Level Up (A5E) 5e 2024/5.5 vs Level Up A5E

[Micah Sweet]

What's better for the martial classes, the weapon masteries of 5.5e or proficiencies in 2-3 of A5e's combat traditions? Both were put into play by 5.5e and A5e as potential solutions for the martial-spellcaster gap.

I prefer combat traditions. They're more varied and interesting, and as a subsystem there's more room for expansion (as has been demonstrated many times in the last few years of supplements).

 

[Corinnguard]

I prefer combat traditions. They're more varied and interesting, and as a subsystem there's more room for expansion (as has been demonstrated many times in the last few years of supplements).

I also prefer the combat traditions for pretty much the same reasons. You also gain access to more powerful combat maneuvers as you level up as a martial character.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I also prefer the combat traditions for pretty much the same reasons. You also gain access to more powerful combat maneuvers as you level up as a martial character.

Yeah, it is similar to the magic subsystem in that way, which is great for feeling like you're learning new and more powerful moves as you advance.

 

[Anonymous3]

What's better for the martial classes, the weapon masteries of 5.5e or proficiencies in 2-3 of A5e's combat traditions? Both were put into play by 5.5e and A5e as potential solutions for the martial-spellcaster gap.

Combat traditions are really great. I am not sure what what you call this but A5e combat traditions are easy enough to understand for a new player to jump in and pick good fun stuff and really open for crazy combinations for players that are so inclined.
I find that you will almost always have a good mix of players along this spectrum which makes for everyone at the table able to have fun in their own way.

 

[Chaltab]

while it's true that Combat Maneuvers in A5E offer more variety, aside from a few outliers the Weapon Masteries are hugely more powerful. They can be applied to every attack made with that weapon and most of them have no save..

 

[Micah Sweet]

while it's true that Combat Maneuvers in A5E offer more variety, aside from a few outliers the Weapon Masteries are hugely more powerful. They can be applied to every attack made with that weapon and most of them have no save..

Fair enough, and if power is what you prioritize maybe weapon mysteries are a better fit for you. Me, I value variety and verisimilitude over power.

 

[Arilyn]

while it's true that Combat Maneuvers in A5E offer more variety, aside from a few outliers the Weapon Masteries are hugely more powerful. They can be applied to every attack made with that weapon and most of them have no save..

Which is why I vastly prefer Combat Maneuvers. There are more tactics involved if you are not just automatically doing the Weapon Mastery over and over again. There's a little more creativity involved with A5e as well.

 

[Burnside]

I prefer Combat Maneuvers because they are more varied and interesting but also because they are more limited in terms of number of uses. Since exertion points recover on a short rest, I find that martials rarely completely exhaust them but sometimes do, which is good.

 

[Corinnguard]

They can be applied to every attack made with that weapon and most of them have no save..

With A5e, you can use any weapon while performing a particular combat maneuver. You don't need to switch weapons to use a different maneuver like you do with a weapon mastery.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

With A5e, you can use any weapon while performing a particular combat maneuver.

well, kind of. it's more like the groups of weapons they require from you are much broader (e.g. melee or ranged weapons, finesse weapons, etc) depending on the maneuver.