D&D 5E Suggestions about making crusher, piercer, and slasher full feats

[Nikosandros]

Crusher, piercer and slasher are three feats from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. They are "half-feats" in that they give a +1 stat bonus in addition to other benefits. As anyone considered doing variants of them which are "full feats", i.e. with no stat bonus, but increased benefits?

 

[Blue]

Not really. I'm kinda against weapon-specific feat since 3.x when it would lock players in. Here it gives an always-useful bonus (the +1 ability score) and limited part which may not always apply. Removing the generally applicable bonus and strengthening the limited bonus gives more lock-in to a particular damage type.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'm against about 90% of the material in Tasha's, including the feats. However, in the interest of trying to be helpful, I'll review them and update my post if/when I get any ideas.

Also, I prefer half-feats (FWIW) just because that way they aren't quite as powerful in their feature and offer an ASI +1 so I don't feel like they are competing as much with my ASI +2 when I get it.

OK, here we go:

For sake of ease, I like to quote the feats here for review first:

Frankly, this is already really strong, even if you remove the ASI. Being able to move a target with no action cost (since you're already attacking) and without allowing a save is very strong IMO. You can effectively fight a single creature, hit it, and then move away without provoking OA.

Suppose your Crusher ("C") hits a target ("T"), pushing them back 5 feet. Then you move 30 feet away. Now, T must dash to reach you 35 feet away, so it can't attack. On your next turn, you rinse and repeat.

I now such a scenario isn't likely to happen a lot, but the fact is it CAN happen. If the feature included a saving throw, then it would be different---but it doesn't.

So, a fairly weak (and probably mostly useless idea...) would be the feat allows you to use any weapon that deals bludgeoning damage with proficiency. You could also do a similar thing for the other feats.

Rerolling the damage is strong (not as strong as Crusher) and more applicable on every round. Now, in the hands of a rogue or paladin, the extra dice would be included--so if you roll a bad sneak attack or smite, that is nice.

An idea for these feats would also be when you take weapon damage of the same type, you can use your reaction to gain resistance for that attack? I could easily see this with piercing, in the idea you "semi-dodge", but it could work for the others maybe.

Reducing a target's speed is potentially useful as well.

And a point I want to make is that all of these features are once per turn. Which means you can benefit from them on another creature's turn if you get an OA. That is incredibly useful for many classes, but rogue and monks come to mind. Throw in feats and features which can grant you OAs and you get to double-down on these options.

Frankly, I would probably remove the ASI +1s from all these feats and maybe THEN allow them into my game. Otherwise, they are too strong IMO for my game (but that is a common issue with most of the material in Tasha's....).

Anyway, hope this gives you some food for thought and good luck.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Maybe add an increased critical range?
Or a bullet-point that let's you trade advantage for another benefit (extra damage die?) before you make an attack roll with the right weapon type?

 

[Professor Murder]

I will say from experience that a Crit from Crusher is an encounter ender.

 

[Quickleaf]

These are some homebrew I incorporated into my fighter class redesign, based on BD&D weapon specialization and Baldur's Gate 3 "weapon powers"... You could certainly incorporate them into the feats you mentioned instead...

Cleave
When you wield a battleaxe, glaive, great sword, greataxe, halberd, or longsword, you can use an Action to make a Cleave attack. You make a melee attack with the weapon against two creatures both within your reach, using one attack roll and comparing it to both the creature’s ACs. However, after making a Cleave attack you cannot use a reaction until the start of your next turn.

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, you may attack three creatures within your reach when using Cleave. When you reach 11th level as a fighter, you may attack four creatures within your reach when using Cleave. When you reach 17th level as a fighter, you may attack five creatures within your reach when using Cleave.

Pin Down
When you wield a hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, longbow, or short bow, you can use an Action to make a Pin Down attack. A creature you hit takes damage as normal and has its speed reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. #

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, you reduce the creature’s speed by 20 feet. At 11th level as a fighter, you reduce the creature’s speed by 30 feet. At 17th level as a fighter, you reduce the creature’s speed by 40 feet. If this reduces its speed below 0, then it takes the remainder as piercing damage.

Rush
When you wield a javelin, lance, pike, spear, or trident, you can use an Action to make a Rush attack. Move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and make a melee attack with your weapon against two creatures that you pass within reach of. If you do not have 20 feet of movement left, or cannot move 20 feet (e.g. due to difficult terrain), you cannot use make a Rush attack.

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, you may attack three creatures along your path when using Rush. When you reach 11th level as a fighter, you may attack four creatures along your path when using Rush. When you reach 17th level as a fighter, you may attack five creatures along your path when using Rush.

Slash
When you wield a dagger, handaxe, rapier, scimitar, shortsword, or sickle, you can use an Action to make a Slash attack. A creature hit takes damage as normal, but starts bleeding, taking 1d4 damage of the same type at the start of its next turn. If the creature receives magical healing or a creature uses an action to make a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check to staunch the blood, it is no longer bleeding. However, if you miss on a Slash attack, the target gains advantage on its next attack against you before the end of its next turn.

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, the creature continues bleeding until it succeeds a Constitution saving throw at the end of its turn. The DC of this save is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Strength modifier. At 11th level as a fighter, increase the bleeding damage to 1d6. At 17th level as a fighter, conventional Medicine will no longer staunch the flow of blood.

Smash
When you wield a club, great club, light hammer, mace, maul, morningstar, warhammer, or war pick, you can use an Action to make a Smash attack. Add twice your Strength modifier to the damage of your attack. However, reduce your place in initiative by -5. If this would reduce your initiative below 0, you cannot make a Smash attack.

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, add three times your Strength modifier to the attack’s damage. At 11th level as a fighter, add four times your Strength modifier. At 17th level as a fighter, add five times your Strength modifier.

Topple
When you wield a flail, quarterstaff or whip, you can use an Action to make a Topple attack. If you hit the target, as a bonus action you can make a Shove attempt to knock it prone.

When you reach 5th level as a fighter, the target takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage when knocked prone. When you reach 11th level as a fighter, increase the damage the target takes when knocked prone to 2d6 and rising from prone after being toppled requires all of the target’s movement (not half). When you reach 17th level as a fighter, increase the damage the target takes when knocked prone to 3d6 and if the creature rises from prone before the end of its next turn, it provokes opportunity attacks.

 

[Ancalagon]

.

An idea for these feats would also be when you take weapon damage of the same type, you can use your reaction to gain resistance for that attack? I could easily see this with piercing, in the idea you "semi-dodge", but it could work for the others maybe.

I really like the idea, but it would make the feat less attractive to rogues, who already have this ability at level 5.

 

[Li Shenron]

I dislike half-feats and I don't know what these ones do, but logic would suggest that if they really are worth half a feat, then you could allow taking two half-feats instead of one if you give up both ASIs.

But then, is the benefit really worth half a feat? I have the feeling that the +1 ASI on half feats is somewhat less than the other benefit.

 

[Horwath]

I'm that all feats be half feats, with floating +1 ASI.

Well, I'm for having separate resource pool for ASI, combat feats and social/exploration feats.

without having that, having all feats as half feats with floating +1 ASI is a good middle ground.

See: Telekinetic feat from Tasha's:
That is probably best designed(does not mean best overall of most powerful) feat in 5E.
It gives a +1 to one of 3 stats. It gives small social/exploration bonus and small combat bonus.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'm that all feats be half feats, with floating +1 ASI.

Agreed, although I don't care whether the ASI floats, is limited to a few choices (like Telekinetic), or set to one ability.

See: Telekinetic feat from Tasha's:
That is probably best designed(does not mean best overall of most powerful) feat in 5E.
It gives a +1 to one of 3 stats. It gives small social/exploration bonus and small combat bonus.

And the saving throw for the bonus action is what I was talking about the Crusher. Crusher allows you to move a target with no save allowed, and without an additional action cost.

Thematically, with Telekinetic, I would have been a nice combat feature if you could use mage hand as a d4 or d6 combat cantrip. You would be "punching" your foe for force damage, or maybe even use it to make a grapple as well as a shove?