FormerlyHemlock
Hero
It takes an action to doff your shield, and you just used yours to throw a sword.
D&D 5E (2014) Great Weapon Master
- Thread starter Grimstaff
- Start date
It takes an action to doff your shield, and you just used yours to throw a sword.
I always thought the action was required due to the time required to put it away... I tend to rule that if you're holding something in your hands, you can always drop it with no action required. The downside is that you can't always retrieve a dropped item (it fell into a pit, you had to leave it behind in a retreat, etc); if you drop an item and don't tell me you pick it back up, I work under the assumption that you left it where it fell.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, doff means "remove (an item of clothing)"... So my ruling may be wrong. Ah well, it would be cool if it worked.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, doff means "remove (an item of clothing)"... So my ruling may be wrong. Ah well, it would be cool if it worked.
Yeah, that works for weapons but generally shields are strapped to the arm.
FormerlyHemlock
Hero
Enforcing rules for donning armor/shields/etc. makes assassins and scouts more powerful BTW. Those forted-up hobgoblins who were firing at the barbarian? They're now fighting the ranger, and they're doing it at AC 16 instead of 18 because he snuck in and caught them with longbows in their hands instead of shields and longswords.
To say nothing of what happens when you catch the Fire Giant asleep in his bedroom, with no armor.
Circumstance is one of the Great Equalizers of D&D 5E.
To say nothing of what happens when you catch the Fire Giant asleep in his bedroom, with no armor.
Circumstance is one of the Great Equalizers of D&D 5E.
-5/+10 is really good once your main stat is 20 and your to hit is boosted. For Sharpshooter you can pair it with Archery so it's better sooner. But even for GWM it's quite good for a fighter by level 8 as your Strength is 20 by level 6. At that point, you can use it basically all the time.
Even just using a one-handed melee weapon and not using the -5/+10 feature (because you can't) is good for a Champion Fighter as you have lots of attacks and you critically hit more often so getting that bonus action occurs fairly often.
Even just using a one-handed melee weapon and not using the -5/+10 feature (because you can't) is good for a Champion Fighter as you have lots of attacks and you critically hit more often so getting that bonus action occurs fairly often.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
See, to me if an optional character element becomes a necessity, that's pretty much the definition of op.
Mouseferatu
Hero
The group I DM is up to 11th level, and I'm not even sure if the (champion) fighter took this feat. If she did, she doesn't use it much. It's hardly a necessity.
It is very common for shields intended for foot combat to be held by a single grip. This is especially true for skirmish type combat, rather than large formations. There are examples of both, however.
Even shields that are 'strapped' on are pretty easy to drop. I view the 1 action 'cost' to be more a balance issue than a realism issue.
It's not hard to use the -5/+10 feats, especially as a paladin or battlemaster. Let's use an Ancient Silver Dragon as an example. It's AC is 22. It is CR 24. You're probably not fighting this thing until 16th to 18th level.
A base character with no magic with maximum main stat and proficiency has a +5 attack and +5 to 6 proficiency bonus for a total of +10 or 11 to hit. This guy definitely has trouble using the +5 bonus against Mr. Ancient Red Dragon. So if you're playing bare bones campaign, sure, it's hard.
Let's say you're not playing bare bones. You hand out a +2 weapon. Now you have a +12 to 13 to hit.
Toss on a bless, you're +14 to +15 to hit.
A fighter has five to six dice to boost his hit roll or give him advantage as a Battle Master. Two of the paladin oaths give you either advantage or +5 to hit against enemies. So now we're +9 or +10 with the minus five with a variable +1 to 4 to hit from bless and advantage or a bonus to hit to smooth things out. Toss in other magic items like a potion of giant strength or a girdle of giant strength or a +3 weapon, it becomes even easier.
This against the highest AC creatures in the game. Lower AC makes it even easier to use. Sharpshooter with an archer is even easier than Great Weapon Master. It's not very hard to use the -5/+10 feats at all, sometimes not even against the highest AC creatures.
A base character with no magic with maximum main stat and proficiency has a +5 attack and +5 to 6 proficiency bonus for a total of +10 or 11 to hit. This guy definitely has trouble using the +5 bonus against Mr. Ancient Red Dragon. So if you're playing bare bones campaign, sure, it's hard.
Let's say you're not playing bare bones. You hand out a +2 weapon. Now you have a +12 to 13 to hit.
Toss on a bless, you're +14 to +15 to hit.
A fighter has five to six dice to boost his hit roll or give him advantage as a Battle Master. Two of the paladin oaths give you either advantage or +5 to hit against enemies. So now we're +9 or +10 with the minus five with a variable +1 to 4 to hit from bless and advantage or a bonus to hit to smooth things out. Toss in other magic items like a potion of giant strength or a girdle of giant strength or a +3 weapon, it becomes even easier.
This against the highest AC creatures in the game. Lower AC makes it even easier to use. Sharpshooter with an archer is even easier than Great Weapon Master. It's not very hard to use the -5/+10 feats at all, sometimes not even against the highest AC creatures.
