Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6778744" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Especially if you compare the -5/+10 to the unmodified attack of someone who spent their ASI on +2 to Str instead of GWM. 5th level fighter with 18 Str and GWM attacking an AC 15 Gargoyle (+2 for 2d6+14): will average 17.5 DPR. 5th level fighter with 20 Str attacking an AC 15 Gargoyle (+8 for 2d6+5): will average 17.5 DPR. No difference.What GWM does do is make the game more tactically interesting, because the ability to convert accuracy into power opens up options such as assigning one PC to catch enemies in a net (with Help from the wizard's familiar to offset disadvantage) in order to grant advantage to the GWMer. The GWMer's damage goes up to 28.25 against a restrained foe, whereas the 20 Str guy's damage only goes up to 23.21. Either way you're trading off one or more rounds of attacks from your buddy to get a chance of boosting the fighter's damage; GWM makes it more likely that that tradeoff will pay off.Sharpshooter also makes the game more tactically interesting, but in a different way. You plan lines of sight and set ambushes before combat to try to draw the enemy onto a prepared position with Sharpshooter overwatch. You try to ensure that that prepared position has a clear field of fire (no partial cover for the enemy) and ideally a nice slope to make it difficult terrain for them while approaching. They can still partially counter Sharpshooter by dropping prone, but that makes them take twice as long to approach, which makes them take more damage from all the other non-Sharpshooter soldiers/PCs you have, so it's a tradeoff--and a tradeoff which they probably aren't even aware they have to make. Probably the enemy isn't going to drop prone at all at long range, they're just going to charge.I'm going to quote General Buford from Gettysburg here because it's an awesome monologue which also seems appropriate:When I play 5E, I try to set things up so that the PCs can either be Lee or Buford, depending on how quickly they react and how well they plan. Sharpshooter is just one element of the complexity but it's a welcome addition.</blockquote>

Verification