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

 

[Jeff Carpenter]

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.

I am a big fan of spells and manuvers by level not alphabetically.

When I am looking to pick a spell I hate having to flip from the list to the spell, back to the spell, then back to the list.

I preffer 1e and 2e model where all the spells were by level and I could just read them quickly.

I am sure other people like alphabetical, and I get how it saves pages especially when multiple classes have the same spells but throwing in my 2 cents.

 

[Morrus]

I am a big fan of spells and manuvers by level not alphabetically.

When I am looking to pick a spell I hate having to flip from the list to the spell, back to the spell, then back to the list.

I preffer 1e and 2e model where all the spells were by level and I could just read them quickly.

I am sure other people like alphabetical, and I get how it saves pages especially when multiple classes have the same spells but throwing in my 2 cents.

I meant the format for the survey.

 

[dave2008]

I got you, so I could technically move 30 ft (activate charge to move 30 more feet and then get an attack). In that case its perfectly fine.

That was how I understood it.

 

[dave2008]

In general I really like what your doing with maneuvers. The issue will be balance of the maneuvers and their cost.

 

[chaoshead87]

For the most part I like what I see, some just don't fit with my gaming style. Dangerous Signature for instance just seems a little too cinematic for my taste BUT I could see a player in one of my groups absolutely loving it AND using it as often as possible. Countershot might fall into that category as well if I hadn't witnessed that exact thing happen in real life.

I would love to see the full list, alphabetically divided by tradition please.

 

[dalisprime]

Still not a fan of spending exertion. It just doesn't sound right. Just my 2 cents worth of input.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I liked the concept of maneuvers as a short list of additional tools in your toolbox.

Starfinder has them, but the DC for them is so hard that they're useless unless you get feats specifically for them. In other games, it's often more worthwhile to just attack every turn.

So, I would have been interested in an interesting set of maneuvers that gave more opportunities to martial classes.

However, having a list of 150 or so maneuvers is really too much in my opinion. It's not really that different from the list of "powers" that martial classes had in 4E.

A shove is a shove. It is what it says and every character that's athletic enough should be able to do it. Obviously, a stronger or more dexterous character should do it better. But what is Bloody Roar? What is Bowling Blitz? It's basically a spell without spell slots. 4E did that, Starfinder does that, 5E does not.

As opposed to much of what was shared so far, this is not something I would bring at my table. It adds complexity in having to pick in this list, managing one more resource, then remembering the details of what Bowling Blitz is supposed to be, and it does not lean into something that's different for martial classes as opposed to casters.

 

[Waller]

4E did that, Starfinder does that, 5E does not.

Level Up does.

 

[Faolyn]

A shove is a shove. It is what it says and every character that's athletic enough should be able to do it. Obviously, a stronger or more dexterous character should do it better. But what is Bloody Roar? What is Bowling Blitz? It's basically a spell without spell slots. 4E did that, Starfinder does that, 5E does not.

Since they have a point cost, they're not spells without slots.

 

[Staffan]

I like this, at least as a structure. I haven't looked enough at the individual maneuvers to say much, other than I think Catch Your Breath seems a little weak-sauce. Just like Second Wind, it's a nice chunk of hp at low levels but would seem to become mostly irrelevant at higher levels.

But then again, I'm one of those weirdos who thought healing surges were a great idea back in 4e, and considers 5e hit dice a big step backwards.