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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ccarpent" data-source="post: 9668939" data-attributes="member: 7052702">MY HOUSE RULESElimination of the BATTLEMASTER RELENTLESS feature at level 15:RELENTLESS is meant to make fighters more effective at higher levels. BUT... it UNBALANCES the game and makes Superiority Die and other game features, tactics, strategies and party builds useless or obsolete by turning fighters into invincible blenders, thus encouraging dumb, repetitive and boring full frontal assaults. In a party mix, it is normal for Fighters to be less effective at higher levels. At lower levels, campaign progression relies mostly on fighters with weak spellcasters acting as support, while at higher levels, the reverse is true. This power differential was always naturally built into D&D and is normal. Campaign progression should always rely on a good mix of all available talents such as spying by scouting ahead, planning approaches, negotiating with NPCs and compromising, which forces players to make use of all available talents based on a good balance of character skills, utilitarian spells and alternative strategies.TRUE, only 4 Superiority die, with only one more at levels 7 and 15, make the Battlemaster an underpowered class as level and campaign progression advance, which I suspect is the reason for the grossly overpowered jump of RELENTLESS at level 15 with it's unlimited use of battle maneuvers that unbalance battle outcomes. To improve the BATTLEMASTER class, while keeping it balanced, I apply the following HOUSE RULES:Battlemaster Superiority Die: - Start with four at level 3 and add four more Superiority Dies every 4 levels at levels 7, 11, 15 and 19.Battlemaster Maneuvers: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You learn three maneuvers of your choice at level 3 and two more at levels 7, 11, 15 and 19.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Can only be used once PER TURN, not once per attack.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can only use a maneuver ONCE against the SAME opponent.</li> </ul>This prevents the abuse of Maneuvers, such as Parry, by implying that over the course of combat, opponents "wise-up" to the character's tactics and don't get fooled again with the same maneuver. Some opponents may not be very intelligent, but they aren't fools either. This also implies that full frontal combat is ALWAYS a risky proposition, even for high-level Fighters surrounded by 8-10 low CR humanoids. You just can't get out easily from an ill-advised strategy that landed you in such a bad fix by simply going "God mode" and setting your blender to "liquify". This only happens in bad B-movies.Hit Points recovery:    Short rests: You get NONE. Use Spells, Potions, Herbalism kits, Skills and their associated proficienciesLong rests: You don't get to regain all HPs on a 8-hour long rest if you were bloodied down to 10% of your HPs, at death's door. That's ludicrous! Roll ONE hit die only, plus a number of  hit dice equal to your constitution bonus PER DAY and complete with Spells, Potions, Herbalism kits and skills. You ran out of those ? Use better strategies and tactics !  Manage your downtime with protective spells and skills you had the foresight to select. Choose a safe base of operations (empty and out of the way rooms and areas) protected by Alarm spells, door barring, utilitarian and protective spells. Carpentry skills to bar doors and create traps, Leomund's tiny hut and other hiding strategies, etc. D&D wasn't meant to be played like a first-person shooter video game where you can zip through an entire level by bulldozing your way ahead with unlimited ammo, power-ups and med-kits conveniently placed every ten paces. D&D is a role-playing game...So design it like one and play it like one.There has to be consequences that will force players to use smarter alternate strategies and tactics and make use of a broader variety of maneuvers and skills; Not always the same ones. After all, a Battlemaster that always uses the same 2-3 moves is not "really" a "Battlemaster" is he. I know players love the Relentless feature because it allows them to easily dispatch large numbers of opponents for an extended period, but that's just it..."To win without risk is to triumph without glory." – Pierre Corneille. It emphasizes that true victory comes from overcoming challenges rather than achieving success effortlessly. Antiquity's Chinese general Sun Tzu said in "The Art of War" about winning battles with a much smaller army than his opponents's..."Every battle is won before it is ever fought." It emphasizes the importance of preparation, strategy, and foresight. Victory is determined before combat begins, through careful planning and positioning. It goes hand in hand with my other favorite one..."Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."I know WOTC is trying to appeal to a broader base of players in order to keep the game relevant and that's OK. But it isn't a good idea to modify the nature of the game in order to try and appeal to a broader base who are less interested in role-playing. Rather, the inevitable 6e version of D&D should have two sets of rules for every concept of the game. It doesn't have to generate much more text in a source book. One "legacy" for true role playing and one for ...less patient players who were brought up on video games and require more instant gratification without effort.</blockquote>

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