D&D 5E Making weapon choice matter

[Salamandyr]

Personally, I wonder if the way to make this situation more satisfying is NOT changing the weapon rules, and INSTEAD changing the fighter class.

Even more basic. Change the combat rules.

Take all those juicy special maneuvers in the feats section and make them combat options.

Then make the fighter the best at doing them.

Then figure out weapons; either make them full on abstract, or give them interesting properties, preferably ones that can be interpreted in either "realistic" or "wahoo" fashion.

It's a big ask, but do-able.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Doesn't the Battle Master already do this with superiority dice and it's maneuvers? Or are you thinking that all fighters / melee types should have these options? If you go the latter route, how does that then affect the Battle Master?

The Battle Master maneuvers are more effective and powerful than general combat maneuvers like shoving or the disarm in the DMG. They not only deal damage in addition to performing the maneuver, they deal additional damage. They also often have a higher chance of succeeding and/or more effect when they do.

Introducing more general combat options shouldn't step on the BM's toes, as long as it remains the undisputed master of combat maneuvers when spending superiority dice.

 

[schnee]

This has all happened before, and it will all happen again.

You're repeating the exact same mista- err, design cycles that happened thirty-odd years ago during AD&D.

It always happens. Game is simple and fast, and some number of people want to make it 'realistic' and add all sorts of complexity that fits their aesthetic tastes, but is at cross purposes to the rest of the game.

You'll probably learn the same lessons too - you'll use it for one group of characters, and all that complexity actually won't have much, if any effect on the game, and it'll introduce extra effort that doesn't pay off the way you imagined.

And all you're really doing is nerfing martials in the quest for 'realism'.

You want 'meaningful'. But how is that more fun?