D&D 5E Intelligence Based Dueling Ideas

[MostlyHarmless42]

The trick though is to also avoid anything that is too bound to physicality to pull off with just your mind. I.e. a high intelligence could help one predict possible trajectories for aiming a bow (and thankfully 5e is rules lite enough that it doesn't require "realism" regarding needing minimum strength to pull the string), but think you'd have a much harder argument that reading a book on how to lift and knowing how physics works means you can suddenly climb a wall or lift a heavy object without the proper tools to take advantage of said knowledge.

Apologies to those I've just given horrific flashbacks to ropes and pullup bars in gym class.

 

[Coroc]

...
Any other basic ideas?

Big spell - counterspell -countercounterspell-countercountercounterspell .....

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Big spell - counterspell -countercounterspell-countercountercounterspell .....

You joke, but the idea of something a fighter or rogue using intelligence (arcane knowledge) and weaponry to "cut through" and cancel or alter magic somehow could be quite interesting. The struggle is how to translate that to mechanics. Dispelling or counter spelling or hindering concentration are easy such ideas, but one thing I'd ideally suggest if designing such a thing is that you do NOT just copy the mageslayer(or hunter, whatever) feat. Make something that compliments and works with it. Something like they can cut into an aoe effect cast on them and negate a cone area behind them (i.e. cutting a fireball in half), or making tweaking an active spell's magical formula so that they can reduce an enemy's defenses (i.e. reduce mage armor or shield spells bonus by a flat amount), or change an incoming damage type. Think of it like a sort of reverse metamagic sort of thing where they can only effect others' spells or effects and not cast their own spells.

Another idea, sort of similar to the using terrain thing is the ability to somehow set up cause and effect in rube goldberg sort of ways. A great example of this is in the show Alphas, where one character basically kills someone on the other side of a crowded city block by setting off a chain reaction of objects using a quarter. Good luck translating it to game though, admittedly.

 

[Coroc]

...

Another idea, sort of similar to the using terrain thing is the ability to somehow set up cause and effect in rube goldberg sort of ways. A great example of this is in the show Alphas, where one character basically kills someone on the other side of a crowded city block by setting off a chain reaction of objects using a quarter. Good luck translating it to game though, admittedly.

World of Tiers by Phillip Jose Farmer: Theres a Rube Goldberg machine I think by using some magic furniture which moves away automatically if I can remember correctly.
Another nice twist in the Book is when they drown a magic portal in an ocean, flooding a fortress where the destination gate is.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

A further thought occurs after thinking about the alteration of magic idea, the psi-knight's abilities to do stuff like reduce damage could easily be reskinned to be the character doing this sort of thing. It's even int based.

I do like the idea of some sort of rogue using sneak attack dice as a resource to say, reduce spell damage, or some sort of other thing. Or using them to somehow buff their allie's ability checks, attacks, etc. Sort of like an alternative to bardic performance perhaps?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You joke, but the idea of something a fighter or rogue using intelligence (arcane knowledge) and weaponry to "cut through" and cancel or alter magic somehow could be quite interesting.

Yeah it makes me wish that the feat worked differently, because I want this character to interrupt spells with an OA.

 

[Eltab]

Study Foe: As a bonus action on your turn you observe your foe's fighting style. Pick one target with whom you are in melee. You may extend this analysis for a number of sequential turns equal to or less than your proficiency bonus. On the final turn you may apply a bonus to your to-hit and damage rolls equal to the number of turns you Studied that Foe.

So at L3 you could get a +3 bonus to your attack on Turn Three.
(Somehow I can hear "Finishing Move!" from an old stand-up video game.)

Be sure to pick out the Boss.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Yeah it makes me wish that the feat worked differently, because I want this character to interrupt spells with an OA.

To be fair, it sort of does work this way. If you hit, it does for a concentration saving throw, which I think the feat let's you give them disadvantage on if I recall correctly.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

To be fair, it sort of does work this way. If you hit, it does for a concentration saving throw, which I think the feat let's you give them disadvantage on if I recall correctly.

Sadly no, the feat lets you make an attack as a reaction. Reactions occur after the thing that triggers them, unless the specific ability says otherwise. There is no rules that forces a concentration check if you get hit while casting a spell.

So, the feat doesn’t, RAW, allow you to interrupt a spell.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Sadly no, the feat lets you make an attack as a reaction. Reactions occur after the thing that triggers them, unless the specific ability says otherwise. There is no rules that forces a concentration check if you get hit while casting a spell.

So, the feat doesn’t, RAW, allow you to interrupt a spell.

I could've sworn it was the other way around with reactions being resolved first unless it was phrased in a way that makes sense otherwise (like taking damage and casting Hellish Rebuke), as otherwise how could someone attack a person who moves out of reach if they are now some undefined 10-movement speed amount of space away without a reach weapon, but perhaps that might just be the exception then?

We've always house ruled that any reaction attack typically happens first. Chalk it up as one more houserule/remnant of older systems at my table if it's the case. shrugs