D&D 5E How game-breaking is it if GW Fighting Style applies to smites?

[TwoSix]

....



Guys, I'm a complete idiot. I should have double-checked the character sheet before posting.

Yes, you're right. It is the great weapon fighting style, not the Great Weapon Master feat.

Boy, do I feel dumb now.

It boosts the average smite damage by 17% (from 4.5 per die to 5.25). It's not going to break anything.

 

[ezo]

This doesn't change the my position on your analysis at all (IMO, you are right). However, the damage average for a d8 goes from (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8)/8=4.5 to (4.5+4.5+3+4+5+6+7+8)/8 = 5.25.

Yep. I'll fix my post. It was due to a carry over error from the d6, using 3.5 instead of 4.5 for the 1's and 2's. Kuddos!

Guys, I'm a complete idiot. I should have double-checked the character sheet before posting.

Yes, you're right. It is the great weapon fighting style, not the Great Weapon Master feat.

Boy, do I feel dumb now.

Welcome to the club! (See my "oops" above!) A lot of people mix up the two when posting or speaking, even though they totally understand the difference.

So, hopefully all the feedback on the d8 increase (significant, but not game breaking) will help. Personally, I would totally allow it. It has just never come up in the games I'm in. (Our Palay's tend to be sword/board types.)

 

[jayoungr]

I've told the player I'll allow it, but that we'll take another look in 3-4 levels and see if it seems to be unbalancing anything.

 

[ezo]

I've told the player I'll allow it, but that we'll take another look in 3-4 levels and see if it seems to be unbalancing anything.

I think it'll work out ok. There are times it might seem OP, but my guess would be those would probably more just be due to lucky rolls.

Frankly, the fighting style is underwhelming as it is, so IMO this would be a nice bump for the PC. It'll be interesting to hear how it turns out.

 

[ECMO3]

How does elven accuracy work with GWM?
You need shillelagh or hexblade multiclass to combine both.

RAW you could make an argument for a Kensai Monk swinging a Longbow as an improvised melee weapon using dexterity.

The Longbow has the "heavy" property and it can be a Monk weapon for a kensai. This is certainly not RAI though.

 

[FrogReaver]

RAW you could make an argument for a Kensai Monk swinging a Longbow as an improvised melee weapon using dexterity.

The Longbow has the "heavy" property and it can be a Monk weapon for a kensai. This is certainly not RAI though.

I dint think that’s RAW either.

 

[Dausuul]

IMHO, "power attack" should be it's own separate half-feat.

+1 STR or DEX
-1 attack, +2 damage(+3 damage for heavy melee weapons, +1 damage with light weapons)

at 5th level:
-2 attack, +4 damage(+6/+2)

at 11th level:
-3 attack, +6 damage(+9/+3)

at 17th level:
-4 attack, +8 damage(+12/+4)

I don't think "-X/+Y" should be a thing at all. It presents a decision which is boring and easy to optimize, and it's also very powerful, so players have a strong incentive to optimize it. If you want to give martials more damage, just give them a damage bonus across the board and be done with it.

 

[FrogReaver]

I don't think "-X/+Y" should be a thing at all. It presents a decision which is boring and easy to optimize, and it's also very powerful, so players have a strong incentive to optimize it. If you want to give martials more damage, just give them a damage bonus across the board and be done with it.

I’m fine with the big damage low accuracy paradigm. But not much is gained by it being a moment to moment decision

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Do any DMs really not rework campaigns to fit their players?

If you deal out weapons/armor that no one uses, you might just replace them with sacks of gold.

In my experience, it is quite common for DMs to run the module or published campaign as it is written.

 

[pawsplay]

Various "clarifications" to the contrary, just about anywhere else it matters, weapon damage is the damage you do with your weapon, not just some special dice. The rules don't define base weapon dice. And from a balance standpoint, both great weapon style and Savage Attacker are basically traps if they don't apply to the whole pool.