D&D 5E Being strong and skilled is a magic of its own or, how I learned to stop worrying and love anime fightin' magic

[DrunkonDuty]

I am now imagining a fast and furious esque silent film with the piano music and narration screens.

(Realize it's a typo, but that's what I'm imagining now. . ).

Dude, you just described the Keystone Cops.

 

[payn]

Ok, sure, but it was when he was an infant. He leveled up in the cradle.

Fundamentally you are trying to shoehorn D&D mechanics into a story that wasn't built with them as if D&D was actually a generic system for describing anything and everything. Some stories aren't stories that can be told with player character mechanics. Not every story fits D&D.

Same thing happens with alignment. Folks start pointing to all kinds of media it wasn't designed for and say it doesn't work. There is a lot of problem with exactly what D&D's identity is supposed to be. Since D&D is the Sun in the RPG solar system, it has the burden of folks wanting it to do everything. It's just not possible.

 

[Minigiant]

The power level some people want from the hypothetical mythical warrior (and how would you differentiate them from other classes/subclasses?) is not something that I think fits D&D's style of play. How do you balance out someone that has godlike abilities?

It's actually easy.

Comics and Movies show it all the time. The big guy with super strength get beat up by the much weaker warrior with more combat skill.

In D&D 4e, your "to hit" modifier is a combination of

1. Your Strength or Dexterity modifier
2. Your modifier from class features
3. Your bonus from magic items.
4. Your bonuses from spells
5. Your proficiency modifier from level

You could make 5 fighter subclasses based on each of them giving around the same bonus.

1. The Demigod fighter whose Strength or Dexterity increases with level and eventually passes 20
2. The Weaponmaster fighter whose class grants bonuses to all weapons
3. The Chosen Hero fighter whose bonds with a magical sword grows with every battle and gains abilities as they level up
4. The Eldritch Knight who straight up buffs themselves with spells
5. The Specialist who gains Expertise with a weapon of choice

But that would require D&D fans to recognize and admit the viability of different types of warrior and how they could work in D&D with other PCs. Instead of "I don't like it. It can't work anyway".

 

[Celebrim]

But that would require D&D fans to recognize and admit the viability of different types of warrior...

Ok, I think we are done here.

 

[Minigiant]

Ok, sure, but it was when he was an infant. He leveled up in the cradle.

Fundamentally you are trying to shoehorn D&D mechanics into a story that wasn't built with them as if D&D was actually a generic system for describing anything and everything. Some stories aren't stories that can be told with player character mechanics. Not every story fits D&D.

A baby isn't a level 1 fighter.

Heracles wasn't born able to fight. He learn and was taught to fight and wrestle. Now he did take the NPC route to leveling up much like most NPC mages and knights.

But there is nothing off with saying Jimmy is the great great great grandson of the God of War. That's why he starts with 18 Strength and 16 Con. And when he hits levels 5, 11, and 17, he unlocks more of his demigodhood. Or 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level if you do it as a fighter subclass.

 

[Garthanos]

"martials scale up via magic items" and "martials scale up via class features" and "martials scale up via Class Favoritism".

How about "martials scale up is open ended via empowered bloodlines" and probably faster.

Kinda like how Sorcerers inherently have magical potential, but have to hone their powers through training.

Or how a cleric channels divine power but has to get in tune with it.
The demigod learns to to tune themselves with their divine half ... they were raised as humans generally speaking. The god blood shows in bursts when they are younger and has to be attuned to gain control and consistency. Plus development is not necessarily immediat I may have the genetic potential to reach 30 strength... does not mean I start with it.

 

[Garthanos]

Cu Chulainn is another hero of mythology that can't easily be done in D&D raw.

I suppose not easily. A totemic/daemonic theme (reflavored demonic one) which granted the equivalent of his Warp Spasm : Daemonic Feat, and could be swapped out when he broke his vow (you can see one tool I think the oath bound hero should be built with instead of a class) was a good component in my 4e Cu Chulainn build. As was the mobility and multi-attack capability of the monk class (though barbarian was tempting.) But I did make some replacements for D&Ds assumed magic inventory I called techniques (like a broader more flexible Grand Master Training). GMTs are basically the basis of Cu's early adventuring story. He went to find the teachers, ie he leveled up.

 

[Oofta]

It's not really.

It's more a thread about where does a fighter's strength come from (skill, items, origin) and how powerful those powers should be.

Then I suggest you provide feedback for the 2024 edition. I think fighters will be tweaked like all other classes, I doubt they will be completely revised.

If there's enough demand, changes will likely happen. But sometimes the minority does not get their way, no matter how many times they call for major changes to the current design.

Or maybe I'm in the minority and there's a groundswell of support for changing the core nature of the class.

 

[Minigiant]

Then I suggest you provide feedback for the 2024 edition. I think fighters will be tweaked like all other classes, I doubt they will be completely revised.

Again,it doesn't require a major revision.

I can design a rough Demigod of Strength martial archetype right now.

Demigod of Strength

3rd level: +2 Strength and Powerful Build.
7th level: +2 Strength, your STR can go up to 24, and your unarmed strike is 1d8.
10th level: Thrown weapons can +30 feet range.
15th level: You can wield weapons made for large creatures without disadvange amd you never roll less that 10 on a STR ability check
18th level: You can replace a DEX or CON saving throw with a STR saving throw and attacks with melee or throw weapons can shove feet equal to your STR score.

Doesn't match your setting, ban it. Fighter remains intact.

Demigod of Speed. Fated King. Swordbonded. Not that hard.

 

[Cadence]

A baby isn't a level 1 fighter.

Heracles wasn't born able to fight. .

Tell that to the snake in his crib.