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Message: <blockquote data-quote="babomb" data-source="post: 6105229" data-attributes="member: 1316">I understand that they are trying to let the fighter do cool things without giving up damage, because just doing more damage is usually optimal, but I really don't like this fighter on reading it. The "cool options" aren't really. (E.g., "Pick one of these five slightly different ways to add 1d6 damage.") It seems like the worst-of-both-worlds fighter to me: complicated but not interesting. I expect getting 1 Expertise die back is so seldom a worthwhile use of an action that I'd forget it was an option; these are effectively per-encounter dice. I greatly preferred the fighter in the first packet, personally. Also, the description for Death Dealer, "Every attack you make brings your enemy closer to death." made me audibly guffaw.Aren't feats optional? How do bonus feats from classes work if you're playing the basic version? Do you get the bonus feats but not the normal ones?I like the direction of the druid, especially the way wildshape is handled, but I would hope for some opportunity for the druid player to customize the list of wildshape forms available to him. I really like the Evergreen ability largely because it has very little direct gameplay impact, and I wish there were more abilities like that.The ranger seems okay. I've never been a big fan of rangers (or paladins) as casters, but without them, the ranger would be too weak, and I don't know what I'd replace them with. If they're going to have spells, I prefer that they start at first level as they do here. I like the approach to favored enemy if not necessarily the specifics. I'd maybe like a Favored Terrain feature or something that represents an ability to endure harsh environmental conditions. Maybe there are spells for that; I didn't look over the list carefully.I think "Lawful Good Paladin" should be redundant. Name the umbrella class "Champion" or something. Blackguards can be LN and smite with radiant damage? I got the impression from L&L that Oaths were a different thing to the Paladin/Warden/Blackguard choice, so I'm a bit disappointed there. (That's probably my fault for misreading.) I kind of like the mount. Not sure I like Lay on Hands and Smite drawing from the same pool, but it's probably fine. I'm very disappointed about the lack of any specifics about Paladin behavior (tithing, limit on magic items, losing paladin-hood, any mention of religion whatsoever except under Channel Divinity that was copied from the Cleric's, etc.), but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I never really thought Detect Evil was that big of a problem, but I think it's handled pretty well here.Wait, Open Lock is a feat now? Break an Object is a skill? Really? I like that they've standardized on verbs as skill names, but I miss Profession. The Artisan background doesn't even make sense without it. A blacksmith has no skill or anything related to blacksmithing. Maybe Profession(blacksmith) could be called Ply Trade(blacksmith). Are we back to tying skills to specific abilities again? I don't like that.The exploration rules are a decent first pass, but, for example, getting lost rotates your direction a multiple of 45 degrees...on a hex map. Wandering monster check is on a d20, but it would be clearer on a d10 or d100.Humans get +1 to all ability scores... At least they don't get a +2 to one of them, but they're still on average as hardy as a dwarf and as dextrous as an elf and that doesn't sit right with me. I think other races should have positive and negative modifiers and humans no modifiers, but if we're going all positives, give humans +1 to any one physical and any one mental score and an extra skill or something.</blockquote>

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