Blog (A5E) Let’s Look At Combat Maneuvers

One of our goals with Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition was to create a more tactical combat system. But it was very important to us that we not create a more difficult combat system. Which is why our combat maneuvers are a buffet of over 150 bite-sized options, not unlike spells. Combat maneuvers are nonmagical.

Let’s Look At Combat Maneuvers — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

Our combat maneuvers are a buffet of over 150 bite-sized options, not unlike spells.

www.levelup5e.com

 

[Faolyn]

Approve!

Are the maneuvers going to be in alphabetical order, with a listing of tradition/degree before hand, like the way spells are organized alphabetically but have a listing by class/level before hand?

You have maneuvers like Death Blow (3 points, 3 attacks). Does this mean that you have to (successfully?) attack a creature three times, and the Death Blow kicks in on the third time? Or does it mean that you can't use this unless you have three attacks in a turn? Or do you have to "spend" three attacks but only deliver one attack, the death blow, or something else altogether?

Bloody Roar says: "Any hostile creature within a 30 feet cube centered on you suffers psychic damage equal to your expertise die plus your proficiency modifier and becomes frightened until the end of their next turn." First, this sounds neat! But expertise die in what?

 

[Rabulias]

Looking forward to these!

I assume Armor Lock should say it costs "2 attacks" not "2 actions" right?

If not, you need to explain what can be done in between the actions to notice this maneuver being done, and how to possibly thwart it before it is completed.

 

[Mike Myler]

Approve!

Are the maneuvers going to be in alphabetical order, with a listing of tradition/degree before hand, like the way spells are organized alphabetically but have a listing by class/level before hand?

You have maneuvers like Death Blow (3 points, 3 attacks). Does this mean that you have to (successfully?) attack a creature three times, and the Death Blow kicks in on the third time? Or does it mean that you can't use this unless you have three attacks in a turn? Or do you have to "spend" three attacks but only deliver one attack, the death blow, or something else altogether?

Bloody Roar says: "Any hostile creature within a 30 feet cube centered on you suffers psychic damage equal to your expertise die plus your proficiency modifier and becomes frightened until the end of their next turn." First, this sounds neat! But expertise die in what?

There have been a lot of changes, but the basics for how techniques and stances (and combat traditions) work are in the fighter playtest document Playtest Document #2: Fighter — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

 

[Faolyn]

Thanks, Mike. It’s been long enough that I had forgotten that bit.

 

[Stalker0]

So unless the rules for maneuvers have changed and charge no longer requires an action....it is just as useless as when we gave feedback on in in the initial run

 

[Mike Myler]

So unless the rules for maneuvers have changed and charge no longer requires an action....it is just as useless as when we gave feedback on in in the initial run

Talkin' bout this guy:

Charge (1 point) Action—Move up to 30 feet in a straight line and make a melee weapon attack. You can’t take the Dash action this turn.

Looked around in the 5E ruleset and could not find any ruling for moving 30 feet and making an attack as an action (or moving 60 feet and attacking on your turn without using a bonus action).

There's rules for movement (usually 30 feet a turn, unless you Dash), and then there's rules for attacking (an action), but nothing for charging as an action (moving 30 feet and attacking, which above is an action that has nothing to do with movement on your turn other than explicitly stopping any use of Dash).

Edit: I think you may be inserting a "when" into the maneuver. It doesn't say "when you move up to 30 feet in a straight line you make a melee weapon attack". It says "<do this> and <also this>."

 

[Morrus]

We might (no promises) put the full list out for playtest once the classes are all released. Just trying to work out the best format for that with a list of 150+ maneuvers of various levels.

 

[Morrus]

So unless the rules for maneuvers have changed and charge no longer requires an action....it is just as useless as when we gave feedback on in in the initial run

It's a low-level 1-point maneuver. You can move, and charge, and use a bonus action (which might be another combat maneuver, such as Catch Your Breath, or Shield Wall which we previewed, one of many other bonus action maneuvers).

 

[RSIxidor]

Rearing Menace - are the chosen creatures frightened of you, your mount, or both? If you dismount while this is active, do they remain frightened of you/horse/both? I realize this is a bit of a corner case as it's only for a turn (outside of possible abilities that extend effects of maneuvers) but it struck me as curious.

Still, all this seems very fun.

Charge actually seems fine to me. It's a better version of the Charger feat since it doesn't take your bonus action (unless your speed is more than 30', in which case it's arguable that the feat is better if you often need to clear long distances, or really want the bonus or the shove, or the 30' vs 10' requirement feels too restraining). Another way to look at it that it is a weak Dash with a weapon attack that doesn't take your bonus action.

Charge Maneuver - Movement (in whatever direction) + 30' in straight line + attack and you can still take a bonus action
Charger Feat - Movement x2 (in whatever direction) + attack/shove (if you move 10'+ in a straight line before making the attack/shove, +5 to attack, 10 foot shove) - no actions of any kind remaining.

I still think both are weak compared to some things in the game, but as a low level maneuver, I'm not too upset about it. Some people will love it. Probably my only wish is that it would allow bonus actions that only work after the attack action is taken, eg Adept's/Monk's bonus attack and flurry of blows.