D&D (2024) Should full casters and Monks have one weapon mastery?

[ECMO3]

After playing 2024 for a couple months I am thinking about giving full casters each one weapon mastery. There are two reasons for this.

First Truestrike is the most common Cantrip I am seeing cast in combat now, but it is not doing the cool effects that martials are doing with attacking (or using Truestrike).

Second the Gish classes seem really gimped and a little less dynamic in melee. Valor Bards are super powerful and lots of Clerics and Bladelocks are pretty effective in melee too, but something is missing compared to the martials. Something is missing for Monks too. The end result is the casters end up taking a Paladin or Ranger level anyway for the mastery, without losing a spell slot.

If I kept it to one single mastery the martials would still have more weapons, so I don't feel like it would step on their toes much.

Thoughts?

 

[Ashrym]

After playing 2024 for a couple months I am thinking about giving full casters each one weapon mastery.

Are you also thinking of giving full martials more spells?

First Truestrike is the most common Cantrip I am seeing cast in combat now, but it is not doing the cool effects that martials are doing with attacking (or using Truestrike).

Simpsons voice "Won't someone please think of the poor spellcasters?"

Second the Gish classes seem really gimped and a little less dynamic in melee. Valor Bards are super powerful and lots of Clerics and Bladelocks are pretty effective in melee too, but something is missing compared to the martials. Something is missing for Monks too. The end result is the casters end up taking a Paladin or Ranger level anyway for the mastery, without losing a spell slot.

I don't share that same experience. But I have to ask why you're impression of gishes being less dynamic in melee compare to martials would require giving them the martials' toys. Just take the feat.

Or continue to multiclass and slow down access to that higher level spell slot that's getting ignored anyway?

If I kept it to one single mastery the martials would still have more weapons, so I don't feel like it would step on their toes much.

Seems to me like they should keep it simple and just take the feat. Or continue to multiclass as an alternative solution. Why create a solution to something that's already resolved?

Thoughts?

I'm not on board with "give martial toys to casters". Casters have enough toys and two methods (multiclass or feat) to do this already if they want it.

 

[Vaalingrade]

No.

No.

A thousand times no!

The casters have taken so much from martials, let them have this trickle of a thing to themselves.

 

[ECMO3]

Are you also thinking of giving full martials more spells?

Yes, I would be ok with that. Take characters with no spells at all and give them a few spells.

Also let's be real here, 2 of the 5 martial classes that get weapon masteries also get spells and there are subclasses available which provide on those 3 classes that don't.

So it is not like martials don't have access to spells without taking feats. They do, but I am all for giving a few spells to those few that don't have it.

I don't share that same experience. But I have to ask why you're impression of gishes being less dynamic in melee compare to martials would require giving them the martials' toys. Just take the feat.

I have seen Monks take the feat, but most Gish characters want to boost their casting stat.

I'm not on board with "give martial toys to casters". Casters have enough toys and two methods (multiclass or feat) to do this already if they want it.

I really don't think martials should have core unique things WRT weapons that no one else gets. I just think it is kind of off that my Warlock who has a pact weapon, who focuses on that explicitly, can't do the same cool things with it a Fighter or Paladin could do.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I really don't think martials should have core unique things WRT weapons that no one else gets.

Why not?

Why should spellcasters be the only classes that get core unique features?

Especially since there is an existing feat--Weapon Master--which gives you the mastery property for one weapon. Just as there is an existing feat (several, actually) which will let you cast a small number of spells.

That said, I could see room for very slightly improving the high-level Blade Warlock by modifying the "you can attack 3x with your pact weapon" by saying that you can pick one specific weapon type and get its mastery property. It would be way broken to let you pick any property of any pact weapon you conjure (and make you a better weapon-user than a Fighter). Getting one property that you can apply if your pact weapon matches that type would be quite reasonable, and if it's saved for high level, it still reserves those features for martial characters for a long time.

Perhaps it could be that you pick one mastery property when you summon the blade the first time each day, since the Weapon Master feat lets you change your mastery property with each Long Rest.

 

[Clint_L]

For balance purposes, no. For narrative purposes, no. While martial classes are mastering their weapons and armour, full casting classes are mastering their magic.

You could make a much stronger case for monks, but they are already OP in 2024.

 

[Mort]

After playing 2024 for a couple months I am thinking about giving full casters each one weapon mastery. There are two reasons for this.

First Truestrike is the most common Cantrip I am seeing cast in combat now, but it is not doing the cool effects that martials are doing with attacking (or using Truestrike).

Casters have all sorts of ways to do "cool effects."

Monks now have plenty too.

Second the Gish classes seem really gimped and a little less dynamic in melee. Valor Bards are super powerful and lots of Clerics and Bladelocks are pretty effective in melee too, but something is missing compared to the martials. Something is missing for Monks too. The end result is the casters end up taking a Paladin or Ranger level anyway for the mastery, without losing a spell slot.

Haven't seen that at all. Weapon masteries are something martials get to have their own cool thing. Casters don't need it at all.

Monks now have decent amounts of cool things to do, they don't need weapon masteries.

If I kept it to one single mastery the martials would still have more weapons, so I don't feel like it would step on their toes much.

Thoughts?

Of course it would. The casters can do their thing and ALSO do the martials cool thing? Yeah that's stepping on toes and unnecessary.

So no, I wouldn't support giving casters even one weapon mastery.

Thematically, it might be appropriate for monks, but they have enough cool things now. No need to gild the lily.

 

[Scribe]

Full Casters should not get a Weapon Mastery outside of special cases, like subclasses that are more martial.

Bards, should not be Full Casters either.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Thoughts?

I could see a good argument for Monks, but not the rest. Certainly at least for Kensei subclass, I'm sure that subclass will have weapon masteries if it gets updated

 

[Horwath]

No by default.
yes via feat.

Feat: martial adept(modified)

+ ASI
gain 1 fighting style
gain 1 weapon mastery(yes, I know that there is a feat for this, but it's horrible)

or lose +1 ASI and make it origin feat.