D&D 5E Fixing the fighter (I know...)

[Undrave]

Huh? The mundane fighter has existed since literally day 1 as the fighting man, and has been an option in every edition (except 4e).

I mean that people might LIKE a simple character of a different archetype, but since it's never really been a thing they don't think about it.

 

[Garthanos]

There is:

• Fighter (champion) = newbie-friendly combat class (melee or ranged).
• Warlock (pretty much any patron,, Tome Boon) = newbie-friendly spellcasting class.
• Rogue (Thief) = newbie-friendly skill monkey

Better response to what I was asking earlier. Thanks except it looks to me like you have a character tracking spells slots and this extra thing called invocations.. is this actually simple or just simple for a caster.

 

[Garthanos]

I mean that warlock sounds as complicated as 4e classes which were WAY TOO COMPLICATED for Timmy

 

[Tony Vargas]

I mean that people might LIKE a simple character of a different archetype, but since it's never really been a thing they don't think about it.

The Essentials+ Elemental Sorcerer was pretty popular with the simple-character set, IMX of it's very short run (it was one of the last character options out).

 

[Undrave]

Paladins could be simple too, since you can just spend all your spell slots on smites.

 

[Undrave]

The Essentials+ Elemental Sorcerer was pretty popular with the simple-character set, IMX of it's very short run (it was one of the last character options out).

Probably more popular than the current Wild Soul amirite?

 

[Salthorae]

Better response to what I was asking earlier. Thanks except it looks to me like you have a character tracking spells slots and this extra thing called invocations.. is this actually simple or just simple for a caster.

Welcome!

Warlock has a ramp into those things though so it feels very easy and is certainly the simplest of Spellcasters.

1st level you get 2 spells, 2 cantrips, and only 1 spell slot per short rest.
2nd level you get +1 spell, 2 invocations
3rd level you get a pact boon.

You have all of level one to learn how spell casting works because you can only do one per short rest, and then it's cantrips the rest of the time.

You have all of level two to learn about invocations (which for a new player the DM should tell them to take Agonizing Blast to just add Charisma to damage) and then something fu.

You have all of level three to learn about the Pact Boon you just got, which in its simplest incarnation Pact of the Tome, just adds three new cantrips onto the class's list.

It is very simple.

 

[GlassJaw]

The problem with the fighter is that anything non-combat they get (background/skills/feats), other classes a) get them too and b) do them better.

And saying a fighter can use their ASIs on non-combat feats is a total false choice and not realistic. I also find it bad design that a fighter has to spend their ASI/feats in order to shore up their non-combat deficiencies. No other class has to make that sacrifice. I can see at later levels a fighter might do that but then it comes way too late.

I've seen players at my table - experienced players that have played other classes - come to the fighter and be bored outside of combat. Again, no other class requires the player to make a choice about which of the pillars they will sacrifice because they chose that class. So I'm supposed to tell a player that disappointed he's overshadowed by other classes when not in combat: "too bad, you should have chose a different class if you wanted something to do outside of combat"? I don't buy that at all.

I believe fighters need something unique, even if it's minor or a ribbon. I started working on a system similar to Fighting Style that offers a list of social/exploration abilities to choose from: Perception bonus/special ability when keeping watch, social bonus when dealing with certain groups, Remarkable Athlete (a la Champion), unique uses for tools, Expertise, etc.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Probably more popular than the current Wild Soul amirite?

I've yet to have someone play a 5e sorcerer at my table.

edit: ...oh, no, wait, there was one Wild sorcerer, but it was a 1st level one-shot a number of years ago, and that character didn't do particularly well, IIRC... It was Defiance in Phlan, now that I think about it.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I also find it bad design that a fighter has to spend their ASI/feats in order to shore up their non-combat deficiencies. No other class has to make that sacrifice.

Eh, Barbarians besides Totem Warriors and Ancestral guardians fall into this category too. As do a lot of Monks I think.