D&D 5E (2014) Legends & Lore Article 4/1/14 (Fighter Maneuvers)

[Halivar]

I think "Come and Get It" got moved to the Master Baiter subclass - specialist in the Defendier role.

I can't unread this.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I really hope that this one subclass of fighter isn't the only character that can do things like trip and disarm. IMO, those should be things that anyone can try to do. The fighter should just be better at it, since he can add his expertise dice.

 

[gweinel]

I know that most of the ppl remind them the 4th e. fighter but when I read the article i thought "we have a bit of Tome of Battle" in 5th e.

In general i like it although i dislike as hell 4th e.

 

[Minigiant]

Crossing fingers for Flash Kick and Spinning Piledriver maneuvers.

I like the idea overall though.

 

[Wulfgar76]

I am perfectly fine with a tactical fighter, but I worry about power creep.

D&D Next, with its focus on Bounded Accuracy and Static Defenses, seemed to be a conscious step away from the breakneck power-progression of 3e and 4e. I was hoping for a game with somewhat fragile low level characters, and a longer 'sweet spot' where the party could still be challenged by mundane threats.

This fighter sounds like he starts out as champion and quickly progresses to superhero mode.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Sounds interesting, though I'm not sold on the name. Battle Master just seems a little too..I don't know? cheesy sounding?

I'm okay with Battle Master , so am i for the previous Path's name Weaponmaster. Battle Master reminds me of the fun board game from the 90's we played while kids!

​

 

[Klaus]

I really hope that this one subclass of fighter isn't the only character that can do things like trip and disarm. IMO, those should be things that anyone can try to do. The fighter should just be better at it, since he can add his expertise dice.

Well, anyone can try something like that. Just improvise a contest like Dexterity vs. Dexterity (disarm) or Strength vs. Strength or Dex (Trip), adjusted through disadvantage for size differences and whatnot.

 

[Wulfgar76]

I really hope they don't have hard (and exploitable) rules for tripping/proning.
That was one bit of immersion kryptonite I was hoping we'd be free of in Next.

 

[Ahnehnois]

The difference is Wizards is still designing a Powers game of exceptions-based designed rather than a fully fleshed out system.

I agree. There's way too much going on with class abilities and not enough going on with the system itself. A combat action (or a noncombat action for that matter) isn't a "power".

 

[Iosue]

Oh great, a 4th edition style fighter that can force others to move.

Oh boy

What the hell? It's not enough that 5e provide fun for you, it must strenuously avoid anything that's fun for others but not for you?

On the topic of the article, this doesn't seem especially different from what was in the last playtest, but one thing concerns me. In the playtest, the superiority dice provided a mini-contest. For example, attack -> hit -> roll damage -> roll superiority die to try to trip -> if over opponent's dex mod, trip is successful -> if under dex mod, trip fails, use superiority die result for added damage.

I thought this was a very nice solution to the issue of damage vs. effect. You weren't giving up damage to try for an effect, but if the effect failed, you got damage as a nice consolation prize. Also, it fit nicely with ability mods, as clumsy people were easy to trip, dextrous people difficult to trip, etc., while the added damage was nicely capped at +5, just as the GWF damage-on-miss was.

In the article, though, it says superiority dice are going to start out at d8, which suggests they've abandoned this system. It's a shame. However, the article doesn't mention using superiority die for damage effects, which is a good sign that they're keeping maneuvers an additive to regular damage, rather than forcing a choice between damage or effect.

One maneuver I'm intrigued with is the spreading damage to multiple enemies one. I wonder how that will work? Make one attack, spend a die, distribute the die result as damage to any adjacent enemies?