Level Up (A5E) Taking Fatigue/Strife to act while Stunned?

On second thought, why not using an approach similar to the one proposed but changing it so that instead of everything becoming a level of strife/fatigue, it is trasformed into the less severe version of the condition, but the new condition persistes for the rest of the fight?

You use a reaction and transform the condition just suffered into its less severe version, but you suffer the less severe version for the rest of the combat, no other saves allowed, unless another member of the party (or a spell) helps you get rid of it. You can only do so once per condition.

So for example if you get stunned and don't want to risk doing nothing for the rest of the combat (because you can fail the save multiple times), you instead accept being rattled for the rest of it. You'll still be able to contribute to the fight, but not to your full capacity.

This is just a very rough draft, but I think it sidesteps many of the limitations and loss of nuance given by turning everything into strife/fatigue.
 

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Y'know... You could, instead, make this a universal Knack. Something you can take with one of your slots to give it an opportunity cost while making it available to everyone.

I bet you could make a GPG article out of a series of "Universal Knacks" that anyone can take.


New Reaction: Struggle

As a reaction to being under an effect that would normally impair your character at the start of your turn, you may choose to struggle. If your highest attribute is Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution you gain a level of Fatigue. If your highest attribute is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma you gain a level of Strife.

Once you have done so, you are able to act is if you are not under the effects of the Paralyzed or Stunned condition until the end of your turn. If you are under this condition from a spell or effect that grants a saving throw at the end of your turn, you do not make that saving throw.

You may use this reaction a number of times per long rest equal to your highest ability modifier, regaining all uses at the end of a long rest.


Could even make it have slight variations to add class specificity to it. Like Fighters and Barbarians also being able to overcome Frightened, Heralds and Clerics ignoring Poisoned, Bards and Wizards ignoring Charmed... Things like that.
I like this a lot, but if I remember correctly, doesn't the Stunned condition also include Incapacitation, which stops a character from taking actions, bonus actions, and reactions? There'd have to be some finessing this to address that I would think
 

I like this a lot, but if I remember correctly, doesn't the Stunned condition also include Incapacitation, which stops a character from taking actions, bonus actions, and reactions? There'd have to be some finessing this to address that I would think
Specific beats general, in the end. While the Stunned condition applies those effects, this ability specifically allows you to take a reaction while stunned to ignore those effects.

Same with Paralyzed.

That said... might be better to make it a Bonus action. So that on your turn you're limited to action and movement, -and- gain fatigue...
 

That said... might be better to make it a Bonus action. So that on your turn you're limited to action and movement, -and- gain fatigue...
IMO reactions AND bonus action if that's the case- there are lots of martial maneuvers that use your reaction on your character's turn that benefit them later in-between rounds... off the top of my head there's that one that lets you get bonus AC and attack creature(s) that miss you, but iirc the reaction is eaten on your character's turn.
 

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