After playing RPGs for several years and attempting to design my own adventures, RPG systems, and homebrew rules, I've noticed a structural flaw in D&D combat that detracts from the excitement: the suspense curve is inverted. The optimal strategy for a D&D fight is to inflict as much damage as possible early on to quickly kill the monster(s), and the rules make it very easy to do so.
As a result, players tend to use their biggest resources, such as high-level spells and limited-use abilities, as early as possible if they perceive the monster as a threat. They try to avoid using any limited resources if they think the monster(s) pose no threat. This leads to front-loaded (boss) fights where all the big cool stuff happens at the beginning, and if the fight drags on, it devolves into a slugfest where the characters spam cantrips and make normal weapon attacks. The dragon, for example, often gets killed by a normal melee attack or an eldritch blast rather than the lightning bolt or the fighter's eight attacks with their action surge.
This is often less true for monsters, as they usually have recharge abilities for their big attacks.
As a result, the suspense curve for players is inverted because if they don't use the optimal strategy, the fight becomes more challenging for them.
To make (boss) battles more exciting and to encourage players to use bigger abilities later in the fight, we need to change something on the design level. One possible mechanic that came to my mind involves giving classes abilities or feats that charge up during combat. For the first two or three rounds, a character would engage in mundane activities like making normal attacks or using cantrips, charging up their special ability. Then, on round three, they can use their special ability to inflict more damage. They must then recharge again. This would create a dynamic where the fight starts small and ends big, rather than vice versa.
I have provided some examples as a proof of concept, but they are not perfect or balanced yet. They are merely intended to illustrate what I envision:
Fighter:
So, let's say a fighter has a special attack called Coup de Grace. It is a special attack, that targets a weakness of a creature, doing double the damage on a hit.
It would read something like that as rules:
Charges:
When you just take the normal attack action (including extra attacks) on your turn, you get a charge point (name is up for debate). You can accumulate charge points up to an maximum equal to your proficiency bonus.
You can spend Charges to activate special abilities as a bonus action:
True Strike (2 Charges):
You studied the movement of your enemy. All the attacks of your next attack action have advantage.
Coup de Grace (3 Charges):
You figured out the weakness of your enemy. You are able to attack the creatures weak spots. Until the beginning of your next turn, that creature is vulnerable (taking double damage) on all attacks from you.
Wizard:
Charges:
When you only cast cantrips on your turn and no leveld spells, you get a charge point (name is up for debate). You can accumulate charge points up to an maximum equal to your proficiency bonus. You can spend Charges to activate special abilities as a bonus action:
Overpowered spell (2 charges):
The next spell you casts counts as a level higher.
Adapted spell (3 charges):
You figured out the vulnerabilities of the enemy creature. It gets vulnerability against the next spell you cast against it.
With such rules in play, without changing anything else, suddenly it makes sense use the big abilities later in the battle and not at the beginning, so you don't start the fight with an explosion but end it in one.
The biggest problem I see so far is, that it collides with Kipoints and sorcery points pretty hard. Especially the sorcery points of the sorcerer take up a similiar design space.
What do you guys and girls think? Is this something feasible? Did somebody try something similiar? Does somebody has developed other solutions?
