Hawk Diesel
Adventurer
So I have a gripe about 5e. For all of the great things about it, combat is rather static. There is little ability to work cooperatively in combat or tactically. I like the idea of us developing tactics and finding ways to work together in combat. That's one of the big problems I find in 5e, but I don't really know how to fix it. Each player is kind of a self contained battle, kinda like how toddlers play. They are playing, and they happen to be playing in the vicinity of each other, but they aren't really playing together. Perhaps I've been watching too much anime (Seven Deadly Sins and Yu Yu Hakusho specifically, with a sprinkling of Great Teacher Onizuka). But finding ways to combine attacks/actions for effects that are different (not necessarily more powerful, but different) than if they were done separately.
I think part of that is the initiative system, since it makes each turn a self contained act that does not really easily allow for input or participation from other players.
So I began discussing this with some of my friends that I game with, and one of them reminded me of Immediate Actions in the later stages of 3.5. And I gotta say, the thought made me really start thinking in ways that could be not only tactical uses in combat, but also allow players to be continuously engaged in combat when it is not their turn. And so, I am considering bringing a new action type into the action economy. Currently, everyone gets a standard action, bonus action, move action, and a reaction. But in the system I am presenting, everyone would also get a Battlefield Action (BFA) as well. There would be some general BFAs that any character could do, but also some class specific BFAs. These allow greater options during combat, as well as new ways to use current resources. Please let me know your thoughts. This is just the beginning, and I'm working to expand this a bit more. Any feedback would be welcome.
Battlefield Actions
A battlefield action is a special kind of action that cannot be taken on your turn, but is taken on someone else's turn. If this is taken on the turn of an ally, it can be taken before, during, or after your ally's action. If taken on an enemy's turn, it can only be taken directly after the enemy's action. You can only take one battlefield action per round.
Types of Battlefield Actions
Battlefield Mobility: You can move up to your speed. If you have any leftover movement from your turn, you can also use it during this battlefield action. This movement may draw attacks of opportunity as normal.
Running Interference: You can position yourself to assist your ally to help them get out of combat. You can move up to your speed and make an opposed Athletics or Acrobatics check against an enemy within 5'. The enemy gets to choose if they will use Athletics or Acrobatics. If you succeed, that enemy cannot make attacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn.
Alternatively, you can move with an ally that is within 5' of you. Moving with the ally in this way allows you to take any attacks of opportunity that would normally be directed at your ally. If you move more than your base speed during this action, you take one level of exhaustion for every multiple of your base movement speed you cover in total distance (i.e. 1 level of exhaustion if you move more than your base speed, 2 levels of exhaustion if you move more than twice your base speed, ect).
Spell Enhancement: When an ally casts a spell who is within 60' of you, you can use one of your spell slots to make your ally's spell more difficult to resist. Divide the level of the spell slot you sacrificed by two (round up). You add this value to the Spell DC or Spell Attack Bonus of your ally's spell.
Energy Conduit: When an ally casts a spell who is within 60' of you, you can use one of your spell slots to make your ally's spell more deadly. For each level of spell slot you sacrificed, your ally can add one additional die of damage of the same damage type to the spell's damage.
Class Specific Battlefield Actions
Cleric
Tactical Healer: You can move up to your speed and cast spells to heal your allies. You can only cast spells from the following list using this BFA: Spare the Dying, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary, Aid, Lesser Restoration, Revivify, Greater Restoration, Heal, Resurrection, and True Resurrection.
Fighter
Tactical Action Surge: You can use on of your action surge uses to provide assistance to your allies in battle. When you use Action Surge in this way, you can move up to your speed. Once you have moved, you can then give an ally within 5' an additional action, as if they used Action Surge.
Alternatively, you can use your Tactical Action Surge to give advantage to all attacks made against one enemy within 5' until the start of your next turn.
Tactical Indomitable: You can sacrifice one of your uses of Indomitable to grant an ally the ability to reroll a saving throw. When using this ability, you can move up to your speed. Once you have moved, you can grant an ally within 5' the ability to reroll their saving throw.
Rogue
Tactical Sneak Attack: You can use your sneak attack to make an enemy easier to hit for your allies. During your BFA (Battlefield Action), you can move up to you speed and make an attack on an enemy. If the attack is successful, they take no damage, but are crippled in a way that makes them easier to hit. The next attack made against the target gains a bonus equal to half your sneak attack dice (rounded up).
Sorcerer
Tactical Metamagic: When an ally casts a spell within 60' of you, you can use your sorcery points to alter your ally's spell with metamagic. You can spend the sorcery point cost and apply a metamagic effect you know on your ally's spell.
I think part of that is the initiative system, since it makes each turn a self contained act that does not really easily allow for input or participation from other players.
So I began discussing this with some of my friends that I game with, and one of them reminded me of Immediate Actions in the later stages of 3.5. And I gotta say, the thought made me really start thinking in ways that could be not only tactical uses in combat, but also allow players to be continuously engaged in combat when it is not their turn. And so, I am considering bringing a new action type into the action economy. Currently, everyone gets a standard action, bonus action, move action, and a reaction. But in the system I am presenting, everyone would also get a Battlefield Action (BFA) as well. There would be some general BFAs that any character could do, but also some class specific BFAs. These allow greater options during combat, as well as new ways to use current resources. Please let me know your thoughts. This is just the beginning, and I'm working to expand this a bit more. Any feedback would be welcome.
Battlefield Actions
A battlefield action is a special kind of action that cannot be taken on your turn, but is taken on someone else's turn. If this is taken on the turn of an ally, it can be taken before, during, or after your ally's action. If taken on an enemy's turn, it can only be taken directly after the enemy's action. You can only take one battlefield action per round.
Types of Battlefield Actions
Battlefield Mobility: You can move up to your speed. If you have any leftover movement from your turn, you can also use it during this battlefield action. This movement may draw attacks of opportunity as normal.
Running Interference: You can position yourself to assist your ally to help them get out of combat. You can move up to your speed and make an opposed Athletics or Acrobatics check against an enemy within 5'. The enemy gets to choose if they will use Athletics or Acrobatics. If you succeed, that enemy cannot make attacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn.
Alternatively, you can move with an ally that is within 5' of you. Moving with the ally in this way allows you to take any attacks of opportunity that would normally be directed at your ally. If you move more than your base speed during this action, you take one level of exhaustion for every multiple of your base movement speed you cover in total distance (i.e. 1 level of exhaustion if you move more than your base speed, 2 levels of exhaustion if you move more than twice your base speed, ect).
Spell Enhancement: When an ally casts a spell who is within 60' of you, you can use one of your spell slots to make your ally's spell more difficult to resist. Divide the level of the spell slot you sacrificed by two (round up). You add this value to the Spell DC or Spell Attack Bonus of your ally's spell.
Energy Conduit: When an ally casts a spell who is within 60' of you, you can use one of your spell slots to make your ally's spell more deadly. For each level of spell slot you sacrificed, your ally can add one additional die of damage of the same damage type to the spell's damage.
Class Specific Battlefield Actions
Cleric
Tactical Healer: You can move up to your speed and cast spells to heal your allies. You can only cast spells from the following list using this BFA: Spare the Dying, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary, Aid, Lesser Restoration, Revivify, Greater Restoration, Heal, Resurrection, and True Resurrection.
Fighter
Tactical Action Surge: You can use on of your action surge uses to provide assistance to your allies in battle. When you use Action Surge in this way, you can move up to your speed. Once you have moved, you can then give an ally within 5' an additional action, as if they used Action Surge.
Alternatively, you can use your Tactical Action Surge to give advantage to all attacks made against one enemy within 5' until the start of your next turn.
Tactical Indomitable: You can sacrifice one of your uses of Indomitable to grant an ally the ability to reroll a saving throw. When using this ability, you can move up to your speed. Once you have moved, you can grant an ally within 5' the ability to reroll their saving throw.
Rogue
Tactical Sneak Attack: You can use your sneak attack to make an enemy easier to hit for your allies. During your BFA (Battlefield Action), you can move up to you speed and make an attack on an enemy. If the attack is successful, they take no damage, but are crippled in a way that makes them easier to hit. The next attack made against the target gains a bonus equal to half your sneak attack dice (rounded up).
Sorcerer
Tactical Metamagic: When an ally casts a spell within 60' of you, you can use your sorcery points to alter your ally's spell with metamagic. You can spend the sorcery point cost and apply a metamagic effect you know on your ally's spell.
Last edited: