A critique and review of the Fighter class

[CreamCloud0]

You don't think the Soldier or City Watch backgrounds would be considered acceptable by lore-centered fans?

I think the point is, or at least how I’m reading it, is that while you could give those things to the fighter and they’d benefit from them, they’re not things that are particularly emblematic of the fighter’s unique talents themselves, they’re just add ons.

 

[Oofta]

I did. In the text you quoted.

Really?

....

But enough people are dissatisfied with objectively getting less in two of the three pillars of the game than nearly any other class, while not actually getting more in combat than anyone else, that wotc has tried to address it with subclasses and new battlemaster maneuvers.
...

You just stated that enough people are dissatisfied. I'll be the first to admit that occasionally I miss something, but you have not identified how you would justify "enough people" are dissatisfied to make a change to the fighter. I don't think we can ever say that.

My problem is not that some people, such as you, are dissatisfied. But we don't have a clue what percentage. Is it 1%, 10%, 90%? I think it's closer to the first two. All we know is that to the best of our knowledge the fighter is the single most popular class. Beyond that? No clue.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

From the position of thinking that the Fighter is fine, but that the criticism also has some merit (if delivered with way too much hysteria and hyperbole and anguish) here is my good faith effort at a house rule:

Hero Points
At first level, pick one attribute. When you fail an ability check with that attribute, you may re-roll the d20, and you must use the new result. You may do this as many time as your proficiency bonus, and you regain all uses after a long rest.

Each time your proficiency bonus increases, you may pick an additional attribute to use. You may also swap out an existing attribute for a new one.

I like it the only thing I would want to add (maybe subclass dependent) where you can get some cool feature based on the stat... like at level 7 an evasion or uncanndy dodge out of dex but maybe something like a lore master off Int... I would have to think it through but just misc uses based on the stats.

 

[Oofta]

I think the point is, or at least how I’m reading it, is that while you could give those things to the fighter and they’d benefit from them, they’re not things that are particularly emblematic of the fighter’s unique talents themselves, they’re just add ons.

The other issue is that for some people the simplicity of a fighter is part of the draw. Some people want a KISS class, keep it simple stupid.

 

[Minigiant]

You don't think the Soldier or City Watch backgrounds would be considered acceptable by lore-centered fans?

I don't think a second background fits. Most iconic fighters of media have a single background.

And the problem isn't access to skills. The issue is that there are too few skills in 5e so a party member will have a better modifier than a fighter in any skill they have,

There are only 18 skills. With every PC getting 4-5 skills, it is easy for someone else in a party of 4 or more to have the same skills as the fighter,

 

[bedir than]

I don't think a second background fits. Most iconic fighters of media have a single background.

And the problem isn't access to skills. The issue is that there are too few skills in 5e so a party member will have a better modifier than a fighter in any skill they have,

There are only 18 skills. With every PC getting 4-5 skills, it is easy for someone else in a party of 4 or more to have the same skills as the fighter,

1 - I don't know if any fighter fiction where the person as a teenager didn't do something non-fighter.
2 - Backgrounds are about more than skills
3 - The failure to have a Fighter get anything that a commoner doesn't get isn't just about skills

 

[Minigiant]

The other issue is that for some people the simplicity of a fighter is part of the draw. Some people want a KISS class, keep it simple stupid.

I've always thought the barbarian makes for a better KISS class.

Run forward and Melee attack. If baddie is scary, Rage for more damage,

It even fits the lore.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I've always though the barbarian makes for a better KISS class.

Run forward and Melee attack. If baddie is scary, Rage for more damage,

It even fits the lore.

And this is the reason the barbarian gets a whole lot less flack for being a KISS class. If the barbarian exists then why do we need a second KISS class?

 

[Minigiant]

And this is the reason the barbarian gets a whole lot less flack for being a KISS class. If the barbarian exists then why do we need a second KISS class?

Hey Hey. We should have a simple pew pew class.

We just don't need 2 KISS warrior classes.

 

[Scott Christian]

i guess it depends... if it was just my group, if I came on here and found out our group was such an outlier... then yeah we would just stick to house rules... but what I found is a not insignificant number of posters that had the exact or very similar experiences. At that point I think we are beyond house rules.

And I don't disregard your (and others) experiences. I don't question your experiences.

I do question motives because they are the underpinning of said consternation regarding the fighter. I think this is a fair question.