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

[Ashrym]

weapon masteries should have been "battlemaster's maneuvers light" feature, but that was probably too "complicated" for all. Fighter had similar at higher levels.

So, what should have been:
Learn a mastery, apply it to attack with any weapon that qualifies for it.

I.E:

Slow: apply to all weapons
Push: apply to all weapons
Vex: apply to all light, finesse or ranged weapons
Nick: apply to all light weapons
Cleave: apply to all melee 2Handed or Versatile weapons
Graze: apply to all melee 2Handed or Versatile weapons
Topple: apply to all 2Handed or Versatile weapons
Sap: apply to all 1Handed melee weapons
Flex(yes that one): apply to all Versatile weapons.
Flex(improved): increase Versatile damage die by one step(d8->d10, d10->d12) and use that damage even when fighting with Versatile weapon with one hand

now when you hit(or in case of miss with Graze) you can apply ONE mastery you know and if the weapon applies to your attack.

Fighter's feature can be that you can later on apply 2 masteries at once with a single attack.

I don't think it's that far off now. It's just level-gated with tactical master at 9th level for fighters. The choice of push, sap, slow, or the default weapon mastery trait guarantees 3-4 options on any weapon per attack, plus weapon swaps between attacks. An 11th level fighter with 3 attacks can use 6 out 8 weapon masteries on their turn that way. 7 with TWF, which is all of them by ignoring nick since nick is only relevant on a turn where the fighter needs to maintain the bonus action.

While multiple weapon masteries cannot be used in a single attack those extra attacks add up to using a lot. And battle master maneuvers are also limited to 1 per attack so the base feature shouldn't exceed the improved version. Battle masters are not, however, limited to either / or. They can use 2 effects per attack already that way.

By 11th level that's 7 maneuvers added to those weapon masteries running on 5 superiority dice per short rest. At 15th level that's 9 maneuvers with 6 superiority dice and the ability to use any of those maneuvers for free on a d8 instead of spending a die. It's 2 effects every attack at 3 attacks on that turn.

Keeping a conservative 4 weapon mastery options with 3 attacks not swapping weapons on the base class seems respectable. WotC probably could have developed it more, but I think it's reasonable where it's at, tbf. Just don't hand that out to every spellcaster who wants moar stuffs. ;-)