Latest Level-Up Rewards Table Solves Action Economy and Two-Handed Weapon Balance

[ren1999]

A shield provides a +4 to AC.
if you get the shield bash maneuver, you do 1d4 damage and no modifier.
If you score a critical hit, the target is knocked unconscious.
All bludgeoning weapons should have this?

As a primary attack, you would get the ability mod in damage.

In fact, shouldn't each weapon type do something special on a critical hit?

 

[fjw70]

But would a sword and shield user get to make two sword attacks each round? Or does using a shield to get the +4 to AC use an action? If the former then what advantage would there be to dropping a shield and picking up a secondary weapon?

 

[ren1999]

But would a sword and shield user get to make two sword attacks each round? Or does using a shield to get the +4 to AC use an action? If the former then what advantage would there be to dropping a shield and picking up a secondary weapon?

Not at all. A shield user can not make two sword attacks unless he is 10th level.
Using a shield to block or bash equals 1 action.

This is how the fighting styles break down.

A two-handed fighter takes 2 actions and does 2d10+str3 damage

A two-weapon fighter takes 1 action and does 1d10+3 with his primary weapon
he takes another action and does 1d10 damage with his secondary weapon

A shield and sword fighter takes 1 action and does 1d10+3 with her weapon
She has a +4 to armor class from using a shield but it costs an action to block, she can bash and do 1d4 with her shield, if she crits, she does 4 damage+knocks her enemy unconscious(or stuns or dazes, whatever we decide), if she gets a 19, she pushes her enemy 5 feet.

 

[fjw70]

The two weapon fighter is better than the two handed weapon fighter since they get two attack rolls and can switch back and forth with the extra weapon and a shield.

Also, so when the sword and shield fighter gets to 4 attacks he can attack 3 times with his sword. Not sure how that balances with the other styles.

Good ideas though.

 

[ren1999]

At 10th level, a sword and shield style character would get

1 action primary attack
1 action shield defense
1 action primary attack
1 action shield defense

At 10th, a two-handed sword style character would get

2 actions primary 2-handed attack
2 actions primary 2-handed attack

At 10th, a two-weapon wielder would get

1 action primary attack
1 action secondary attack
1 action primary attack
1 action secondary attack

Thanks for your continued comments, you're helping me to be more clear.

 

[fjw70]

At 10th level, a sword and shield style character would get

1 action primary attack
1 action shield defense
1 action primary attack
1 action shield defense

At 10th, a two-handed sword style character would get

2 actions primary 2-handed attack
2 actions primary 2-handed attack

At 10th, a two-weapon wielder would get

1 action primary attack
1 action secondary attack
1 action primary attack
1 action secondary attack

Thanks for your continued comments, you're helping me to be more clear.

Does a shield defense action only block a single attack? If not then why does the shield user need to spend more actions on shield defense at 10th than at 1st?

 

[ren1999]

The AC of the shield adds +4 so it aids in the blocking of all attacks.

So how can we make the shield a very attractive alternative to a secondary attack?

We don't have to add a AC+4. We could say that if the character does not bash with the shield as his or her secondary attack, that the next melee or ranged attacker attacks the shield holder at disadvantage.

Or we can do something else.

 

[fjw70]

Maybe the shield user gets +2 to AC is they devote a single action to defense and +4if they devote 2 actions to defense. This would give them a reason to use 2 actions for shield defense.

i am not crazy about the two weapon user having different damage bonuses for each attack. Maybe give them full stat bonus for each attack and the 2 handed weapon user would get double stat bonus for their attacks.

just some ideas.