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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7149701" data-attributes="member: 20323">Yeah, that's certainly one route that seems popular with video games like Neverwinter or Dragon Age. And "Archer" is probably a more readily grasped concept than "Battle Master" or "Champion." It's still an almost purely mechanistic differentiation – which I don't think is what the fighter needs in its subclasses – but I see why it's attractive.Again, I look back to the Rules Cyclopedia's Weapon Mastery rules. Now, in the original rules weapon mastery wasn't exclusive to the fighter (who only got an extra 2 "points" of weapon mastery @1st-level and an extra 3 "points" at higher levels compared to other human PCs. But I'm more interested in using weapon mastery as a guideline to inform fighter class design than in feat design.I'll give an example of a "normal sword" (longsword) if you're unfamiliar with the Weapon Mastery rules...[SECTION]Sword, NormalBasic (1): 5 (1d8) damageSkilled (2): 7 (1d12) damage ––––– Defense H: -2 AC/1 ––––– Deflect (1) + disarmExpert (3): Range –/5/10 ––––– 9 (2d8) damage ––––– Defense H: -2 AC/2 ––––– Deflect (2) + disarm (save +1)Master (4): Range –/5/10 ––––– Primary Target: 13 (2d8+4) damage / Secondary Target: 11 (2d6+4) damage ––––– Defense H: -3 AC/3 ––––– Deflect (2) + disarm (save +2)Grandmaster (5) Range 5/10/15 ––––– Primary Target: 15 (2d6+8) damage / Secondary Target: 13 (2d4+8) damage ––––– Defense H: -4 AC/3 ––––– Deflect (3) + disarm (save +4)[/SECTION]How I interpret this is that as a fighter specializing in swordplay gets better, (s)he can expect to...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Deal more damage with a one-handed sword.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More readily defend, especially against multiple attackers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Learn how to throw a one-handed sword short distances.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Deflect/parry an increasing number of melee or thrown attacks.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Disarm an armed opponent with increasing chances of success.</li> </ul>EDIT: You could start to translate some of that into a fighter subclass using the 3rd/7th/10th/15th/18th model of the Champion or Battle Master.A rough example...Versatile Swordplay: Starting at 3rd, you can adjust your grip on your longsword once per turn simply as part of making an attack. When wielding a longsword one-handed, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC when you have more than one hostile creatures within 5 feet of you. When wielding a longsword two-handed, you deal 1d12 slashing damage (instead of 1d10). You may also change the damage type of your longsword to piercing damage as a bonus action.Improved Disarm: Starting at 3rd, you have advantage on attempts to Disarm a creature of its weapon.Thrown Sword: Starting at 7th, you can throw your sword up to 10 feet to make an thrown melee attack, or to cut a rope, imbed it into a wall to give you extra boost on a high jump, or perform some other daring maneuver. Retrieving your sword after throwing is automatic as long as you pass within 5 feet of it and no enemy has picked it up and it isn't stuck in stone or otherwise irretrievable.Deflect: Starting at 10th, you can deflect a number of melee or thrown attacks per round equal to 1 plus the number of attacks you didn't utilize from your Extra Attack feature on your last turn. Deflecting an attack doesn't use your reaction, but you cannot deflect an attack that has advantage to hit against you. You simply make a melee attack with your sword against a creature making a melee or thrown attack against you; if you roll higher than their attack roll, their attack misses you.</blockquote>

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