D&D 5E Open Interpretation Inspirational Healing Compromise.

[Remathilis]

In the worlds of D&D, words are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with magic-like power all their own. The warlord is a master of such speech, and has trained to use it to influence the very nature of the battlefield. They can inspire fear, coordination, and petty internet fights with but a word. Mastering both those words and tactics they lead form the front of most fights.

So close. How bout now?

EDIT: Well, we might have to fix the "petty internet fights" thing in post...

 

[GMforPowergamers]

So close. How bout now?

EDIT: Well, we might have to fix the "petty internet fights" thing in post...

how about supernatural, or extraordinary (I would prefer the second but be open to the first) instead of magic like, other possibilities come form the name of every comic from mavel... Amazing power, Astonishing power, Uncanny power, All new all different power, but I think those first two are best...

 

[El Mahdi]

In the worlds of D&D, words are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The warlord is a master of speech, and has trained to use it to influence the very nature of the battlefield. They can inspire fear, coordination, and petty internet fights with but a word. Mastering both those words and tactics they lead form the front of most fights.

Well, we might have to fix the "petty internet fights" thing in post...

Or just change "they lead from the front of most fights" to "they lead from behind their keyboards."

 

[Remathilis]

how about supernatural, or extraordinary (I would prefer the second but be open to the first) instead of magic like, other possibilities come form the name of every comic from mavel... Amazing power, Astonishing power, Uncanny power, All new all different power, but I think those first two are best...

In the worlds of D&D, words are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with almost supernatural power all their own. The warlord is a master of such speech, and has trained to use it to influence the very nature of the battlefield. They can inspire fear, coordination, and petty internet fights with but a word. Mastering both those words and tactics they lead form the front of most fights.

Now?

 

[MechaPilot]

I have no issue with a sidebar talking about the different sensibilities of different playstyles, and expressing ways that people with those sensibilities can make a warlord class more palatable to them by saying at their table that what the warlord does is magical. That's similar to what I proposed before about a sidebar telling DMs that inspirational healing can be changed from actual healing to the granting of THPs if that better fits with the game that they're running.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

In the worlds of D&D, words are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with almost supernatural power all their own. The warlord is a master of such speech, and has trained to use it to influence the very nature of the battlefield. They can inspire fear, coordination, and petty internet fights with but a word. Mastering both those words and tactics they lead form the front of most fights.

looks like a compromise I could totally take

 

[Aldarc]

The warlord could take a cue from the barbarian descriptor when it comes to their power source:

For some, their rage springs from a communion with fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain.

Or the paladin:

a paladin’s power comes as much from a commitment to justice itself as it does from a god.

Or even rogues:

Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for avoiding danger,...

There is a certain degree of ambiguity written into these class descriptions that intentionally empower players and GMs to determine this for themselves. So where does the warlord's power come from? An arcane power of words? An almost divine faith in their comrades and martial conviction? Or is it an extraordinary ability that come from within themselves as simply the power of their own charisma?

I have no issue with a sidebar talking about the different sensibilities of different playstyles, and expressing ways that people with those sensibilities can make a warlord class more palatable to them by saying at their table that what the warlord does is magical. That's similar to what I proposed before about a sidebar telling DMs that inspirational healing can be changed from actual healing to the granting of THPs if that better fits with the game that they're running.

The warlord would be a great location for placing such a sidebar.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I personal would be ok with "everything in the world is magic".

It's hard to argue with that one. Action Surge? Magic. Inspiring Word? Magic. Expertise? Magic. Proficiency with leather-working tools? Magic. Turnip Farming? Magic. Sun coming up in the morning? Magic. Coffee so you can face the sun in the morning? Definitely Magic.

where I can agree with bless and charm (although the idea that magic is where 5e hides the powers annoys me that's a different issue) but dragon fear?!?!?!?
damn I hate typing that all out... no where is that said to be magic... I took it to be the rather rational response to a giant magic beast, but no where is it said to be magic that I see...

There are a lot of giant beasts in D&D, not all of them have fear auras.

I starting to miss 3.x, where things got nice, clear (EX) and (SU) labels.

is there anyone left who is going to poo poo this idea?

It's shaded more towards magical than the studiedly-neutral language of the OP, so, sorry, yeah.

how about supernatural, or extraordinary (I would prefer the second but be open to the first) instead of magic like, other possibilities come form the name of every comic from mavel... Amazing power, Astonishing power, Uncanny power, All new all different power, but I think those first two are best...

And, here, again, 3.5's 'Extraordinary' (EX) would work very well. It's explicitly non-magical but also explicitly beyond the mundane.

And, really, I don't see the problem with explicitly both non-magical & non-mundane. It can still be re-fluffed as subtlety-supernatural in a way that doesn't change it's mechanics as a non-magical ability (still working in an anti-magic shell for example - not that I'm concerned it's going to come up, it's just an example).

Also not crazy about lifting the whole bard thing on 'words are magic' or music is magic - Bards, fine, they go on and cast spells that way. Warlords, probably no singing, definitely no spells. I'd like to see more of the fluff-credit being given to the allies, too. Warlords can exhort greatness from their allies, but it's the allies that come through with that greatness.

There is a certain degree of ambiguity written into these class descriptions that intentionally empower players and GMs to determine this for themselves.

The barbarian description is prettymuch just Totem vs Berserker, the paladin's seems to imply a divine conceptual force of justice that gods and paladins are both linked to or something but if there's wiggle room for an Oath of Fealty or something so much the better, the rogue's 'almost supernatural' is still not supernatural, and that's just fine.

So where does the warlord's power come from? An arcane power of words? An almost divine faith in their comrades and martial conviction? Or is it an extraordinary ability that come from within themselves as simply the power of their own charisma?

I could see a side-bar with the always convenient 'some say...' sort of language speculating about any or every supernatural rationalization for warlord abilities. As long as the mechanics support the concept, which is martial & heroic (even if the 'Warlord' himself might not always be the hero of the story), not magical or mundane, and the fluff & rationalizations don't undermine that.

 

[El Mahdi]

For those who haven't read the proposed concept in the Warlording the Fighter thread, here they are. Though remember that these were early rough drafts that are being revised based on the feedback that was received.

If anyone wants to give feedback on these, or any of the other proposed ideas, please do so in the Warlording the fighter thread, here.

Inspiring Word
A Warlord builds a significant rapport with each of their comrades, learning what motivates each one of them. They know their compatriots so well they can rejuvenate and refocus them with just a word.
Once per short rest you can encourage or call out to a faltering companion and bolster their resolve; even allowing them to shake off some of the accumulated wear and tear of combat. Doing so either allows an ally to recover hit points equivalent to the Warlord’s Wisdom or Charisma modifier times ½ the allies level (minimum of 1), or free an ally of non-magical fear (the Frightened condition), or reduce any effects due to exhaustion by one level.
The ally must be within hearing range of the Warlord, and cannot be at 0 hit points. At 5th level they can do this two times per short rest, three times at 10th level, and four times at 15th level.

Call of Restoration
With the same rapport they use to inspire their allies, they can even sometimes call them back from the edge of death itself.
Through a combination of vocal exhortation and physical shaking, you can attempt to rouse a fallen ally (at 0 hit points). They must be able to hear you (not Deafened) and must be adjacent to you. The ally can immediately make a death saving throw, even if they have already done so for the round, and make the roll with a bonus equal to the Warlord’s Wisdom or Charisma modifier. If successful, the ally is returned to consciousness and recovers hit points equal to the Warlord’s Charisma or Wisdom modifier times ½ the allies level (minimum of 1).
You may attempt this once per long rest. At 7th level you may attempt this twice per long rest, and three times at 17th level.

 

[Bawylie]

Agreed. Mostly. I was just addressing the demand for non-magical real healing and how it compares to what 5e has shown us as to how things work.


What if the warlord had a "usable-on-others" ability much like that half-orc racial feature? So as a reaction, mitigate an attack that would drop an ally to instead set them at 1? Or cuts the damage in half? Or something like that? Whatever.

Id be satisfied with the bard-like song of rest. Except instead of a song, it's field medic stuff. Rub some dirt on it, get patched up, restore some real HP. Along side some kind of temp HP in-combat deal or cut-damage deal.

So he COULD really heal you, just not during a fight. And he could mitigate damage, in combat.