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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9003535" data-attributes="member: 87792">I'd need to see the numbers run on this before level 12 other than for Sharpshooters (especially with Crossbow Expert) and vumans with one of the power feats.For melee fighters the nerfs that I recall boil down to:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Great Weapon Masters with either Reckless Attack or the Battlemaster's Precision Strike no longer out-power every other build</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Polearm Master + Sentinel fighters no longer get to freeze people as they come in</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spear + Shield + PAM isn't comfortably the best one handed combination in the game.</li> </ul>Meanwhile I'm not sure which of these combos have actually been nerfed.Starting with the Polearm Master + Sentinel. The new version is going to have +2 STR over the old one for +1 to hit and damage with every attack. They are going to get just as many attacks. And assuming you have a pike as your polearm you invoke the Push property which can do fun things when you get an OA that also cuts the enemy's speed to zero. You still have an immobilization trap.For the Great Weapon Fighter we're going to compare a level 8 GWF classic barbarian with a maul and a +2 STR ASI with a modern GWM Barbarian with a maul and the Charger feat. The to hit and damage are the same - but rather than taking a -5 to hit to use their power strike the modern barbarian gets a free +4 damage and regularly get to charge for +d8 damage. Oh, and every attack you make forces a constitution save or your foe goes prone. You don't do quite as much damage but you hit far more reliably and you have a non-damage effect. I remain unconvinced this is a nerf.Which just leaves the Spear, Shield, and Polearm Master. This time we aren't going to normalise the weapons because the big issue is that the spear master simply outdamages everything else. So we're taking a polearm master with +2 Str vs a new fighter with Sentinel and Shield Master and a longsword. The main attacks and opportunity attacks do 2 points extra damage per hit (d10 vs d6) which almost offsets the extra damage of the off-hand attack. Meanwhile you have probably more immediate attacks (Sentinel) and bigger ones, the ability to knock people prone, to stop them moving, the ability to use bonus actions, and better protection. I'm unconvinced this is a nerf unless the DM has handed out e.g. a Flametongue Spear. And remember these are the absolute best builds I'm using for the old versions.</blockquote>

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