D&D (2024) Greatweapon fighting style? Is this another joke? Did everyone at WotC failed elementary school math classes?

[Minigiant]

Yeah, agreed. I dislike how the fighting styles pigeonhole fighters into specific weapons from the get go.

Fighters should get a new fighting style every 3 levels.

Fighters of myth and legend have many fighting styles and can adapt on the fly.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

You can retrain them periodically or take the feat that lets you retrain with a brief training montage.

But that's stupid. That's not how learning works. And it still doesn't allow swap weapons as needed on the field.

 

[Horwath]

Yeah, agreed. I dislike how the fighting styles pigeonhole fighters into specific weapons from the get go.

I really don't.
It's just an aspect of your training that you are better than other parts.

I dislike the balance or lack of between them.

but sure, there can be some fighting style without style, +2 damage on all attacks or +1 attack bonus on all attacks(maybe even spell attacks, you are just more precise with everything) and it mirrors +1 AC style.

 

[Pauln6]

But that's stupid. That's not how learning works. And it still doesn't allow swap weapons as needed on the field.

I don't view a Dungeons and Dragons game as real life; in real life, I don't have to wait until after I have slept to perform something I know how to do a second time. I view it as a movie where characters do things for cinematic effect. If Conan thinks his great axe will be more use than his bastard sword for the upcoming battle, I'm fine if he spends a montage retraining the most advantageous fighting style. Fighting styles give relatively small effects. You aren't going to notice on screen when Conan picks up his sword in desperation that he's doing 2 less damage.

I think weapon masteries give people reasons to swap weapons in a fight but I also don't think any players should be given more reasons to perform weapon juggle cheese. That's very uncinematic and therefore offensive to me. ;-p

If people are just begrudging access to the numbers, that's fine. Some people love squeezing extra bonuses out for their sense of achievement. But never try to use realism to justify a love of the maths.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I don't view a Dungeons and Dragons game as real life; in real life, I don't have to wait until after I have slept to perform something I know how to do a second time. I view it as a movie where characters do things for cinematic effect. If Conan thinks his great axe will be more use than his bastard sword for the upcoming battle, I'm fine if he spends a montage retraining the most advantageous fighting style. Fighting styles give relatively small effects. You aren't going to notice on screen when Conan picks up his sword in desperation that he's doing 2 less damage.

But if it is not a big deal and swapping styles doesn't simulate anything, why pigeonhole them in the first place? Why not just have universal bonuses that apply to all weapons, and let the player choose which to use in a given situation?

 

[Reef]

This probably says more about me as a player than it does about the style, but I don’t mind this at all. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing 1s come up on a damage die. Rolling double 1s, and being able to say that the 2 is now a 6, would feel awesome at the table.

But like I said, that’s just me. And now I’ve told the whole world I don’t know how to optimize…heh.

 

[Pauln6]

But if it is not a big deal and swapping styles doesn't simulate anything, why pigeonhole them in the first place? Why not just have universal bonuses that apply to all weapons, and let the player choose which to use in a given situation?

Flavour. It helps nudge players towards certain cinematic and literary tropes. And if you want to be the guy who us good at all them, there are ways you can lean into that.

I do think the weapon master feat, assuming it still exists, should include an upgrade for characters already trained in martial weapons. Being able to swap between a second fighting style once per turn might be one option, I guess.

 

[Minigiant]

But if it is not a big deal and swapping styles doesn't simulate anything, why pigeonhole them in the first place? Why not just have universal bonuses that apply to all weapons, and let the player choose which to use in a given situation?

Old school bias that fighters are for new or dumb players and wizards are for veteran and smart players.

Despite what is said there is a major nerd vs jocks Facter in D&D.

 

[Horwath]

This probably says more about me as a player than it does about the style, but I don’t mind this at all. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing 1s come up on a damage die. Rolling double 1s, and being able to say that the 2 is now a 6, would feel awesome at the table.

But like I said, that’s just me. And now I’ve told the whole world I don’t know how to optimize…heh.

heh, I can understand that,
maybe if this style is focused variably on dice size and not "3" fits all sizes.

d4; stays at 3 minimum: average goes from 2,5 to 3,25, a +0,75 increase
d6; min of 4, average of 4,5, +1 increase
d8, min of 5, average of 5,75, +1,25 increase
d10, min of 6, average of 7, +1,5 increase
d12, min of 7, average of 8,25, +1,75 increase

and increase of base die roll is from 27%(d12) to 30%(d4), d4 still gets the best deal, but it is marginal.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Flavour. It helps nudge players towards certain cinematic and literary tropes. And if you want to be the guy who us good at all them, there are ways you can lean into that.

But the styles do not do anything interesting or flavourful. Most are just boring bonuses. You can already specialise in weapons with masteries, that are at least marginally more interesting.