless you have some sort of extra-sensory power (blindsight, Trueseeing, tremmor sense etc).

Now the DM part comes in - do you know where invisible creatures are located at your table? If the answer is yes then your party is not really screwed at all, your ranged allies (who are invisible) attack enemies (who are also invisible) and those attacks are regular. Similarly your melee members go in and they are invisible while attacking invisible enemies. The only real effect on your allies is no one gets AOOs (although Zhentarim Tactics and Sentinel do still work) and other things that require you to see (usually spells) do not work.

If your DM rules that invisible means you do not know where enemies are then it can hurt your ranged allies, and your melee allies typically have to walk around and find enemies but you would have an understanding of this before you use it. But in this case the fighting style is even more powerful generally.

Also very good if you intend to buff your allies at all. I have had many situations where our ranger was "invisible" in dim light... and I could not help the ally with a spell or assistance because the DM (in his wisdom) said... wait a minute, how are you seeing said tricksy ally to give them that aide?

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

Unfortunately, for me. I never take fighting styles with my feats because of missing out on 1/2ASI

 

[Minigiant]

it was late when i posted that so i didn't really get my thoughts in order properly, here's my second stab at it

if i took, for example, Two Weapon Fighting as my fighting style, what it would require for it to live up to the bar of a proper fighting style for me would ideally provide all of the following:

-the Nick mastery's trait of making your bonus action offhand attack as part of your attack action applies to all light weapons for you, and your offhand weapon is the one that matters for carrying the light property for this to trigger not your primary weapon (meaning, you could make a regular attack with a 1-H longsword and then make a free attack with an offhand shortsword).

-you can make an additional offhand attack with your bonus action if both of your weapons have the light property.

-the TWF trait of letting you add your ability score modifier to your offhand attacks when you get extra attack from a light weapon.

-dual wielder feat's Quick Draw trait of letting you stow or draw two weapons when you would usually only be able to draw one.

-an adaption of the defensive duelist's parry, where when you are hit with a melee attack while wielding a light weapon you can use your reaction to increase your AC equal to your PB until the start of your next turn.

now i realize this is alot compared to current fighting styles but it provides:
1) a unique action or bonus effect to your attack action when using your chosen fighting style's weapon,
2) something to do with at least one (preferrably both) of your bonus actions or reactions for your fighting style,
3) at least one passive boon or effect to assist your fighting style.
but that is what i think a proper fighting style should provide your character.

I wouldn't do something that complex as newbies get it ar level 1.

But I had an idea of Fighting styles with an option of a foci on a possible positive and negative traits.

For Example, I like the builds described in TCOE as warrior archetypes.
So I'd love Fighting Styles like:

Shock Trooper
Fighting Style Feat (Prerequisite: Fighting Style Feature)
When you’re holding a weapon in two hands and wearing Heavy Armor, you gain a bonus to damage rolls with that weapon equal to your Strength modifier but a -2 penalty to Armor Class.

Gladiator
Fighting Style Feat (Prerequisite: Fighting Style Feature)
You can use your Charisma modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier for Armor Class and the damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes and weapons.

 

[FrogReaver]

If you are not playing 2024 it is not the same. The specific reason it is so powerful is because of changes to blindsight, elimination of "hidden" as a thing in the game, and the changes to the invisible condition. This is independant of party composition. Invisible stalkers, Shadows, Shadow Demons, Goblins, Assasins, the new 2024 hiding Vampires, .... anything that uses "Invisibility" is severely nerfed.

People talk about throwing up an obscured area, and yes that can be very effective, but it is not the main thing. The main thing is against invisible (2024 definition) enemies and to a lessor extent when enemies use things that cause obscurement against you.

Blind Fighting Style
Reduces failure states
Doesn't increase tactical flexibility
Lower frequency higher impact (than archery style)

I’m generally a fan of tools that reduce failure states - but only when the failure state is common enough to justify the investment.

Where we differ is simply on frequency. You seem to rate "fighting invisible enemies or dealing with obscurement" as a frequent occurrence. My experience (and many others) is that these situations are relatively rare, which pushes Blind Fighting down the value curve compared to something like Archery Style, which improves flexibility every single session.

 

[Zardnaar]

Un

Blind Fighting Style
Reduces failure states
Doesn't increase tactical flexibility
Lower frequency higher impact (than archery style)

I’m generally a fan of tools that reduce failure states - but only when the failure state is common enough to justify the investment.

Where we differ is simply on frequency. You seem to rate "fighting invisible enemies or dealing with obscurement" as a frequent occurrence. My experience (and many others) is that these situations are relatively rare, which pushes Blind Fighting down the value curve compared to something like Archery Style, which improves flexibility every single session.

Unless you're causing those states.

 

[FrogReaver]

Unless you're causing those states.

The person I was replying to explicitly said that the party causing those states wasn’t a major factor in their rating of Blind Fighting Style. Their valuation was based on how often enemies impose invisibility/obscurement, not on the party generating those conditions themselves.

 

[Zardnaar]

The person I was replying to explicitly said that the party causing those states wasn’t a major factor in their rating of Blind Fighting Style. Their valuation was based on how often enemies impose invisibility/obscurement, not on the party generating those conditions themselves.

Yeah its meh then.

 

[Minigiant]

Un
Unless you're causing those states.

I think this is a build thing.

You dont cause these states unless you build PCs to produce them close to your encounters per day.