How do you like your martial characters?

[Incenjucar]

I'm not some kind of imbecile when it comes to game terms, but I looked at this and didn't understand it at all. Maybe it's not as complicated in practice as it looks, but that seems incredibly confusing.

In other words; I'm not seeing a beginning player playing his first fighter and tracking all of this.

Really?

I'm going to assume you know how 4E powers work:

Hit Really Hard
Attack vs. AC
Hit: 2[W]+Strength modifier damage
Use 1 Energy Points: 4[W]+Strength modifier damage
Use 2 Energy Points: 5[W]+Strength modifier damage and the target is dazed (save ends).

Energy Pool: 4 (You can regain used points during a short rest)
Reserve Pool: 2 (You can regain used points during a long rest)

 

[Sunseeker]

Something alone the lines of the 4e Slayer is my favorite

Strong basic attack.
Stances to incorporate concepts of different fighting styles or "maneuvers".

And then maybe something big with a limited use such as a bonus action.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'd really like to see something similar to the 4E psionics system for martial and most other classes.

Yeah, I don't really think "Like basic 4e, but more complicated" is going to really fly as a default kind of fighter.

The playtest fighter is where it needs to start, IMO. A few options other than or in addition to "attack" are all I want or need, and I know a lot of folks are happy with what already exists, so that's fine with me.

 

[Greg K]

Savage Worlds or Book of Iron Might (Malhavoc)

 

[Gold Roger]

Depends on the "martial character", but as a rule, none of the mentioned options, especially not aedu for non-supernatural classes.

For the fighter:

Just basic attacks, if that's what the player wants. Options for:

-Combat maneuvers(sunder, trip, disarm, push) on top of a normal attack
-Stances. Can be changed 1/round and never costs resources. Might have downsides, like slowed in return for improved defense
-AoO. Nobody gets these automaticaly, but fighters should be able to do it
-Action points/surges
-Extra effects on critical

 

[Incenjucar]

Yeah, I don't really think "Like basic 4e, but more complicated" is going to really fly as a default kind of fighter.

The playtest fighter is where it needs to start, IMO. A few options other than or in addition to "attack" are all I want or need, and I know a lot of folks are happy with what already exists, so that's fine with me.

We do not share the same notion of complexity.

So, you want more at-wills?

 

[Fifth Element]

I'm not some kind of imbecile when it comes to game terms

Didn't you just ask what an encounter was?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Didn't you just ask what an encounter was?

Yes.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

How do I like my martial characters? Seasoned with cayenne pepper, lightly breaded, fried, and served with ranch dressing.

I'd prefer at-will maneuvers or powers that either allow special actions or modify the basic attack for different effects.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I'm thinking of a combination of an AD&D basic attack with the possible addition of 4e exploits. I'm not entirely sure how to make this work but I'm thinking something along the lines of how ability scores are treated as a generic lens for an action most related to that ability. Except that a fighter has the following "combat lenses" to go through in terms of combat actions:

Weapon Attacks

* Defensive: less precision, less damage, more defense
* Reckless: less precision, more damage, less defense
* Finesse: more precision, less damage but greater chance of a critical and attaching a penalty to damage, less defense
* Standard: average precision, damage, and defense.

Combat Maneuvers

* Force: Forcing other combatants to move, get knocked over prone, and other maneuvers where size and strength count
* Finesse: Tricking other combatants by disarming them, tripping them, moving around them and so on.

I think these six "basic" attack forms can cover most of the tactics that any character should be able to attempt. No character is excluded from these and these "combat lenses" can then be used to describe whatever attack feels most appropriate.

However, for those who want to take this a step further, you can add:
* 3e feat-like attacks (power attack as a special type of reckless attack, combat expertise as a special type of defensive attack and so on).
* 4e martial exploits (Precise Strike as a Finesse attack, Tide of Iron as a Force maneuver).

A fighter might specialize in reckless style attacks or perhaps defensive ones and has more options for using these than a paladin, cleric or rogue.

I think for a martial character, this would be a good foundation for which dials can be added or taken away.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise