Level Up (A5E) The Advanced Fighter

[tetrasodium]

I think this is mostly because many games never get to the point where fighters get a 3rd (or even 4th!) attack.

I agree that fighters are pretty good as is. I like the class personally, but I would still like to see something "combat" oriented to really set them "above and beyond" the other warriors in the combat pillar.

Quick thought: What if Fighters could make a weapon attack each round once they have Extra Attack, even if they didn't take the Attack action? If they take the attack action, they get their normal 2-4 attacks.

Another way might be instead of +strength to damage break extra attacks into two abilities like so:

• Martial prowess At first level your skill with melee & ranged weapons is beyond compare. Rather than relying on brute strength & similar, each time you take the attack action against a single target you make a number of attacks equal to half your strength/dex mod rather than adding +STR or DEX to damage. Increase these attacks to half+1 & half+1 at level 10 & whatever
• Extra attack: At 5th level you make an additional set of attacks whenever you take the attack action at a -2 penalty This set of attacks can be against the original or a second target within reach. This scales to a third set of attacks at +4 at level 10 & 4th at - whenever.

Right out of the gate fighters are a whirlwind of strikes & it only keeps going up from there. The loss of +STR is not a notable loss given the number of weapons with better average damage, increased attack chances, & multiplication of magical effects on weapons themselves (which is also why those extra attack attack sets are made at -2/-4/-6 when magic items are almost guaranteed since the two skills are already multiplicative)

 

[CapnZapp]

Yeah, I think we've missed the boat on making those into fighter subclasses

I didn't imply they should be made subclasses.

I'm arguing the opposite - if you want to play a Fighter with exploration abilities, don't complain the Fighter doesn't give that to you, play instead a Ranger!

 

[Phoebasss]

I didn't imply they should be made subclasses.

I'm arguing the opposite - if you want to play a Fighter with exploration abilities, don't complain the Fighter doesn't give that to you, play instead a Ranger!

I'm in agreement, I was just pointing out that it was another route we could have gone down in the past, and that some games have done that. For 5e, I think what I said above is a better solution. Quoted below for convenience.

I think fighter's subclasses should instead provide additional options in combat that other classes can't easily replicate. Which is what feats and battlemaster currently do. Honestly the way UA has gone where every subclass is essentially battlemaster with a different selection of options for superiority dice would be fine. I just don't want battlemaster to be the only fighter subclass with actual class mechanics.

 

[Garthanos]

Level 20 Ultimately Dangerous
In battle it is never safe to be near you"
In addition to the more planned attacks you make. You may launch one additional melee attack against any enemy who becomes adjacent or ends its turn adjacent or is adjacent during their movement.

 

[Tinker-TDC]

+1 to hit for every 3 Fighter levels. You want something that comes online early so you can feel it but that makes it worth it to stay Fighter instead of dipping, right?

 

[Phoebasss]

+1 to hit for every 3 Fighter levels. You want something that comes online early so you can feel it but that makes it worth it to stay Fighter instead of dipping, right?

The main problem with this is that its unfathomably dull.

 

[Garthanos]

The main problem with this is that its unfathomably dull.

Agreed, powerful but boring is also a general opportunity cost ... ie it begs the question "what interesting thing are you giving up for it? "

 

[Stalker0]

The main problem with this is that its unfathomably dull.

Power isn't dull if your only one with it, its just a question of does the bonus deliver the power.

 

[Phoebasss]

Power isn't dull if your only one with it, its just a question of does the bonus deliver the power.

Oh it certainly can be I assure you. And base fighter could really use MORE. More numbers just isn't it.

 

[tetrasodium]

+1 to hit for every 3 Fighter levels. You want something that comes online early so you can feel it but that makes it worth it to stay Fighter instead of dipping, right?

When I first saw this suggestion I felt that @Phoebasss' summary of it as "boring" felt right, but it keeps popping into mythoughts as the discussion around it continues & something clicked. +1 tohit every 3 levels is the same as the difference between 1/1 BaB classes & 2/3 BaB Classes back in 3.5 without the "if a 1/1 class has a chance of missing then a 1/2BaB class can only hit on a 20." problem that existed. The presentation is a bit lacking but mechanically it's a really powerful thing that fits fighter well.