D&D 5E Dragon+ Issue 33 out now!

[Marandahir]

Fat fingers, edited now.

Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense!

 

[Weiley31]

The Forge Adept has no magitech robot dogs, turrets, guns or power armour. Just a magic sword.

I'd be crazy enough to say that you could refluff the Steel Defender as a Flying Sword/Sword Familiar.(You'd use the stats for the Creation Bard UA Dancing Item) The idea of a Gish using a floating sword as a companion seems like a cool idea.

That or my love for Symphony of The Night is showing again.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Which is the problem - because the potential for a wide range of cool (and magical) spiked gear isn't made explicit, no one dares take it because they don't want to be stuck with the same lousy armour at level 20 and they don't trust the DM to create better stuff that isn't in the book.

It's similar to the lack of explicitly non-metallic medium armour for druids, but for a much more important class feature.

My point is that I've never seen a single person express a desire to play the subclass, outside of a very rare joke concept that wouldn't ever actually make it to the actual table for a one-shot. Not because of the mechanics, but because it's a slapstick idea that no one takes seriously as something they could pretend to be for more than ten minutes.

 

[Weiley31]

My point is that I've never seen a single person express a desire to play the subclass, outside of a very rare joke concept that wouldn't ever actually make it to the actual table for a one-shot. Not because of the mechanics, but because it's a slapstick idea that no one takes seriously as something they could pretend to be for more than ten minutes.

Honestly, I see the Battlerager more for a NPC than for an actual PC use, simply because of its reliance on said Spike Armor.

In my one campaign with my group, one of the Dwarven merchants they met before, will be revealed to be a Battlerager, and during a particularly hairy situation where the group finds themselves in a mercenary war camp where said merchant is a prisoner, the Dwarf is gonna whip out the Spike Armor and then assist the party in bashing their way out of the camp.

 

[Ancalagon]

Which is the problem - because the potential for a wide range of cool (and magical) spiked gear isn't made explicit, no one dares take it because they don't want to be stuck with the same lousy armour at level 20 and they don't trust the DM to create better stuff that isn't in the book.

It's similar to the lack of explicitly non-metallic medium armour for druids, but for a much more important class feature.

I didn't think of that, but that probably is an issue.... and it's also a pretty specialized item, so while I can see a few basic +1 or even +2 made for a specific hero, the odds of anything better than that are preeeety low (although, honestly +2 isn't bad).

That being said.... I think it's a low play length PC. I wanted to play one so bad when I was younger, played a short campaign, maybe 1 level at level 5 or 6 and... I got it out of my system I guess, and I never tried again (this was back in 3e I think). So I think people will play a battleragger for a one shot, maybe a short campaign, and then be done with it. I have a hard time envisioning someone playing this character concept repeatedly.

 

[Ancalagon]

Honestly, I see the Battlerager more for a NPC than for an actual PC use, simply because of its reliance on said Spike Armor.

In my one campaign with my group, one of the Dwarven merchants they met before, will be revealed to be a Battlerager, and during a particularly hairy situation where the group finds themselves in a mercenary war camp where said merchant is a prisoner, the Dwarf is gonna whip out the Spike Armor and then assist the party in bashing their way out of the camp.

That is very nice. I think some subclasses are for DMs mostly.

Like the brute fighter. It's like an improved champion - better, simpler and... duller. I can't see a lot of people being happy with this, unless they have a cool role-playing angle they are really into.

But for a DM needing a quick warrior NPC - or a really tough one? Sold! It hits hard and it has great saves.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I didn't think of that, but that probably is an issue.... and it's also a pretty specialized item, so while I can see a few basic +1 or even +2 made for a specific hero, the odds of anything better than that are preeeety low (although, honestly +2 isn't bad).

That being said.... I think it's a low play length PC. I wanted to play one so bad when I was younger, played a short campaign, maybe 1 level at level 5 or 6 and... I got it out of my system I guess, and I never tried again (this was back in 3e I think). So I think people will play a battlerager for a one shot, maybe a short campaign, and then be done with it. I have a hard time envisioning someone playing this character concept repeatedly.

In my campaign, most high quality armour is made to measure. And frankly any village blacksmith should be able to attach a few spikes. And in a setting with gladiators or bad guys with a chaosspikeybits aesthetic, it could be common. A character with proficiency in Blacksmith's Tools could attach their own spikes.

Adding these items is a start:

Spiked Harness counts as "unarmoured"
Spiked Breastplate AC 14 + Dex (Max 2)
Spiked Plate AC 17 disadvantage on stealth
Spiked Admantine AC 18 disadvantage on stealth, immune to crits, spike attacks are admantine weapons
Spiked Shield AC +2
Silvered spikes +400gp cost
Magic Spiked Armor +1, +2, +3, bonus applies to attacks, damage and AC

 

[Ancalagon]

I think another factor is the historical accuracy and practicality of spiked armor - it's very low. I'm sure that turns off a number of both players and GMs away from it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think another factor is the historical accuracy and practicality of spiked armor - it's very low. I'm sure that turns off a number of both players and GMs away from it.

True that, although Roman gladiators did learn to fight with some weirdly impractical gear. "Gritty realism" isn't really a thing in my games, but I guess it matters to some.

I consider "spiked" a separate proficiency, so any non-proficient character (i.e. not a battlerager) who tries to wear it fights with disadvantage.

Also, my take on spiked armour isn't "porcupine". A couple of spikes on the forearms (as sometimes used by Batman) is sufficient to qualify for the bonus attack.

As an example of real world "spiked armour" consider the spiked collars used in dogfighting.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think a few reprints don't hurt, as long as they are not the bulk of the classes. I have sword coast adventurer's guide, but that is a book which has not seen a lot of use, because it does not really have a lot of useful things in it.
I am also quite intrigued by the fact it is not simply a reprint, but a small update of the bladesinger class which in my opinion misses the mark as a stand alone class by just a little bit.
The battlerager also needs an update, since the spiked armor reliance as already said is a reliability. It would be easier however to change the wording that any improvised weapon with sharp edges qualifies and that spiked armor is such a weapon.