D&D 5E Optional Variant Features for Fighters

[niklinna]

Alternate idea - the "concentration" slot is rather empty for martials. Why not create some standard bonus action "stances" anyone can do, that last until you lose Concentration.

That's interesting, but tricky. One of your main jobs as a fighter is to take hits, so you'll likely be rolling concentration saves multiple times per round. Could bog things down.

 

[CreamCloud0]

What if there was a Fighter Suclass for each type of Media

How about these?

Action Movie Fighter

• Bullet Time
• Fisticuffs
• One Liner
• ????
• ????

-‘Lock and Load Montage’ re-equip
- call-back/set up and pay off/chekov’s gun

Anime/Mange Fighter

• Flash Step
• Afterimage
• Power of Friendship
• ????
• ????

-super mode transformation
-supersize weapon
-mascot companion mentor

Fantasy Novel Fighter

• Special Lineage
• Leader of Men
• ????
• ????
• ????

-prophesied showdown against evil
-protective/utility magic
-‘plot’ dreams and visions

Western Cartoon Fighter

• Fated Magic Sword
• Parry Magic
• ????
• ????
• ????

- 5-man band allies
-superspeed
-elemental archetype

Video Game Fighter

• Double Jump
• Air Combo
• ????
• ????
• ????

-dodge roll/super guard
-sword beam
-arsenal of ‘puzzle’ items/tools

 

[jmartkdr2]

That's interesting, but tricky. One of your main jobs as a fighter is to take hits, so you'll likely be rolling concentration saves multiple times per round. Could bog things down.

Maybe stances take up your "concentration slot' but aren't lost to damage (unless you're knocked unconscious or otherwise incapacitated)? Kind of like rage does, but with more options.

 

[Minigiant]

Lock and Load Montage’ re-equip
- call-back/set up and pay off/chekov’s gun

Action Movie Fighter

Bullet Time
At level 3, when you use an Action Surge to Attack or Dash you have +2 to attack roll and +30ft to your walking speed.

One liner
At the 3rd level, you have advantage on Charisma checks to change a person's attitude towards you.

Locked and Loaded
At level 7, when you take a long rest you gain temporary HP equal to twice your fighter level and and up to 1000 gp of your equipment is restored to your inventory.

Fisticuffs
At level 7, you gain the Unarmed Fighting fighting style. If you already have those style, choose another fighting style available to fighters.

Call Back
At the 10th level, you can make any unique or hard to find item of value less than 1000 go appear within 20 feet of you. You cannot sell the item and it disappears within 24 hour unless you encounter it's rightful owner or place of origin. You cannot do this again until you take a short rest

15th and 18th level Action Movie Hero stuff?

 

[CreamCloud0]

Fisticuffs
At level 7, you gain the Unarmed Fighting fighting style. If you already have those style, choose another fighting style available to fighters.

Personally I’d also have this include something about having ‘improved improvised weapons’ too.

One liner
At the 3rd level, you have advantage on Charisma checks to change a person's attitude towards you.

Locked and Loaded
At level 7, when you take a long rest you gain temporary HP equal to twice your fighter level and and up to 1000 gp of your equipment is restored to your inventory.

One liner I’d imagined more as something like a called shot ability or a one time auto crit if you manage to hit the target after making your line, having bonus damage based on a charisma check? The one liner IMO is something dropped before the hero takes out someone spectacularly.

Locked and loaded my version is closer to yours than one liner, ‘when at an armoury or any other place where gear can be purchased, acquired or found the fighter can swap any of their gear with anything available of equable value(or go for more expensive gear by supplementing with gold), if any gear has been recently lost or destroyed in the last adventure half of its monetary value is added to the total of what the fighter can exchange for, consumable items have 33% more added when ‘purchased’ (buy 3 potions and you’ll get a fourth free) during this.

But that’s just my interpretations

 

[Minigiant]

Personally I’d also have this include something about having ‘improved improvised weapons’ too.

Fisticuffs
Your unarmed strikes and weapon attacks with improvised weapons can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any manufactured weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8

One liner
I’d imagined more as something like a called shot ability or a one time auto crit if you manage to hit the target after making your line, having bonus damage based on a charisma check? The one liner IMO is something dropped before the hero takes out someone spectacularly.

One liner
At the 3rd level, you have advantage on Charisma checks to change a person's attitude towards you.
In addition when you make a critical hit, you can add your Charisma modifier twice to your damage roll.

My cousin suggested this

Die Hard
At the 15th level, the first time you roll a death save for a day, you can treat the roll as a 20.

 

[bedir than]

I'm about to start a new campaign, so I'm looking for minor buffs to the fighter.
I think prof. bonus to damage is very simple and easy to remember. Added.
I'll do my standard bonus background for something "fightery" like soldier to help in social & exploration.
I think Consistent attack makes a lot of sense with the 5th level requirement.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm about to start a new campaign, so I'm looking for minor buffs to the fighter.
I think prof. bonus to damage is very simple and easy to remember. Added.
I'll do my standard bonus background for something "fightery" like soldier to help in social & exploration.
I think Consistent attack makes a lot of sense with the 5th level requirement.

Consider these replacement features.

Heroic Action
You can act tactically in the moment to change the course of a situation. At the end of your or another creature's turn, you can take an action as if it were your turn, with some restrictions. If you use the Attack Action, you can make one attack or use an ability that is used in place of one attack. The Cast a Spell Action, or special actions granted by other class features that normally use an action costs 2 Heroic Actions.
During another creature's turn, you can instead use an ability that normally requires a reaction without spending your reaction for the round.

You cannot use this ability during or at the end of a turn in which you use your reaction.

Finally, you can use this feature to push harder and get more out of a single action, instead of taking an additional action. After you roll an ability, but before you know the result of the ability check, you can use a Heroic Action to roll a d10, and add the result to the check. When you roll to deal damage to any target, you can use a Heroic Action to add a d10 to the damage roll.

You can do this 2 times, or a number of times equal to half your fighter level, rounded down, whichever is higher. You regain all uses of this feature when you finish a long rest. At level 17 you gain the ability to regain all your spent Heroic Actions by spending 1 minute catching your breath, and regain the ability to do so when you complete a long rest.

This ability replaces the Action Surge class feature.

Heroic Determination
When you fail an ability check or saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you complete a long rest.

This feature replaces Indomitable.


design notes: These changes make the fighter capable of just gritting their teeth and pushing harder than others can, and just getting the damn job done. You lose attacks compared to Action Surge eventually, but gain a lot more versatility and freedom. Especially being able to use it to add a die to damage after rolling to hit, which will allow you to save it for crits, or for when you really need it. Very nice for Champions, while the "use 2 actions to cast a spell" function is really sweet for Eldritch Knights. Consider limiting it to cantrips, though, and giving the EK a level 7 boost that lets them cast leveled spells with it.

I considered using proficiency bonus for the number, but it lost way too much compared to action surge unless you also bring in the "minute breather" regain at a much lower level, and that added complexity feels more like a high level thing.

An alternate I'd consider is to give only the d10 die at level 2, and have the extra action usage come online at level 5, to reduce "dipping".

With Heroic Determination, we all know Indomitable sucks, and this again lets you just use it to succeed in a wider range of key situations, in a way no other class can duplicate.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'd also consider a level 11 buff that lets you use a Heroic Action to add to the healing from Second Wind. Maybe even lower level than that, but idk.

Forgot to put in language that specifies that you can only use one Heroic Action per turn.

 

[bedir than]

Consider these replacement features.

Heroic Action
You can act tactically in the moment to change the course of a situation. At the end of your or another creature's turn, you can take an action as if it were your turn, with some restrictions. If you use the Attack Action, you can make one attack or use an ability that is used in place of one attack. The Cast a Spell Action, or special actions granted by other class features that normally use an action costs 2 Heroic Actions.
During another creature's turn, you can instead use an ability that normally requires a reaction without spending your reaction for the round.

You cannot use this ability during or at the end of a turn in which you use your reaction.

Finally, you can use this feature to push harder and get more out of a single action, instead of taking an additional action. After you roll an ability, but before you know the result of the ability check, you can use a Heroic Action to roll a d10, and add the result to the check. When you roll to deal damage to any target, you can use a Heroic Action to add a d10 to the damage roll.

You can do this 2 times, or a number of times equal to half your fighter level, rounded down, whichever is higher. You regain all uses of this feature when you finish a long rest. At level 17 you gain the ability to regain all your spent Heroic Actions by spending 1 minute catching your breath, and regain the ability to do so when you complete a long rest.

This ability replaces the Action Surge class feature.

Heroic Determination
When you fail an ability check or saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you complete a long rest.

This feature replaces Indomitable.


design notes: These changes make the fighter capable of just gritting their teeth and pushing harder than others can, and just getting the damn job done. You lose attacks compared to Action Surge eventually, but gain a lot more versatility and freedom. Especially being able to use it to add a die to damage after rolling to hit, which will allow you to save it for crits, or for when you really need it. Very nice for Champions, while the "use 2 actions to cast a spell" function is really sweet for Eldritch Knights. Consider limiting it to cantrips, though, and giving the EK a level 7 boost that lets them cast leveled spells with it.

I considered using proficiency bonus for the number, but it lost way too much compared to action surge unless you also bring in the "minute breather" regain at a much lower level, and that added complexity feels more like a high level thing.

An alternate I'd consider is to give only the d10 die at level 2, and have the extra action usage come online at level 5, to reduce "dipping".

With Heroic Determination, we all know Indomitable sucks, and this again lets you just use it to succeed in a wider range of key situations, in a way no other class can duplicate.

I appreciate, but I expect this to peter-out around 7th level or so