Replacement level 20 ability for Fighters

[Einlanzer0]

I've been thinking about this off and on for a while now. The 4th attack fighters get as their level 20 ability just doesn't sit well with me for a few reasons - mostly that it's twice what other characters get and just feels unrealistic (and yes, I realize other classes have things that compensate).

Has anyone toyed with this any and have any good suggestions of what would be feasible and balanced to replace it with?

 

[Sadras]

You mustn't define level 20 characters as realistic. From some levels earlier the 20th level characters are already beyond normal limitations for whatever reason.

As for possible alternatives to the additional attack....

OPTION 1
Greater Second Wind: You can access your well of stamina to protect yourself during the combat and moments of stress. You may, as your bonus action during combat, spend a HD to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your constitution modifier.

OPTION 2
Gain a Feat

OPTION 3
Select a 3rd level Martial Archetype Feature from any Martial Archetype Feature other than your own.

Hope this helps.

 

[Xeviat]

I've been thinking of moving their 4th attack to level 17 to keep paces it's Warlocks...

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I've been thinking of moving their 4th attack to level 17 to keep paces it's Warlocks...

Yea, I think that makes sense, especially given that if you follow the progression from 5, 11, next one should be logically at 17. I think they did that because they felt that would load 17 to greatly? I don't know.

But most fighter abilities require a short rest. Given that, I might change Indomitable to a short rest ability and cap it at two/short rest, making more room in level 17 for extra attack.

So if we do that, it frees up a spot for a more appropriate capstone ability. But what do we pout there? I feel like capstone abilities should be unique and fairly powerful. Perhaps you could give fighters access to Improved Fighting Styles, which would seriously supe up their fighting style. Additionally, it would be completely unique to the fighter. Other combat oriented classes get fighting styles, but only the fighter would get an Improved Fighting Style.

Now the question is, how do you improve on the given fighting styles. I feel that it needs something more than simply double the bonus granted from the fighting style. This is boring, and would not work for every fighting style (i.e. Protection, Tunnel Fighting).
[MENTION=6688277]Sadras[/MENTION] The idea of Greater Second Wind is interesting. However, at level 20 the regular Second Wind grants 1d10+20 HP. Not to mention, even if we were to change it to + their Con, giving the fighter access to all 20 hit dice to be used during an encounter would make them nearly unstoppable. They could launch 4 attacks while healing themselves all in the same round, every round, for 20 rounds.

 

[Xeviat]

Now the question is, how do you improve on the given fighting styles. I feel that it needs something more than simply double the bonus granted from the fighting style. This is boring, and would not work for every fighting style (i.e. Protection, Tunnel Fighting)..

I like the idea of a greater fighting style. It's be like how fighters used to get Weapon Mastery. I would have preferred if the fighting styles had all been cool things you can do with reactions and bonus actions, but that ship has sailed. As for what they could do, I'd really have to sit down and figure out just how big of a boost the other capstones are for the warrior classes.

 

[Sadras]

Perhaps you could give fighters access to Improved Fighting Styles, which would seriously supe up their fighting style. Additionally, it would be completely unique to the fighter. Other combat oriented classes get fighting styles, but only the fighter would get an Improved Fighting Style.

LOL! Funny enough that was my first idea - but I didn't have the time when I posted to design 'improved fighting styles.' Greater Second Wind was easier to come up with.

@Sadras The idea of Greater Second Wind is interesting. However, at level 20 the regular Second Wind grants 1d10+20 HP. Not to mention, even if we were to change it to + their Con, giving the fighter access to all 20 hit dice to be used during an encounter would make them nearly unstoppable. They could launch 4 attacks while healing themselves all in the same round, every round, for 20 rounds.

Yeah, firstly at the time and as the OP desired, he preferred Fighters to only have 3 attacks a round not 4. To stop them from using all 20HD, you could limit the number of uses per combat OR between rests to a set number or have it based on their combat modifier.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

Ok, so here's what I've come up with.

Fighting Style Mastery
You mastered your particular style of fighting. You gain the benefits below associated with your fighting style. If you have more than one fighting style, you may choose which mastery benefit you gain.

Peerless Archer
Requires the Archery fighting style
Your arrows always sail true and deal maximum damage. Once per round when you make a ranged attack, you can choose to have your attack automatically hit and deal maximum damage. The target must be within the maximum range of your ranged attack. You can choose to use this ability even after you have made your attack roll, but before you know the result of the roll.

Bleeding Wound
Requires Close Quarters Shooter or Dueling fighting style
You are as vicious as you are precise with your use of your attacks, inflicting excruciating, lingering wounds. Whenever you deal damage to a target with the weapon associated with your fighting style, the target takes additional damage at the end of its next turn equal to half the initial damage (rounded up).

Ultimate Defense
Requires the Defense fighting style
You have become a walking fortress. While you are wearing armor, you gain resistance to piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage, even when the damage comes from a magical weapon or source.

Brutal Weapon Fighting
Requires the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style
The thunder in the distance is not from lighting, but the shockwave of your destructive assaults. Whenever you wield a weapon in two hands that has the two-handed or versatile property, you may roll the damage twice and take the best result. If any rolls are a 1 or 2, they are instead considered to be a 3.

Supreme Mariner
Requires the Mariner fighting style
You may hold your breath indefinitely with no ill effect and take half damage from falls. In addition, as long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield your swimming speed and climbing speed equal double your normal speed.

Marvelous Bulwark
Requires the Protection fighting style
You become safety incarnate for those around you. You no longer require a reaction to activate your protection ability. In addition, when a creature you can see successfully attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to halve the damage dealt by the attack. You must be wielding a shield.

Terrible Onslaught
Requires the Tunnel Fighter fighting style
Nobody gets by you unscathed and your weapon flashes and dances in a blur. Opportunity attacks never require you to use your reaction, allowing you to benefit from your Tunnel Fighter ability without entering a defensive stance as a bonus action. In addition, creatures that attempt to move away from you in combat always draw an attack of opportunity, even if they use the disengage action. You can even make opportunity attacks against creatures that have abilities that prevent such attacks, but you make these attacks at disadvantage.

Two-Weapon Master
Requires the Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style
Your grace and speed wielding two weapons is simply unmatched. Whenever you use a bonus action to attack with your offhand weapon, you can make two attacks instead of one.

Some notes:

1) I realize some of these don't have the greatest names. I'm open to suggestions.

2) I couldn't think of one for dueling, so I just paired it with the Close-Quarters Shooter fighting style.

3) In my games, Close-Quarters Shooter has been changed to the following:

Close Quarters Shooter
You are trained in making ranged attacks at close quarters. When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks deal a +2 damage bonus to targets within 30 feet of you.

4) I operate on the basis that the level 20 ability should be quite powerful as well as unique. Please keep this in mind when providing critiques. I would like to have these abilities balanced with the other classes' level 20 abilities. However, I already feel several of them are fairly weak and I'm working to improve those as well.