D&D 5E Boop

[Garthanos]

Also adjusted "Whistles in the Dark" to add the role call thought. I like that name, perhaps needs an only to fix fighting impairment due to darkness or similar loss of vision, then expand the range from what a light cantrip provides

 

[Dausuul]

Skipping Extra Attack seems an obvious design choice. It scrubs the class of sustained single-target DPR (the highest-valued feature in the 5e 6-8 encounter-day balance scheme, really), leaving it design space for Support resources.

Exactly. This is why I didn't vote in the poll: I don't think any existing class is a good chassis for the warlord. All except the rogue devote most of their "combat power" space to Extra Attack (or Agonizing Blast/Thirsting Blade, the warlock equivalent) or full spellcasting. And rogues fill that space with Sneak Attack.

A stand-alone warlord class needs that power space to do warlordy things. We already have more Extra-Attack-focused martial classes than the game really needs. Barbarian, paladin, and ranger struggle as it is to differentiate themselves from fighter. The last thing we need is yet another fighter-in-a-funny-suit.

 

[Undrave]

Exactly. This is why I didn't vote in the poll: I don't think any existing class is a good chassis for the warlord. All except the rogue devote most of their "combat power" space to Extra Attack (or Agonizing Blast/Thirsting Blade, the warlock equivalent) or full spellcasting. And rogues fill that space with Sneak Attack.

A stand-alone warlord class needs that power space to do warlordy things. We already have more Extra-Attack-focused martial classes than the game really needs. Barbarian, paladin, and ranger already struggle to differentiate themselves from fighter. The last thing we need is yet another fighter-in-a-funny-suit.

Did you take a look at my Roguelord?

 

[Tony Vargas]

So looking at the bard Since its Popular. aside from spells a Valor Bard is fairly close to a type of Warlord this was true in 4e as well

Bardic Inspiration is almost directly a Warlord ability akin to the Warlords Presence of 4e

Presence keyed off an ally spending a universally-available resource (AP). In 5e, the only universally-available resource is HD, and they can't be spent in combat, so there's nothing quite as simple to base it on, I suppose a die-resource mechanic is consistent with the way 5e has implemented other martial abilities.

At a baseline, it could work like Inspiring Word, let the recipient spend HD and add the granted die to the total.

one could come up with different ones that reflect different styles of warlords.

Inspiring: add the die to a saving throw
Tactical: add the die to an attack roll
Icon: when you gain temp hps you can increase them by the die result
Bravura: add the die to attack roll /before/ rolling, if it would have hit anyway, gain an extra attack as a bonus action; if it misses in spite of the added die, provoke an Opportunity Attack from the target.
Resourceful: add to any d20 check after the fact, but only if you have Advantage and/or Disadvantage on the check.
Skirmisher: add to a save or check to avoid/escape effects that reduce mobility; or add die x 5 to your move
Insightful: add to AC (one attack, after the roll), or initiative, or insight/perception/investigation check
Hector: add the die to a CHA check or to your DC when you force a WIS/CHA save.
Marshal: roll the die, grant a +2 AC/save bonus to yourself and that many allies who are adjacent to you, the Marshal, and/or each other (ie in a line or group).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Exactly. This is why I didn't vote in the poll: I don't think any existing class is a good chassis for the warlord. All except the rogue devote most of their "combat power" space to Extra Attack (or Agonizing Blast/Thirsting Blade, the warlock equivalent) or full spellcasting. And rogues fill that space with Sneak Attack.

A stand-alone warlord class needs that power space to do warlordy things. We already have more Extra-Attack-focused martial classes than the game really needs. Barbarian, paladin, and ranger struggle as it is to differentiate themselves from fighter. The last thing we need is yet another fighter-in-a-funny-suit.

I don’t think Undraves warlord or the Marshal we’ve been building are anything like a fighter in a funny suit.

but maybe all it takes is literally having a damage boosting mechanic that requires a weapon attack, in which case, meh.

 

[Marandahir]

Fighter - Banneret subclass, with UA Superior Technique fighting style and Martial Adept feat, and the UA Manoeuvres.

Or Rogue - Mastermind, with a Fighter dip for Battlemaster subclass Features, Superior Technique and add on it the Martial Adept feat.

Either way, these resolve the primary issue with all the other takes on the Warlord - the attempt at “nonmagical healing warrior” is a warrior that is either explicitly magical or a non-healer.

 

[Garthanos]

Presence keyed off an ally spending a universally-available resource (AP). In 5e, the only universally-available resource is HD, and they can't be spent in combat, so there's nothing quite as simple to base it on, I suppose a die-resource mechanic is consistent with the way 5e has implemented other martial abilities.

At a baseline, it could work like Inspiring Word, let the recipient spend HD and add the granted die to the total.

Yes the lack of universally available Action Surges is well established because then everyone is casting spells or some other nonsense we cannot have that, which is why I said "akin". I think the point is that it is under the control of the subject being inspired.,

Inspiring: add the die to a saving throw
Tactical: add the die to an attack roll
Icon: when you gain temp hps you can increase them by the die result
Bravura: add the die to attack roll /before/ rolling, if it would have hit anyway, gain an extra attack as a bonus action; if it misses in spite of the added die, provoke an Opportunity Attack from the target.
Resourceful: add to any d20 check after the fact, but only if you have Advantage and/or Disadvantage on the check.
Skirmisher: add to a save or check to avoid/escape effects that reduce mobility; or add die x 5 to your move
Insightful: add to AC (one attack, after the roll), or initiative, or insight/perception/investigation check
Hector: add the die to a CHA check or to your DC when you force a WIS/CHA save.
Marshal: roll the die, grant a +2 AC/save bonus to yourself and that many allies who are adjacent to you, the Marshal, and/or each other (ie in a line or group).

Definitely some interesting thoughts in there

 

[Tony Vargas]

Exactly. This is why I didn't vote in the poll: I don't think any existing class is a good chassis for the warlord. All except the rogue devote most of their "combat power" space to Extra Attack (or Agonizing Blast/Thirsting Blade, the warlock equivalent) or full spellcasting. And rogues fill that space with Sneak Attack.

The question is just the shape of the space to be filled, really. In the case of the fighter, it's heavily at-will and inflexible, in the case of the rogue, at-will, inflexible, and conditional - not suitable for support abilities, which need to be flexible & versatile. Thus, even though it's spellcasting, the heavily-long-rest & highly versatile chassis, the Druid, Cleric, and, to a slightly lesser extent, the front-runner Bard, are solid choices.
You just wouldn't fill 'em in with casting, but with martial resources & options, like maneuvers, but turned up from 2 to 9.

 

[Garthanos]

Predatory Stare (Hector Warlord) - (based on vicious mockery) Searching for vulnerabilities your unnerving focus drives your enemy to overcompensate inducing it to have disadvantage on its first attack following and you discover its vulnerability if it fails a wisdom save. The next successful attack against that enemy during the following round gains bonus damage of d6 or 2d6 at 5th level 3d6 at 11th and 4d6 at 17th level.

It occured to me that the valor bard gets an extra attack at level 6... I am wondering would it be appropriate to allow the extra attack in addition to a cantrip. In that sense a Warlord who was all Hector/Bravura could then Predatory Stare and Follow Through on it

 

[Undrave]

Or Rogue - Mastermind, with a Fighter dip for Battlemaster subclass Features, Superior Technique and add on it the Martial Adept feat.

The Mastermind really only has one Support feature: its ability to use Help at a 15ft and use it as a Bonus Action. Everything else is the usual selfish stuff of a Rogue.