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

[DND_Reborn]

Could you share those house-rules here? I'm working on something very similar, and I'm kinda stuck...

Sure, they aren't anything "great" but here you go (I've bolded new features)

Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons or thrown weapons. If you have your ranged or thrown weapon readied prior to the start of your first turn, you can use your reaction to make a ranged attack with that weapon

Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your armor class. You can don and doff your armor in half the time and your shield as a bonus action.

Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon and any attempts to disarm your weapon are with disadvantage.

Great Weapon Fighting
You gain a +1 to attack roll when wielding a weapon with both hands. You gain double your Strength modifier to damage.

Protection
While wielding a shield, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC. When a creature you can see attacks a target that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Tactical (homebrew)
At the start of your turn, you can decide to add your Intelligence modifier to your attack rolls or your damage rolls when using the Attack action. This benefit lasts until the end of your turn.

Two-Weapon Fighting
You do not need to use your bonus action when attacking with two weapons. (Normal TWF still requires a bonus action, but you already gain full ability score modifier to damage).

Those above are the current versions we use.

More powerful versions include:

Archery: if you use your bonus action to take aim, your next attack is with advantage and you add your proficiency bonus to damage.

Defense: you add half your proficiency bonus (round up) to your AC.

Dueling: you can add your full proficiency bonus to one attack you make per turn.

Great Weapon Fighting: you add half your proficiency bonus (round up) to damage with heavy weaons.

Protection: you gain a +1 bonus to AC when using your shield. you can choose a number of attacks per round to impose disadvantage on equal to half your proficiency bonus (round up). These attacks must target you or a creature within 5 feet of you.

Two-Weapon Fighting: each round you can choose to gain one half your proficiency bonus (round up) to your AC or attack rolls made with a second weapon.

There were other variants, but that is what I recall right now. We also have special rules for weapon properties beyond what is in the DMG.

 

[Phion]

Sure, they aren't anything "great" but here you go (I've bolded new features)

Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons or thrown weapons. If you have your ranged or thrown weapon readied prior to the start of your first turn, you can use your reaction to make a ranged attack with that weapon

Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your armor class. You can don and doff your armor in half the time and your shield as a bonus action.

Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon and any attempts to disarm your weapon are with disadvantage.

Great Weapon Fighting
You gain a +1 to attack roll when wielding a weapon with both hands. You gain double your Strength modifier to damage.

Protection
While wielding a shield, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC. When a creature you can see attacks a target that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Tactical (homebrew)
At the start of your turn, you can decide to add your Intelligence modifier to your attack rolls or your damage rolls when using the Attack action. This benefit lasts until the end of your turn.

Two-Weapon Fighting
You do not need to use your bonus action when attacking with two weapons. (Normal TWF still requires a bonus action, but you already gain full ability score modifier to damage).

Those above are the current versions we use.

Yeah I really like those updates I would run them in my campaigns. The only 2 I have an issue is the great weapon fighting and potentially tactical as I can see that being a bit too optimal for some builds; tactical probably wouldn't be picked by a few fighters but eldritch knight would probably pick it more times than not.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Yeah I really like those updates I would run them in my campaigns. The only 2 I have an issue is the great weapon fighting and potentially tactical as I can see that being a bit too optimal for some builds; tactical probably wouldn't be picked by a few fighters but eldritch knight would probably pick it more times than not.

The GWF style can be a bit OP but actually no one has taken it since we revised it LOL. I am sure they will change again at some point. We found the die re-rolling for GWF pretty weak compared to the Dueling since it has an average damage boost lower and you lose the shield...

If those help you on your own process, great! Please share when you're done and maybe I'll steal something from ya.

 

[Phion]

The GWF style can be a bit OP but actually no one has taken it since we revised it LOL. I am sure they will change again at some point. We found the die re-rolling for GWF pretty weak compared to the Dueling since it has an average damage boost lower and you lose the shield...

If those help you on your own process, great! Please share when you're done and maybe I'll steal something from ya.

Lol yeah the great weapon fighter style is pretty awful and only handy with a greatsword, I would possibly increase the range to reroll on 4 or lower and you have to take the lower result. The great sword might not risk losing a 4 on a dice whilst any other 2 handed weapon may be more inclined to take a "gamble"

Just saved it to a word file so ill give my players the option when I next DM in the club, thank dude

 

[CleverNickName]

@dnd4vr Ah, I see. Thanks for sharing! These are good updates for the fighter, but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm interested in things that add non-combat abilities and skill bonuses, not more combat buffs.

 

[DND_Reborn]

@dnd4vr Ah, I see. Thanks for sharing! These are good updates for the fighter, but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm interested in things that add non-combat abilities and skill bonuses, not more combat buffs.

Sorry, I thought you talked about Fighting Styles...

For non-combat buffs, check out this thread if you haven't already seen it:

D&D 5E - Fighter Non-Combat Ability Brainstorm

The "Fixing the fighter" thread was a...spirited...discussion, and one that I'm not interested in repeating here. However, there were a lot of good ideas presented for giving the fighter some non-combat (social/exploration) abilities. I'm interested in continuing that brainstorm here. I've been...

www.enworld.org

 

[Phion]

@dnd4vr Ah, I see. Thanks for sharing! These are good updates for the fighter, but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm interested in things that add non-combat abilities and skill bonuses, not more combat buffs.

Off the top of my head I would have a sub occupation as a feature which be more in line with your thinking such as sentry which read along the lines of this

"Night sentry

After years of working the night shift, your body has adopted to the unsocial hours you were required to complete your job/duty

• You gain the perception skill. If you already have the perception skill, you gain expertise in perception checks.
• If you have normal version, you can use your hearing to make perception checks to detect creatures within 60 feet.

-You gain the benefits of a long rest after 6 hours instead of 8. Rest this way does not get back any spell slots.
- You can don armour in half the time it normally would."

And have more options like this that reflects potential jobs your fighter may have took on. I know it sounds like background but I regard it as different because its specific duties.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Lol yeah the great weapon fighter style is pretty awful and only handy with a greatsword, I would possibly increase the range to reroll on 4 or lower and you have to take the lower result. The great sword might not risk losing a 4 on a dice whilst any other 2 handed weapon may be more inclined to take a "gamble"

Just saved it to a word file so ill give my players the option when I next DM in the club, thank dude

Yeah, I am sure at some point it will be revised again, maybe allowing a cleave-like ability or something not simply damage-boosting. Anyway, you're welcome and good luck--like I said before I'd be interested on what happens at your table, too.

 

[Phion]

Yeah, I am sure at some point it will be revised again, maybe allowing a cleave-like ability or something not simply damage-boosting. Anyway, you're welcome and good luck--like I said before I'd be interested on what happens at your table, too.

I'll send a message when I get to use it or one of my players, might be a few weeks but I know I'll be a fighter in next campaign

 

[Garthanos]

Most fighters take athletics, and those who dip into rogue use expertise on it nearly all the time IME. Knocking a target prone can create huge benefits as I have seen anyway. In fact, my own character in the next game will be this very sort of build.

Attests to the variability of D&D experiences doesn't it. Jujitsu build heh.

Just recently worked on a full on controller build for the monk with knockdowns the big feature.