Weapon Master: Creating an alternative to GWM, SS, etc.

[ro]

In light of the recent Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter feat threads, I worked up this feat as a general weapon mastery feat, hoping to make any weapon type of choice more interesting. How balanced do your think this feat is, and how can it be made more interesting for a player who selects it?

Note: I do have an exclusion against bows. Perhaps it should be removed, but if Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter exist, it seems less vital. Also, keeping out bows makes other ranged weapons like slings and blowguns more intriguing options. Are the other weapons I should exclude for similar reasons?

Another note: The feature to make the weapon magical is to make it more viable later in the game without having to find special magic versions of your possibly-obscure weapon. Obviously +1/+2/+3 versions would be great upgrades.

Weapon Master
- Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Choose one of the following properties or damage types: finesse, light, range, reach, special, thrown, two-handed, versatile, improvised, piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.
- Once per turn when you attack with such a weapon with which you are proficient, except for a bow, you may choose one of the following benefits:
-- Add +2 to the attack roll.
-- Subtract your proficiency bonus from your attack roll, but add it to the damage roll.
-- Add +1 to AC and saving throws until the start of the next round.
- Your attacks with a weapon using this property or damage type count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- You may take this feat more than once, but the benefits on a weapon do not stack.

 

[JPicasso]

Making the weapon magical starts stepping on the toes of the Pallys and sword casters, I think. I've never liked the -5/+10 though, the +10 seems so wrong with most damage coming from dies.
Keep GWM the same ,but change to -5/+2d8 damage.

Okay, now that I see you can take ONE of the options, on it's face it seems OP, Not only is it way versital, but it's OP just for the basics. I like it though.
HOw about this?

Weapon Specialization (Master)
- Remove the 1/2 ASI
- Choose one of the following properties or damage types: finesse, light, range, reach, special, thrown, two-handed, versatile, improvised, piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.
- Once per turn when you attack with such a weapon with which you are proficient, except for a bow, you may choose one of the following benefits:
-- Add +1 to the attack roll.
-- Subtract your proficiency bonus (or part of it) from your attack roll, but add it to the damage roll.
-- Add +1 to AC
-- Add +2 to saving throws until the start of the next round.
- Your attacks with a weapon using this property or damage type overcome non-magical resistance
- You may take this feat more than once, but the benefits on a weapon do not stack.

I think with the versatility, keeping the bonuses low, helps keep it more in line with other feats. Still might be OP with this though.

 

[ro]

Making the weapon magical starts stepping on the toes of the Pallys and sword casters, I think. I've never liked the -5/+10 though, the +10 seems so wrong with most damage coming from dies.
Keep GWM the same ,but change to -5/+2d8 damage.

I'm not too worried about toe-stepping: that's what feats are about, building your character in a way otherwise impossible for your class. I don't want to completely blow out somebody else's concept, but dabbling is ok.

Okay, now that I see you can take ONE of the options, on it's face it seems OP, Not only is it way versital, but it's OP just for the basics. I like it though.
HOw about this?

Weapon Specialization (Master)
- Remove the 1/2 ASI
- Choose one of the following properties or damage types: finesse, light, range, reach, special, thrown, two-handed, versatile, improvised, piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.
- Once per turn when you attack with such a weapon with which you are proficient, except for a bow, you may choose one of the following benefits:
-- Add +1 to the attack roll.
-- Subtract your proficiency bonus (or part of it) from your attack roll, but add it to the damage roll.
-- Add +1 to AC
-- Add +2 to saving throws until the start of the next round.
- Your attacks with a weapon using this property or damage type overcome non-magical resistance
- You may take this feat more than once, but the benefits on a weapon do not stack.

I think with the versatility, keeping the bonuses low, helps keep it more in line with other feats. Still might be OP with this though.

Yeah, I worry that versatility is too... versatile. I don't want it to get OP, but I'm also trying to let it hit lots of character concepts. One alternative would be to give a list of options, but you can only choose one when you select the feat, not per turn. More akin to fighting styles.

I am inclined to keep the magical aspect. How many magical war picks are found in a game? I want to make it less dependent on the DM for a character to find functioning magical weapons. Your ordinary fighter is likely to have found a +1 longsword or +1 longbow or similar: this is still weaker than that.

 

[ro]

Here is an updated version. Note that I added the ASI back in, but I removed the versatility: a player chooses only one option when taking this feat, and that option is always in effect. I tried to balance the benefit options against a +1 ASI, interpreted as a +0.5 attack bonus and +0.5 damage bonus. (A full +2 ASI--to which a feat should compare--would give +1 to both attack and damage, and it would also give additional benefits to saving throws and skills, etc.)

Should the AC and saving throw bonuses last until the end of the round, or the beginning of the next turn? If the latter, it is very similar to the Defense Fighting Style, which may be more powerful than intended. If the former, then it will have no effect for a full combat if you are late in the initiative order. How can this be remedied?

Weapon Master

Your practice with a particular type of weapon has paid dividends.
- Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Choose one of the following properties or damage types: finesse, light, range, reach, special, thrown, two-handed, versatile, improvised, piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.
- Your attacks with a weapon using this property or damage type count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- When you select this feat, choose one of the following benefits. When you attack with such a weapon with which you are proficient, except for a bow:
-- Add +1 to your attack rolls
-- Add +1 to your damage rolls
-- Subtract 1 from your attack rolls, but add +2 to your damage rolls
-- Reroll 1s on your attack rolls (If you already reroll 1s, you may reroll 2s, etc.)
-- Add +1 to your AC until the start of the next round
-- Add +1 to saving throws until the start of the next round
- You may take this feat more than once.

 

[Stalker0]

The -1 attack/+2 damage and reroll options are pretty suboptimal and likely would not get taken. It would either be +1 attack or the ac/saving throw bonus.

You could just go this route.

On your turn choose a stance:

1) offensive: gain +1 attack/damage.
2) defensive: +1 ac and dex saves

The effects last until the start of your next turn

 

[ro]

The -1 attack/+2 damage and reroll options are pretty suboptimal and likely would not get taken. It would either be +1 attack or the ac/saving throw bonus.

You could just go this route.

On your turn choose a stance:

1) offensive: gain +1 attack/damage.
2) defensive: +1 ac and dex saves

The effects last until the start of your next turn

Statistically the options are all close to equal in damage output.

I like the simplicity of your suggestions!

The many options in this feat have a goal of supporting a bunch of character concepts. If they are balanced, I'm glad to have choices! That said, after the choice is made, I want the results to be as simple and straightforward as possible.