D&D (2024) Fighter brainstorm

[Minigiant]

Anyway, as a fan of pro wrestling, I always thought that the fighter due to being a master of combat would be able to freely choose their secondary score by adaption of what they are naturally good at to their fighting style.

Powerhouses and Monsters would be able to push Strength into notpower situations.
Aerialists and Speedsters can push Dexterity for quick barrages.
Hardcores and Brawlers can lean into Constitution to lean harder into heedless attacks.
Technicians and Geniuses who studied and practiced many fighting styles would use Intelligence to pick out a perfect attack on the fly for more accuracy.
Gatekeepers and Veterans could recall experiences to add Wisdom to defenses and saves.
Weirdos and Showman can use Charisma to daze, confuse, enrage, or embarrass foes with less damaging attacks.

 

[mellored]

Minigiant: Have Fighters be the complex nonmagical Warrior and Barbarian be the simple nonmagical warrior.
Community: No.
Mingiant: But that solves all the problems.

It would take a fair bit of rewriting the barbarian for it to work. Like completely rewriting rage and reckless attack.

IMO, the best solution would be something like..
"you gain this simple passive, or you may select a maneuver from the list below".

 

[Minigiant]

It would take a fair bit of rewriting the barbarian for it to work. Like completely rewriting rage and reckless attack.

IMO, the best solution would be something like..
"you gain this simple passive, or you may select a maneuver from the list below".

Rage sure. Reckless Attack is simple on the player's side.

To me, a lot of the fighter's issues boil down to fans wanting the game to allow players to play the Barbarian Meme PC but into on a Barbarian.

Big dumb tough guy who smash stuff with simple actions is the Barbarian. Has been for decades now.

I think the people who want to roleplay using Sensei Mutashi's Waterfall Sword Style, squiring under Sir Geddrick of Lansdale, or training the Art of Fencing for the Order of the Burned Rose aren't looking for a simple warrior or a warrior with no innate exploration or social strengths.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

All classes matter, just some concepts don't.
Wizards does not care about concepts of a strong competent warrior if you also want a complex class

That is how I feel all the time. Like in 4e I made a character that's short hand elevator pitch was "Stargate's Lt Coln Shepard meets B5's capt Sheridan by way of cyclops/duke"
the longer version was: I was a member of a military and I was rising through the ranks... until I disobey orders to save a village... that got me busted down to 'going nowhere'. when a few months later I took a huge risk to save the rest of my squad I was kicked out... the kicker being I DID save that town, and I DID save my squad. My history of "going against orders" was actually me thinking outside the box and turning a bearly adequate defense into an effective offense.

Now can I write that background today. Yes 100% in 5e I can story point that. HOWEVER short of house rules or DM fiat there is no way for me to play it in game.

MY buddy tried to run a character in 3e then DID run it in 4e much better that was a warrior that studdied magic even though he didn't cast spells... in 5e it would be less effective then the 4e one but still better then the 3e one.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Minigiant: Have Fighters be the complex nonmagical Warrior and Barbarian be the simple nonmagical warrior.
Community: No.
Mingiant: But that solves all the problems.
Community: No.
Mingiant: But the class is litterally called the barbarian and the trope is being a big dumb violent idiot. Whereas the fighter lore has been about replicating masters of martial weapons and armors combat from history, legends, storis, and myth for over 20 years now.
Community: No.
Mingiant: But that's the simplest solution.
Community: No.
Mingiant: How about giving fighters a baseline social feature so it can actually replicate the tropes of charming knights, bluffling duelists, tctial generals, perceptive archers, and scary axe murderers without sacificing combat ability a ton becase bigger numbers is all fighters have?
WOTC: No.
Mingiant: WOTC you too?
WOTC: No.
Mingiant: Ok Ok. How about branching choices?Offer a choice of simple or complex, all combat or combat + physique or combat + mind
Community: No.
WOTC: That's subclasses.
Mingiant: No, it isnt. Just add more official nonmagical warrior classes for a chance, you geezer-mage.

like I keep saying we need more non magic classes so we can cover play style and concepts... we have artificer, bard, sorcerer, warlock and wizard as JUST arcane casters along with arcane trickster and eldritch knight.... we have cleric druid paliden ranger all as the divine ones... we then have rogue monk fighter and barbarian... but really if we broke up the fighter in 3 it would work SO much better.
a champion as a simple "I swing and hit and take hits"
a warlord/warblade/swordsage/anime sword dude as a complex I fight with weapons but have the same breath of at least a half caster
eldritch knight/bladesinfer/swordmage as a half arcane caster with features and spells that interact with weapons and spells at the same time

 

[Vaalingrade]

It would take a fair bit of rewriting the barbarian for it to work. Like completely rewriting rage and reckless attack.

And we're back to 'unable to operate rage'.

The best solution is respecting new players enough to assume they are intelligent enough to play the game.

 

[James Gasik]

I don't think it would be too hard to fix rage for a simple class, how about having it trigger when an event occurs like "an enemy hits you for 25% or more of your hit points" and you enter rage until there are no enemies you can see.

 

[Vaalingrade]

'Fixing' rage is as simple as abandoning the desperate need for resource attrition and embracing encounter based mechanics.

Once per encounter, you can rage for a number of rounds equal to your CON mod. These things can end the rage early.

Fin.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

'Fixing' rage is as simple as abandoning the desperate need for resource attrition and embracing encounter based mechanics.

Once per encounter, you can rage for a number of rounds equal to your CON mod. These things can end the rage early.

Fin.

yeah a rage mechanic that adds prof to damage (so no extra chart) and gives resist all but psychic that can be used as a bonus action and lasts until unconsuis or you have no enemy to attack but recharges anytime you take a minute to 'catch your breath' is SUPER EASY

you can gain advantage on attacks but grant advantage until the start of your next turn (when you can choose to do so again) is SUPER EASY

 

[mellored]

Perhaps the easiest "fix" for rage.

Barbarians get flat bonus to damage and HP. Possibly as just extra Str and extra Con, going above 20.

Then just drop reckless attack.