D&D 5E Do Fighter Battlemaster Superiority dice feel magical?

[FrogReaver]

Do Fighter Battlemaster Superiority dice feel magical?

 

[Warmaster Horus]

No. They push things, disarm things, make things easier to hit, distract things and other actions a master of combat could possibly accomplish. They don't make you invisible or let you fly or spit fire at something or the like.

 

[Zardnaar]

Gamey maybe magical no.

 

[FrogReaver]

To follow up, why do you think they feel magical or non-magical?

 

[Krachek]

All maneuvers describe common martial movement and tactics.
But why do you want a poll on this?

 

[Oofta]

I answered yes, but what I really want to say is that they feel supernatural. If they were just combat maneuvers they could be used any time it was appropriate. That could include only being able to pull a specific one once while fighting a specific opponent, only if you have flanking (obviously we don't have flanking), any time you hit and exceed the target AC by 5 or more for example.

I understand why they did it, because it would be too difficult to set up "appropriate situations" when you could execute a maneuver which may include some exhaustion mechanic.

But it feels like 4E where every character that had "powers" that were limited based on arbitrary times per day or encounter. It felt like a pure game mechanic from a play standpoint. From a simulation aspect it feels supernatural, or magic.

 

[FrogReaver]

All maneuvers describe common martial movement and tactics.
But why do you want a poll on this?

Because the most common complaint about any new martial abilities is that they feel to magical. I'm trying to figure out if the options present in the PHB and other books also bring about those same kinds of complaints. Either way, I'm interested in finding out why they do or do not.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I always considered martial powers as supernatural. Not magic per se, lets say more like psionics: the power from your soul/willpower channeled trough your body as pure energy to enhance your martial performance to another level. People who played Pillars of Eternity would probably understand what I'm trying to describe. The things that differentiate adventurers from normal guard, mages, priest is not fate or talent, its Willpower with a big W. That Willpower can be used in different ways: the intense focus of wizard to learn the rules of the universe, the rage-induced resilience to bump axes with your bare chest as a barbarian, the draining power to awaken the magic in your genes and yes...even the ability to strike 4 hits while the other opponent can hope for 2 and push beyond normal physical limitations of human body to disarm 4 enemies in 6 second should you wish to do so.

 

[cbwjm]

Not to me, like a few abilities in 5e they are limited by rest which creates a bit of a disconnect for me (like, why can they not keep doing their manoeuvres?). It makes me want to work more on my manoeuvres that use X number of attacks for some effect.

 

[mellored]

I agree with supernatural. Though I would probably use the word 'fantastic'. Magical in some sense, but not magical in the way D&D describes magic. And no more than taking a full critical hit from a grizzy bear and walking away, or being bitten by a shark, and be fine the next day.

Really, it feels more like a monk's ki ability.