D&D 5E (2024) Fighter brainstorm

[Vaalingrade]

Isn't Reckless attack just the lazy bounded accuracy clone of 3e's Power Attack? Like, it's already the scared-of-math version of trading accuracy for being easier to hit.

 

[mellored]

Brute
Level 1: proficiencies, unarmored defense
Level 2: +2 Str
Level 3: +2 Con
Level 4: feat
Level 5: multi-attack
Level 6: +2 Dex
Level 7: +2 Str
Level 8: feat
Level 9: +2 Con
Level 10: +2 Dex
Level 11: +2 Str. Your Str, Con and Dex can go above 20, but not above 30.
...

 

[Vaalingrade]

I'm pretty sure we've been told newbies can't operate feats either.

 

[Lord Shark]

13th Age barbarians roll two dice to hit while raging, and if both dice come up 11+ and at least one is a hit, it's automatically a critical. How much simpler can you get than that?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Isn't Reckless attack just the lazy bounded accuracy clone of 3e's Power Attack? Like, it's already the scared-of-math version of trading accuracy for being easier to hit.

early in 5e we talked about useing the mutants and master minds power attack/expertise updated to advantage.... so you could take disadvantage on attacks to grant disadvantage if anyone attacks you or you could gain advantage on attack but grant advantage to enemies...

 

[Garthanos]

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.

La Destreza the more I read about it the more I was convinced it was fighter not rogue at all (... La Verdadera Destreza - the Spanish School of Fencing - La Verdadera Destreza

Some of the features was being able to lunge without skewering yourself on your enemies weapon LOL At that time Fencing was very glass cannon and their mathematical and angle manipulation schtick seemed to work, they were also known for an intimidatingly cool composure, medical training and being able to survive fights when others did not. They often saw it as a martial science even more than an art.

 

[Minigiant]

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

Class Description	Mage	Warrior
Learned Master of the Craft	Wizard	Fighter
Talented User of the Raw Ability	Sorcerer	Barbarian
Simple Expression of Pure Power	Arcanist	Brute
Beholden Scions of Secret Strength	Warlock	Chosen
Special Practitioners of Supportive Art	Bard	Warlord
Unique Specialists of Obscure Style	Artificer	Monk

More classes gives everyone what they want

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Class Description	Mage	Warrior
Learned Master of the Craft	Wizard	Fighter
Talented User of the Raw Ability	Sorcerer	Barbarian
Simple Expression of Pure Power	Arcanist	Brute
Beholden Scions of Secret Strength	Warlock	Chosen
Special Practitioners of Supportive Art	Bard	Warlord
Unique Specialists of Obscure Style	Artificer	Monk

More classes gives everyone what they want

that sounds pretty good...

 

[Incenjucar]

A bit of a niche desire, but I'd like to see some explicit support for the difference between the Fighter and the Gladiator from 2E. The gap between them is mainly "gets army" vs. "multiple specializations", so some support for getting followers and some support for getting more weapon specializations (whatever the 5E equivalent is). Subclasses for fighter should be fine for both of these, especially for the "gets army" stuff that was half-way through your career anyways.

 

[Scott Christian]

Freedom to do what exactly... I mean they have fewer tools to be imaginative with you sound like the people that said literacy and writing were bad because people would stop remembering things if they can write it down.

Yup them other character types cannot use their imagination its completely impossible. /sarcasm

When you have a power, you use it. If that power is eldritch blast, you use it. When you don't, you get creative. I don't really feel like I am pitching an abstract concept.

anything a fighter can choose to do as "outside the mechancis" so can the hexblade, the valor bard, the warcleric, and the bladesinger wizard

This is true. But stop digging your heels in and listen for a second: They can do those things. They often don't do those things because there is something mechanical already outlined that they can do. It doesn't always make them do it, but I can watch any session of D&D and know it nudges them to do it. It's one of the reasons magic items are so neat. They often offer other avenues to take during an encounter.

Here is a simple example:
A group needs information on the thieves' hideout. (Pretty common D&D trope.) The party has found a thief at the local tavern. They spotted the tattoo. But how to extract the information.
Sorcerer: I cast friends and try to charm him. (One of their spells)
Barbarian: I use intimidation. (One of their skills)
Bard: I slip him a potion of love. (One of his items in his inventory)
Wizard: I cast detect thoughts (One of their spells)

The PC without any of these abilities thinks, and thinks, and thinks, and then says: I'm just going to try and tail him after he's been drinking. Even if he doesn't take me to their hideout, he might take me to his home, and maybe I can get the inside scoop there.

It is almost guaranteed a player thinks: "What abilities does my character possess that will solve the situation?" as opposed to "What can my character do?" You might be an outlier. You might play with really creative players, I don't know. But most games I have been a part of, or watched, or DM'ed, I've seen players focus on their PC's abilities instead of possibilities.

Strip the abilities away, and sometimes, for some players, it opens up possibilities.