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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vikingkingq" data-source="post: 5995187" data-attributes="member: 66208">I think if we're going to make the Fighter more interesting we should do it through the Combat Superiority System, so that we accomplish our aims while still allowing CS to act as a "dial" between Simple and Complex Fighter.I've got a whole thread of ideas <a href="http://community.wizards.com/dndnext/go/thread/view/75882/29313879/Assessing_the_Direction_of_the_Fighter,_Version_4.0?pg=1" target="_blank">here</a>, but the gist of it is:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More but smaller dice. Big part of the reason why the Fighter doesn't seem interesting atm is that with only one die, you can only do one thing to jazz up your round and if you want to be able to do defense/reactions, you can't do anything interesting with your turn until you hit level 5. My idea was that if you started at Level 1 with 2d4 instead of 1d6, you're not really changing the damage curve, but you're giving level 1 Fighters the go ahead to do multiple things in one turn and experiment with combinations of maneuvers instead of feeling required to dump everything into damage, which teaches them how to play the class better. Likewise, if you ended up at level 20 with 8-10 smaller dice instead of 5d12, you have more room to modulate between offense and defense, pull off maneuver combos, make use of reactive maneuvers like Cleave, and spread your dice over multiple attacks. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dice should refresh at the end of the Fighter's turn. Big problem with the defensive maneuvers right now is that you have to save your die/dice until your enemies' turn, which means you can't do anything on your turn, and if you don't get attacked or one of your allies within range doesn't get attacked, you've wasted dice. If instead of refreshing at the start of your turn, CS dice refreshed at the end of your turn, you can start out the fight able to act, then have dice on hand so that you can make the decision about acting defensively vs. saving the dice for your turn when you see what's actually happening. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Most maneuvers should "grow" with additional dice. Right now, quite a few maneuvers can only absorb one die, which limits the ability of the maneuver to scale as you level - Cleave, Jab, Knockdown, Shift, Tumble, Snap Shot, Precise Shot, and Push don't ever get better as you level. This causes a problem with later levels. Allowing these maneuvers to provide additional benefits for additional dice would keep them current throughout leveling, as well as make sure that the higher-level trend towards fighting big beasties doesn't invalidate large elements of the Fighter's playstyle. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More front-loading of maneuvers. Right now, the Fighter starts with Damage, Damage Reduction, and one other maneuver. This doesn't really lend itself towards learning the class, and it means that the Fighting Styles don't feel that special (especially in comparison to the very flavorful Warlock Pacts, Sorceror Bloodlines, etc.). A level 1 Duellist Fighter, for example, knows how to Tumble, but has to wait four levels before they can Shift. Starting out with three maneuvers (and only 2 dice, keep in mind) would give the Fighting Styles more flavor: the Duellist tumbles through their enemies, Shifts before or after attacking in addition to their move, all while Jabbing away at their enemies; the Protector shields his comrades, and deals with enemies by pushing them away or knocking them to the ground. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">New Maneuver: Tactical Strike. This was an idea I came up with after feeling that Jab felt a bit "meh" when it came to stunting (but potentially a great way to allow multiple smaller attacks). Tactical Strike would allow a Fighter to use a standard combat tactic open to non-Fighters (Disarm, Charge, Sunder, Charge, etc.) without using up their action. This way, Fighters are encouraged to combine their specialized maneuvers with stunting, so that their "Combat Superiority" shines in all areas of combat. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Multi-Dice Maneuvers. This idea deals both with the need for more exciting maneuvers than 5e versions of Power Attack, Trip, etc. and gives a way for the designers to make sure that the Fighter has the superior functionality and flexibility of the 4e Fighter without breaking the power curve. The idea is that at higher levels, Fighters could get access to more advanced maneuvers that require 2, 3, or even 4 dice to use, giving them the option between a careful spread between offense, defense, tactics, and reactions and a splashy big hit that taxes their dice pool, leaving only a couple dice left. For example, a Furious Charge maneuver could let a Fighter charge and make one standard melee attack against every target they come in contact with for 4 CS dice; a Whirlwind Attack maneuver could let a Fighter do an AOE close burst against all enemies in reach for 3 CS dice. </li> </ul></blockquote>

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