Playtest (A5E) Level Up Advanced 5E Playtest Document #9: Warlord

Welcome to the 9th Level Up: Advanced 5E playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the game’s warlord class. The warlord is a new class and — like our spell-less ranger — we have allocated two playtest slots for it. This is the first document; a revised playtest version may appear next week based on your feedback.

Note that this class references two rules elements which have not yet been previewed -- followers, and strongholds. Those will be revealed at a later date.

Level Up Playtest Document #9: Warlord — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

Welcome to the 9th Level Up playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the game’s warlord class.

www.levelup5e.com

Download the playtest document here!

And take the playtest survey here:

Mailchimp Survey

us15.list-manage.com

 

[dave2008]

Commanding Presence: Skip an attack to let an ally in your aura make one as a reaction & some other neat uses later. The discussion over the forgo an attack thing has already started, but we already have a more limited version in the form of the battlemaster’s commander’s strike to show how it plays out. No single target attacker can match the rogue so every round the warlord is going to feel compelled to point at the rogue and say “pikachu, I choose you!”. With the warlord getting this at level 1 & second attack at 5th it might as well not even have the attack action as an option till 5. Another straw on that pile is that even if a control/debuff/buff/heal/etc spell from a caster is going to be more useful it’s not available & the lack of caster synergy shows up again later.

It allows you to cast a cantrip, so it does still provide some synergy with casters.

 

[dave2008]

Rallying Surge: I have to imagine that this leans heavily into the idea that hit points are not meat points, because otherwise, it's weird magic.

IMO, that is something you should expect with the warlord though

 

[RSIxidor]

I'm glad you're making this, and it looks pretty fun.

 

[Faolyn]

(because why would you not build the party to have double the usual action economy?)

Because lots of people build the party to play the game, not to win it.

 

[Faolyn]

IMO, that is something you should expect with the warlord though

Yeah, but I like to have an in-game reason for it rather than just "poof, you're healed."

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, but I like to have an in-game reason for it rather than just "poof, you're healed."

Don’t worry, we’ll define hit points.

 

[dave2008]

Yeah, but I like to have an in-game reason for it rather than just "poof, you're healed."

Sure, but just because there is an in-game reason doesn't mean it will feel just to everyone. Hit points have always been defined as more than meat points, yet some people are adamant that they are meat points.

 

[Faolyn]

Sure, but just because there is an in-game reason doesn't mean it will feel just to everyone. Hit points have always been defined as more than meat points, yet some people are adamant that they are meat points.

The game itself often treats them as meat points (e.g., falling damage). Having an explanation--which Morrus says is in the works--helps a bit. When you cause a person to regain hit points, are you inspiring them to push past their injuries, or are you literally healing their wounds via warlord non-magic.

 

[dave2008]

The game itself often treats them as meat points (e.g., falling damage).

And clearly doesn't in others (HD healing, full HP on a long rest, the definition of HP, increase in HP/lvl, etc.). Everyone has to come up with their own level of comfort and make the game what they want or what they can except. Just because A5E defines hit points doesn't mean people won't be upset if the warlord is healing without magic.

 

[Morrus]

And clearly doesn't in others (HD healing, full HP on a long rest, the definition of HP, increase in HP/lvl, etc.). Everyone has to come up with their own level of comfort and make the game what they want or what they can except. Just because A5E defines hit points doesn't mean people won't be upset if the warlord is healing without magic.

We’ll tell you what the rule is in our book. Anything else you bring to the table is beyond our purview.