D&D 5E [5e] Modification of -5/+10 Feats

[Wulffolk]

One of the aspects of 5e that I see the most complaints about are the feats that give +10 damage for -5 to hit.

By changing the wording to allow a player to choose the level of the penalty to hit, limited to a maximum equal to the character's proficiency bonus, and gaining a bonus to damage equally to twice the penalty it seems that some of the bite could be taken out of these Feats.

For example, a 1st level character with a +2 proficiency bonus could only choose between a -1 to hit with +2 damage or a -2 to hit with a +4 damage. At later levels you just continue the progression up to the proficiency bonus.

The DM could choose to cap this at the -5/+10 or allow a character with a +6 proficiency bonus to go up to -6/+12.

If the bonus to damage is still too high, then maybe limit it to a 1 for 1 exchange.

 

[JValeur]

I tried that fix too, once, but as people pointed out, lesser penalties/bonuses was actually kind of a buff, especially at lower levels. I think the easiest fix is simply to limit GWM to once per turn. That takes the edge off.

 

[CapnZapp]

I tried that fix too, once, but as people pointed out, lesser penalties/bonuses was actually kind of a buff, especially at lower levels. I think the easiest fix is simply to limit GWM to once per turn. That takes the edge off.

Yes, -2/+4 at lower levels and -6/+12 at the highest is actually more of a buff than a nerf.

I suggest removing the idea to grant more than a few points of bonus damage entirely, meaning that a feat that provides, say, a +2 damage bonus always (never increasing) wouldn't break anything.

The alternative is to simply replace the mechanism with a regular +1 strength. While this is a significant nerf, the feat is still average and fully viable.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Yunru]

Actually that'd make the feat pretty crap. It'd be a lesser Polearm Master with all the non-BAA stuff replaced by +1 Strength, thrilling.

-Prof/+2Prof is a perfectly serviceable tweak, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Note how those telling you it's a buff to the feat also aren't presenting any evidence for that claim.

 

[JValeur]

Actually that'd make the feat pretty crap. It'd be a lesser Polearm Master with all the non-BAA stuff replaced by +1 Strength, thrilling.

-Prof/+2Prof is a perfectly serviceable tweak, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Note how those telling you it's a buff to the feat also aren't presenting any evidence for that claim.

Whoa whoa, I didn't know I was part of a grand conspiracy! I can't claim to have the math either (or the time/interest to do it), but I saw it calculated, and it looked to be right. But hey, it's a free game - you can do whatever you want, I don't think the change will make the feat that much better than it already is

 

[Zardnaar]

+1 str/dex or limit it to 1/round.

 

[Mephista]

First, lets ask if its a problem in your game. While lots of people talk about how Power Attack is Broken McOP, a lot of that depends on the presence of bonus dice or advantage on the PCs. And that generally requires the party combining their efforts towards it to make it all click. As well, it tends to be a problem at the higher levels rather than lower. Do your games reach that point?


So, is the-5/+10 presnce a problem with your group, or is it just something you hear?


Next, consider where the problem is. Is it a single character doing most of the damage, or is it a problem of a min-maxed group, or something else? Is it mixing two Weapon Mastery feats together? This requres different solutions than tweaking the feat. The -5/+10 gets a lot of flack, but its just the most obvious part of a larger machine.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You can do whatever you like. That feat is not too broken anyway. You trade reliability against a gamble.
Usually it makes trivial encounters even more trivial. If the enemy has as little as a shield spell ready, you do gimp your damage instead of increasing it.

 

[Yunru]

Here's the maths, and as you can see, -2/+4 is not a boost (although of course -6/+12 is).

EDIT: Now with a chart of the difference for easy-to-spot cut off points.

EDIT: Now with advantage (do note, this means the character also has to get advantage somehow).

 

[Tormyr]

I posted a numbers breakdown in one of the more recent threads on this subject.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...eapon-Master&p=7090709&viewfull=1#post7090709