Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 6266330" data-attributes="member: 66434">Assuming a sword & board fighter and a great weapon fighter have comparable chances to hit, which (everything else being equal) they should, the issue becomes one of the worth of greater damage on a hit vs giving up the AC bonus of a shield. A key balance point is the valuation of that point of AC. If the relative miss chances are the same for both fighters the question becomes one of : how much more damage on a hit should a great weapon fighter get to compensate for losing that AC? Personally, I don't think a 1d12 vs a 1d8 is enough of an edge to make giving up that AC a good choice, especially at low levels where that point of AC mitigating incoming damage is more vital.  What if base damage for a greatsword in the hands of a GWF was 2d8? Now we are getting into a damage range that makes the GWF an attractive option even with an equal hit rate to the SWF. Let the specialist get more damage from the weapon than anyone else. Missing just as often as the SWF is more bearable when you really blow stuff up REAL good when you hit. I prefer a better benefit to success over a booby prize for failure any day.</blockquote>