D&D 5E Optional Variant Features for Fighters

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay! In the fighter critique thread, I proposed making a thread to discuss a set of variant features, and general rules expansions, to expand the fighter a bit beyond the narrow scope currently in the base class.

My preliminary ideas are:

• PB/LR Superiority Dice. The basic use of these is to add to a single damage roll, ability check, or saving throw
• Background+ features comparable to the Warlock’s Pact Boon. These relate to backstory and place in the world, and give non-combat benefits primarily
• Expanded fighting styles
• Examine missing archetypes or fighter types that still aren’t supported (like the mundane martial arts master, the spearman/hoplite, the captain, etc)

Anyone else got any ideas?

 

[bedir than]

Just a second background, but from a militaristic list

 

[Horwath]

d12 hit die.

option at 1st level to exchange heavy armor proficiency for an extra skill. Not everyone wants to be a tank.

copy/paste rogue's scout subclass as fighters subclass.

EK's extra attack feature modified to Bladesingers extra attack.

 

[Minigiant]

Sublclasses/Fighting styles that hint to trained heightened senses and muscle control

Feat Trees that hint to various Tier 3 and Tier 4 representations of Fighters in various medium (movies, comics, cartoons, legends, anime)

 

[CreamCloud0]

I’m just going to throw down my ‘standard fighter improvement ideas’ and see if anyone likes anything, (I don’t mean give the fighter all of these at once they’re just ideas)
-Fighters gain advantage/proficiency on any task directly associated with their background
-Fighters can spend the duration of a rest to train someone or be trained by another character themselves to have temporary proficiency in any skill they possess, It lasts for say 6 hours for a short rest, 24 for long.
-Fighters can treat any melee weapon as if it has the thrown property
-Fighters have expertise instead of proficiency for to-hit rolls with weapons
-The size of a weapon’s damage die increases by 1 when used by a fighter
-The Fighter gets an additional +1 ASI when they take any feat that isn’t already a half-feat
-The Fighter provides additional/better advantages to allies in combat from their positioning
-The Fighter has bonus effects or abilities for each weapon like stunning with a quaterstaff or shooting a flying enemy out the air with a bow
-Fighters gain low level regen while under half health, a d4 per turn, maybe d6 and 8 at higher levels
-Fighters can expend an extra attack to gain advantage on an attack roll
-Fighter’s weapon damage bypasses resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning/slashing/piercing

 

[Horwath]

I’m just going to throw down my ‘standard fighter improvement ideas’ and see if anyone likes anything, (I don’t mean give the fighter all of these at once they’re just ideas)
-Fighters gain advantage/proficiency on any task directly associated with their background

this could be done for all characters, there is nothing here that should be fighter exclusive

-Fighters can spend the duration of a rest to train someone or be trained by another character themselves to have temporary proficiency in any skill they possess, It lasts for say 6 hours for a short rest, 24 for long.

same as above.

-Fighters can treat any melee weapon as if it has the thrown property

this is interesting. I would limit it to 1Handed weapons only. 20/60ft range

-Fighters have expertise instead of proficiency for to-hit rolls with weapons

Big no-no. completely breaks bounded accuracy. I would rather have proficiency bonus to damage.

-The size of a weapon’s damage die increases by 1 when used by a fighter

solved with example above.

-The Fighter gets an additional +1 ASI when they take any feat that isn’t already a half-feat

every character is starved of feats, but fighters are least affected as the get an extra at 6th level.
giving all characters feat at 1st level solves most problems.

-The Fighter provides additional/better advantages to allies in combat from their positioning

this can be good solution.
I.E. fighter can use reaction to give advantage to next attack vs a target that fighter threatens.

-The Fighter has bonus effects or abilities for each weapon like stunning with a quaterstaff or shooting a flying enemy out the air with a bow

this should be some kind of subclass feature or general feat to take.

-Fighters gain low level regen while under half health, a d4 per turn, maybe d6 and 8 at higher levels

I would rather see more usage of second wind per level.

-Fighters can expend an extra attack to gain advantage on an attack roll

yes

-Fighter’s weapon damage bypasses resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning/slashing/piercing

Maybe with limited usage. like prof bonus/long rest.

 

[Quartz]

I would like to see increased use of the Proficiency Bonus as a stat modifier substitute. For example, from my own revised Fighter:

(1st level) Defensive Bonus: your base Armour Class can become 10 + Armour + Defensive Bonus. Your Defensive Bonus is the lower of your Proficiency Bonus or your levels in the Fighter class and is limited by armour as your Dex bonus is (e.g. max of +2 with Medium Armour, +3 with feat). You may add to your AC with a shield, Fighting Styles, magic, and the like. Your Defensive Bonus may not be used with Unarmoured Defence. If your Dex is superior to your Defensive Bonus then you may use Dex in your AC calculation as normal.

(5th level) Combat Readiness: you may use your Proficiency Bonus instead of any other stat bonus when calculating initiative. Feats are cumulative with this.

(12th level) Sixth Sense: at 12th level your base passive Wisdom (Perception) scores become the better of 10 + Proficiency Bonus or 10 + Wisdom modifier and you may use your Proficiency Bonus instead of your Wisdom modifier when making active Wisdom (Perception) rolls. Feats are cumulative with this.

 

[CreamCloud0]

this could be done for all characters, there is nothing here that should be fighter exclusive

same as above.

Big no-no. completely breaks bounded accuracy. I would rather have proficiency bonus to damage.

solved with example above.

every character is starved of feats, but fighters are least affected as the get an extra at 6th level.
giving all characters feat at 1st level solves most problems.

this should be some kind of subclass feature or general feat to take.

Maybe with limited usage. like prof bonus/long rest.

Most of my responses to these boil down to ‘Maybe true, but IMO the fighter needs more ways to express their capacity for skill so give it to them anyway, The fighter might not have much but dang if they aren’t the best at doing what they do and that’s fighting, they’re not just competent because let’s face it: all classes are competent in battle, but the fighter should excel at it, I don’t care that weapon expertise would break bounded accuracy because if any class should be the one to consistently be able to hit targets over and over then that’s the fighter, and while people joke that ‘any old village idiot can pick up a sword, put on some armour and presto! You have yourself a fighter’ but most of the thematic depictions of fighters are soldiers, generals even, guards, warriors, people who are trained and competent, not just common thugs, if you want a brute the barbarian is right there.
(okay sorry rant over now)

this is interesting. I would limit it to 1Handed weapons only. 20/60ft range

I wouldn’t limit it to 1-handed weapons myself but chunkier weapons would definitely have a more limited range than lighter ones, additionally i might boost the range of existing thrown weapons by 50%

I would rather see more usage of second wind per level.

I like that it’s a passive bonus myself, though you could increase the uses of second wind too just not by as much if you had both, I think it’s just a matter of preference which you would rather have.

 

[DND_Reborn]

One feature I like for fighters is this:

Consistent Attack: when you take an action other than the Attack or Cast a Spell action on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make one weapon attack.

This allows fighters to do all sort of other things and still get an attack in! I have seen this feature allow fighters to increase their mobility (disengage), combat tactics (helping an ally), defense (dodge), utility (use an object), and preparedness (ready).

I've also been thinking about making Second Wind a recharge feature (because I love the recharge mechanic ).

 

[Quartz]

Consistent Attack: when you take an action other than the Attack or Cast a Spell action on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make one weapon attack.

I love this! At what level would you give this? I'm thinking levels 3 or 5.