CapnZapp
Legend
But that's just your houserules...?I thought I'd addressed Drizzt and Zorro already, in this post:
And how is adding a boost to each and every fighting style easier to create, balance and analyse than my approach? (I mean, you say it like your approach is obviously easier and better.)
Once you're done with Drizzt and Zorro, how about all the other kinds of weapon-usages... To me, the list of overpowered feats is much smaller than the list of weapon styles you need to boost. It isn't six of one, half a dozen of the other. To me it's three (3) feats: GWM, SS and CE.
You list a lot of worthy points.RE: MM, there are definite issues with the MM but they're not really related to monster HP totals.
But I note none of them would make the MM worse by nerfing PC damage just a wee bit.
Meaning: I don't see how your issues with the MM makes for an argument against my proposed fixes.
Remember, I do it for more reasons that just the MM.
It's like you pick one of my points at a time, and then only argue against that point.
Yes, had "fixing the MM" been my sole priority, I would have bought your objection "there's so much else to fix first".
And yes, had "helping underserved weapon styles" been my sole priority, I might have considered buffing them instead of nerfing the top ones.
But I'm doing this for a multitude of reasons, that also include feat balance (buffing other weapon feats to do more damage only widens the gap to non-combat feats and my players are already more interested in combat than non-combat), archetype support (Crossbow Expert actually is the worst, since it doesn't support the archetypes it should while supporting only the fully automatic crossbow Sage Advice specifically said it doesn't), along with the other issues we've already discussed (melee vs ranged, martial vs cantrip) etc.
Saying this only to explain why I'm not convinced your strategy is better. That doesn't mean your strategy is wrong for somebody else.