D&D (2024) The Battle Master Paradigm

[Tony Vargas]

What if we moved those 3 maneuvers to higher level?

No precision strike or riposte till level 10.

then the sub-class would be worse, hardly something a 5e fighter needs.

 

[Vaalingrade]

What if we moved those 3 maneuvers to higher level?

No precision strike or riposte till level 10.

The existing maneuvers are at the correct level. There need to be higher level ones, not making the same mistake they keep making and putting mid-to-low level abilities on a needlessly high shelf.

 

[mellored]

The existing maneuvers are at the correct level. There need to be higher level ones,

Such as?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Only on EnWorld do you get a thread complaining that Battlemasters aren't good enough.

Do you have a counter-point that can point to anything past level 3 that isn't relentless? Can you explain why +1 to maneuver dice is worth an 18th level feature when, well, do I need to list all of the abilities from 14th to 18th level?

 

[Chaosmancer]

I still plant my flag on the hill that WotC should:

1) Get rid of Weapon Mastery
2) Get rid of the Battle Master subclass
3) Make the Battle Master's Maneuvers a base Fighter ability.

But, based on this thread, I think I'll add a 4th suggestion:

Either
4a) Make all Maneuvers available from the start, rather than making the Fighter choose 3, then 2 more at levels 7, 10, & 15
or
4b) Make stronger Maneuvers level-gated so the Fighter isn't picking the best upfront, then adding inferior ones later on.

I still prefer changing Weapon Masteries to tactics that can be applied to weapons, same basic concept, just not limited to only working with one weapon at a time.

 

[Chaosmancer]

would like better if they apply to all weapons with that trait not just that SPECIFIC weapon.

fighter can get 9th level feature to apply 2 masteries with single attack.

Agree with both

 

[Tony Vargas]

Such as?

Oh, fun stuff along the lines 3.5 Combat Reflexes (someone provokes an OA, when I already used my Reaction, spend my CS die, and OA them anyway! with a bonus from the die), Great Cleave, Whirlwind Attack, Disarm, maybe 4e exploits like Come & Get It, heck, you could put in some maneuvers to give actual defender support, and, really, with the power levels and mechanics of 5e, some save or be decapitated, type stuff might not be beyond the pale....

 

[Kannik]

Weapon swapping is effectively free now. So you can effectively pick your effect

Kinda... you get a free draw or stow per attack. So if you want to totally swap and are wielding a shield or two handed weapon, unless you want to drop your weapon (and here comes the piles of weapons at your feet imagery...) you can't freely swap between each attack.

As for if it's silly or not... I kinda like it.

Hence me noting that's a whole other conversation.

 

[Pauln6]

So I suppose the question is, are there any changes to Battlemaster that could be made that would not massively unbalance the subclass? Could higher level battlemasters apply rider effects (not damage) to a second attack in the same turn?

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

So I suppose the question is, are there any changes to Battlemaster that could be made that would not massively unbalance the subclass? Could higher level battlemasters apply rider effects (not damage) to a second attack in the same turn?

If you accept the premise that the fighter as a whole is underpowered (which it is), then you could simply buff every subclass without worrying about upsetting anything.