Level Up (A5E) Strength vs Dexterity imbalance cannot be solved without addressing the Melee vs Ranged Imbalance.

[Undrave]

If you start touching the archer damage you have to touch the caster damage and you have a LOT of work to do as a result...

If, instead, you make melee combatants more valuable, and make Shields better at stopping ranged weapons, you have only a little bit of change to make to rebalance it all.

It doesn't exactly SOLVE Dexterity's primacy as a stat, but it helps... Adding a mother stat to Initiative is also a good idea.

 

[TwoSix]

i disagree. It’s all about how strong class features that interact with those abilities are.

This. Take away Sharpshooter and Archery fighting style and all of a sudden melee is right back on top as the dominant damage-dealing mode.

 

[Haldrik]

i disagree. It’s all about how strong class features that interact with those abilities are.

So many different class features and archetype features and feat features and skill features interact with the abilities in different ways.

It is impossible to fix every single instance.

The only way to balance the abilities, is by balancing the abilities.

 

[coolAlias]

A simple way to address Sharpshooter is by restricting the character to one of the listed benefits per shot, i.e. they can either gain -5/+10, or ignore cover, or shoot long range without disadvantage, but not all of them together.

The feat is then still very good, but also makes cover useful again and the archers don't completely outshine the melee folk.

 

[FrogReaver]

If you start touching the archer damage you have to touch the caster damage and you have a LOT of work to do as a result...

If, instead, you make melee combatants more valuable, and make Shields better at stopping ranged weapons, you have only a little bit of change to make to rebalance it all.

It doesn't exactly SOLVE Dexterity's primacy as a stat, but it helps... Adding a mother stat to Initiative is also a good idea.

why not just drop initiative bonus entirely from dex if that’s an issue? No stat adds it. Only class features and feats?

 

[Horwath]

A simple way to address Sharpshooter is by restricting the character to one of the listed benefits per shot, i.e. they can either gain -5/+10, or ignore cover, or shoot long range without disadvantage, but not all of them together.

The feat is then still very good, but also makes cover useful again and the archers don't completely outshine the melee folk.

make it a half-feat then and it's OK.

 

[Haldrik]

why not just drop initiative bonus entirely from dex if that’s an issue? No stat adds it. Only class features and feats?

Sounds good to me.

Gamewise, characters might make a Perception check to notice anyone approaching, and ready an action accordingly, but otherwise, an initiative bonus seems superfluous.

 

[Haldrik]

This. Take away Sharpshooter and Archery fighting style and all of a sudden melee is right back on top as the dominant damage-dealing mode.

To have features and feats that make range strictly better than melee, seems unwise designwise.

So rethinking Sharpshooter and Archery (or boosting the melee options) seems helpful.

 

[coolAlias]

make it a half-feat then and it's OK.

I think ranged characters would still choose the revised feat regardless, but if you feel it is underpowered, just keep it as originally written.

 

[Minigiant]

This. Take away Sharpshooter and Archery fighting style and all of a sudden melee is right back on top as the dominant damage-dealing mode.

I think that is backward.
Ranged Weapons should be focused on damage as that's all you really can do at range with a weapons.

Instead, there should be more options for defense, control, and utility in melee as you have more control of your weapon.