clearstream
(He, Him)
Okay, rewriting this to match improved estimates: most importantly including a caster. Best estimates* for a 30 round day (11th level chars) so far are -
Wizard: 20 Int, Evocation, Fire Bolt, Levitate, Fireball, Wall of Force = ~1,700/d aka "the bar"
Fighter: GWM, 20 Str, GWF, Precision, G.Sword = ~1,400/d Bless +200
without GWM = ~1,000/d Bless +100
Fighter: SS/CEx, 18 Dex, Archery, Precision, H.Xbox = ~1,200/d Bless +200
without SS/CEx = ~800/d Bless +100
Fighter/Rogue: Sentinel, Shield Master, 18 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Booming Blade, Rapier = 1,200/d Bless +100
without Sentinel and Shield Master = ~800/d Bless +100
Ranger: SS, 18 Dex, Archery, Beast Master, Longbow = ~1,000/d Bless +100
without SS = ~800/d
Fighter: SM, 20 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Longsword = ~1,100/d Bless +100
without SM = ~900/d
Fighter: Sentinel, 20 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Rapier = 1000/d
without Sentinel = ~900/d
Elsewhere I argue that range is worth about a +30% damage adjustment. So for me, these numbers justify the following feat tweaks...
Why no nerf to GWM? I think the estimates speak for themselves: it looks about where it should be.
*I round to nearest 100 to represent level of estimating accuracy.
**Using Excel, to Monte Carlo it.
Wizard: 20 Int, Evocation, Fire Bolt, Levitate, Fireball, Wall of Force = ~1,700/d aka "the bar"
Fighter: GWM, 20 Str, GWF, Precision, G.Sword = ~1,400/d Bless +200
without GWM = ~1,000/d Bless +100
Fighter: SS/CEx, 18 Dex, Archery, Precision, H.Xbox = ~1,200/d Bless +200
without SS/CEx = ~800/d Bless +100
Fighter/Rogue: Sentinel, Shield Master, 18 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Booming Blade, Rapier = 1,200/d Bless +100
without Sentinel and Shield Master = ~800/d Bless +100
Ranger: SS, 18 Dex, Archery, Beast Master, Longbow = ~1,000/d Bless +100
without SS = ~800/d
Fighter: SM, 20 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Longsword = ~1,100/d Bless +100
without SM = ~900/d
Fighter: Sentinel, 20 Dex, Dueling, Precision, Rapier = 1000/d
without Sentinel = ~900/d
Elsewhere I argue that range is worth about a +30% damage adjustment. So for me, these numbers justify the following feat tweaks...
No longer amplifies SS (see below). Retains penalty on ranged attacks in melee except where the ranged attacker makes a melee attack first. That meets the simple goal that "melee weapons are best in melee". The wording here specifically helps out a few fun archetypes.Crossbow Expert
You ignore the loading quality of crossbows with which you are proficient. When you use the Attack action to attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to load and attack with a hand crossbow you are holding.
When you make a melee attack against a creature, being within 5 feet of that creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls for the rest of the turn.
I estimate** that Savage Attacker adds +100 damage to straight Fighter duelist. The Shield Master version is then on ~1,200/d. With the defensive benefit, that puts this feat much closer to the value of SS and GWM. It adds a bit more with Sneak Attack, helping out Rogues.Duelist (Defensive Duelist merges with Savage Attacker)
Prerequisite: Strength or Dexterity 13 or higher
When you are wielding a one-handed melee weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
Once per turn, when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the damage dice and use either total.
This change pushes the best ranged over to Longbow instead of Hand Crossbow. And I think Longbows should do more ranged damage than Hand Crossbows! With this change, Longbow does about 1100/d with SS, +100 with Bless. That puts them nearly exactly where I think they should be relative to GWM, with Dueling still needing a buff in the order of +20%. This tweak also helps out single/few-attack classes like Ranger and Rogue (because for them, SS is unchanged!)Sharpshooter
Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
Once per turn, before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a −5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.
Why no nerf to GWM? I think the estimates speak for themselves: it looks about where it should be.
*I round to nearest 100 to represent level of estimating accuracy.
**Using Excel, to Monte Carlo it.
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