D&D 5E (2024) Essential Fighter’s Handbook

[Plaguescarred]

I was big fan of 2nd Edition Class Complete Book series so new guide inspired from them would be welcome! In addition to everything already mentionned, here's examples of what i'd like to see:

• More Maneuvers Options for the Battlemaster Subclass.
• New Weapon Masteries unique to the Fighter class.
• More ways to replace Weapon Mastery properties via Tactical Master Feature.
• New Fighting Styles unique to the Fighter class.
• More Psionic Powers for the Psy Warrior Subclass.
• A Divine Knight Subclass as a Cleric-based version of the Eldritch Knight Subclass.

 

[bedir than]

Another thing that would be useful in this kind of product

List of characters in genre fiction/gaming/etc that served as inspirations. Rather than Appendix N listing the works, the focus of a character book should be on characters.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm not sure 5e has the mechanical depth to support focused books like this over more general Xanathar's-style books that have a bit of this and a bit of that. But ignoring that and assuming this is a thing you want to do in general, I would recommend not starting with the fighter.

I'm fairly old (just turned 50), and I've seen this show a couple of times. What usually happens are two things:

1. Power creep. Later books tend to have more powerful options than earlier books.
2. Experience. Later books tend to be the result of learning what worked and what did not in earlier books.

These two factors mean that the earlier books in a series like this tend to have lower impact in the long run than later books. And it's very common for them to be made with the fighter/warrior book first, so the original attempt to make fighters cooler ends up making fighters less cool in the long run.

Easy aim fir battlemaster levels of power. Avoid twilight clerics and bannnerets.

 

[Li Shenron]

Essential Fighter’s Handbook (name TBD) is something we’re toying with. Its inspiration is the Complete class handbook series for 2E and Mongoose’s Quintessential class series.

• 120 pages, softcover.
• First in a series of handbooks, one for each class.
• 2024-focused.
• Everything a fighter player needs all in one book.
• The fighter class reprinted for convenience
• 50 new fighter subclasses
• New equipment, weapons, armor
• 20+ new feats
• Optional new rules
• Role playing advice, seeds, hooks, etc. to make your fighter your own.

Is this sort of thing something you would be interested in? If so, what would you like to see in it?

I am generally not on board with the 2024 revision of the game, and that already pulls me away from being in the target audience.

Then, having played a lot of 3rd edition, the idea of having class-focused books for me personally feels like a step backwards, and brings me back to what I hated most of 3rd edition, which was bloat. I would never buy such book for 5e. But that's just me, and I have learned that typically an edition's core books alone always feel to me a bit short on character material, but the first wave of supplements takes that away and makes an edition quite complete for any of my long-term plans as a player (this happened to me with the first 5 "splatbooks" of 3ed, and with Xanathar alone of 5e).

This is obviously not a marketing advice, I am not a good representative of the D&D fanbase, and I am actually quite confident that such book would sell well, if that's your concern at the moment.

But if you have also some purpose of somewhat advancing the game forward in some alternative interesting direction (as was with A5E), I would personally try something different than this old class-oriented formula. For instance, instead of an "essential fighter's handbook", I'd be interested in an "essential fighting handbook" (or "essential handbook of combat") that would cover topics related to deepening and expanding the combat pillar for everyone. Not a book with more material, but a book that teaches players how to have their PCs fight to the best of their abilities, how to take advantage of what is already there for Fighters as well as other classes (basically something more in the style of Keith Ammann's books and articles). And then there could be an "essential handbook of exploration" and an "essential handbook of intrigue".

There would still be room for new material, but with the book framed about a topic/pillar instead of a single class, every player could benefit from it. New equipment/weapons/armors would certainly be in! I would also certainly endorse new feats because those are generally class-agnostic, but also new battlemaster maneuvers because even if they sound subclass-specific there is actually the Martial Adept feat which makes everyone eligible. If 2024 also has a feat for making Fighting Style available as a feat, then new Fighting Styles would fit the bill as well, at which point you may even include a few new Cantrips and low-level spells, so at the end it's not like the book would be empty of new character material... basically I would just take out the 50 subclasses, and that would already make the book class-agnostic. But I would be more interested in the non-character-material which would advance the way players invest into playing the combat pillar better and deeper (including with the optional new rules you mention).

 

[Corinnguard]

But if you have also some purpose of somewhat advancing the game forward in some alternative interesting direction (as was with A5E), I would personally try something different than this old class-oriented formula. For instance, instead of an "essential fighter's handbook", I'd be interested in an "essential fighting handbook" (or "essential handbook of combat") that would cover topics related to deepening and expanding the combat pillar for everyone. Not a book with more material, but a book that teaches players how to have their PCs fight to the best of their abilities, how to take advantage of what is already there for Fighters as well as other classes (basically something more in the style of Keith Ammann's books and articles). And then there could be an "essential handbook of exploration" and an "essential handbook of intrigue".

Though this is a thread for 2024 D&D, an Essential Handbook of (Combat, Exploration and Intrigue) is something that would work well with A5e. Hmm...one big book to cover all three pillars of gameplay or three separate books. If the latter, then the Essential Handbook of Combat becomes the new Tome of Battle for 5e.

 

[Minigiant]

Is this sort of thing something you would be interested in

Yes

If so, what would you like to see in it?

Extreme fighting types:

Large weapon fighters
One handed great weapon fighters
Tri wielder fighters
Dual polearm fighters
Double shield fighters
Upside down fighters
Helmet fighters

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

My gut reaction was to say no. Like others have commented, I hated the 3e bloat which allowed players to pick and choose feats to find broken combinations. And, for a DM, it’s impossible to know what combinations will break your game unless you’ve read or own everything.

So not for me. Or so I thought.

As I read other replies, I realize that it would be nice to have more choices - especially more non-magical subclasses. Super heroic and/or mundane that don’t copy spells. Flavourful feats and backgrounds would be nice too with abilities that don’t lean into “spells as powers”.

As long as it’s balanced. 50 subclasses feels like a lot though.

 

[DragonLancer]

Is this sort of thing something you would be interested in? If so, what would you like to see in it?

Yes please! I'd buy one for each class. I've been wanting a decent book series like this.

For myself I'm looking for subclasses, feats and the equipment/weapons and armour, and magical items more than anything else.

Definately count me in.