Agreed. We need to ignore the efforts to make the Brawler sound like a drunk, abusive uncle. We can then encourage a Pro Wrestler theme where they know how to use the environment no matter where they are. They can walk into an evil mastermind's throne room, willingly unarmed so they let their guard down, and still be confident and super effective if the mastermind sics their minions on him. It can allow for a very cinematic style. I like cinematics where the armored warrior punches effectively, amidst, or in place of, his normal weapon attacks.I mean, it's the Pro Wrestler.
I think the Battlemaster is the subclass that has the "Leader" options. Bait and Switch, Commander's Strike, Commanding Presence, Maneuvering Attack, Distracting Strike, Rally, all of these are good Leadership and Team-assisting combat options. Add some leadership-themed feats in there, gain an edge with some masteries that can knock prone, etc. It's pretty good.I would rather have a leader/warlord/banneret subclass in the core book rather than an unarmed subclass that encroaches on the Monk which desperately needs help and is already having its lunch t taken by the new drancer subclass in the Bard. A proper Warlord style subclass fills a niche that never really got filled in 5e since the Purple Dragon Knight is so ineffective, in a deprecated book and never got a rework in Tasha's or Xanathar's.
An Eldritch Knight should be able to use their War Bond weapons as implements. That's totally going into my feedback. I'll allow it even if it's not in the book.I'm glad Eldritch Knight's extra attacks have a future now, with the War Magic change. And they even let EK use arcane focuses, but... in a world where every bard and warlock can cast using their weapon, EK still cannot (unless it's a quarterstaff), but needs to engage in the ridiculous weapon juggling. And thus, sword+boarders cannot cast Shield while having a weapon out (unless they pay a feat tax in War Caster), and two-handers need to argue with their DMs about it only requiring two hands when attacking with the weapon...
Just something to note on the survey. How can you hit so close, yet be so far off.
The EK should also be able to War Bond a shield alongside 1 weapon if they wish.I'm glad Eldritch Knight's extra attacks have a future now, with the War Magic change. And they even let EK use arcane focuses, but... in a world where every bard and warlock can cast using their weapon, EK still cannot (unless it's a quarterstaff), but needs to engage in the ridiculous weapon juggling. And thus, sword+boarders cannot cast Shield while having a weapon out (unless they pay a feat tax in War Caster), and two-handers need to argue with their DMs about it only requiring two hands when attacking with the weapon...
Just something to note on the survey. How can you hit so close, yet be so far off.
There really should be, because it is truly a classic phenomenon, dating back decades and clearly still operating in 5E.There has to be a name for the phenomenon of thinking that the broken stuff in the core book is balanced and that the less powerful splatbooks stuff is OP.
I'm about to claim this as the "Natural Zero Fallacy" unless someone has already.There really should be, because it is truly a classic phenomenon, dating back decades and clearly still operating in 5E.
I would go with "Power Creep Fallacy".I'm about to claim this as the "Natural Zero Fallacy" unless someone has already.
The Natural Zero fallacy is the belief that content released on day 0 is automatically less powerful that content added after day 0.
But at 20th level you get a 4th attack! (some dev, somewhere)Since 2nd Ed gish characters have been my favorite and in 2nd Ed there were lots of ways of playing them. Now ever though eldritch knight is better, warlocks (and bladesingers) are just so superior that I don't know how I can play an eldritch knight.