D&D (2024) Weapon Masteries too Ubiquitous? New Fighter ability suggestion.

[OB1]

My thought is that thanks to all their training and experience, all fighters should have a baseline ability to assess the battlefield situation and give their team a tactical head's up at key moments. Not with the more specific commands of the Battlemaster - no need to step on their toes - but in a more general sense.

"This doesn't feel right, guys...be alert!" (advantage on initiative)
"Find cover, NOW!" (half AoE damage)
"Reform/fall back!" (instant half movement with no opportunity attacks - this would happen right away during the fighter's reaction, which I think would be unique and cool)

I'm kind of having fun thinking of these - offer a few more! And I think this would be really fun and fit the fighter flavour really well, making them more than just "person who fights good!" It would reflect that they are students of battle, qualitatively different from raging barbarians, devout paladins, and self-disciplined monks. I'm going to playtest it at my own games.

But, you know, I'm just spitballing. Suggest something better; Chaosmancer has a thread packed with thoughtful fighter ideas.

I stand by my contention that fighters kind of feel like they've lost something, with mastery belonging to everyone ("if everyone is super, no one is.").

Love the idea. What about making these alternate uses of action surge? Might need to buff them slightly
"Be alert!" +10 to initiative
"Find cover, Now!" Evasion for all allies on the AOE, If you already have Evasion, gain advantage on the roll
"Form up!" Full movement with no opportunity attacks

And a few new ones, including a few out of combat options
"Strike!" All allies can immediately make a single weapon attack w/o a reaction
"Listen!" Add 10 to a persuasion or deception roll made by your or an ally
"March!" Increase daily travel speed by 50%

 

[Eubani]

What does a Fighter do that no other class can do?
What does a Fighter do at 20th level that it was not doing at 1st level?

The Fighter needs abilities that have it carrying out actions that no other class can.
The Fight needs to be carrying out actions at higher levels that it could not at lower levels, not just bigger numbers more often.

 

[Chaosmancer]

What does a Fighter do that no other class can do?

Action Surge

What does a Fighter do at 20th level that it was not doing at 1st level?

Nothing.

The Fighter needs abilities that have it carrying out actions that no other class can.
The Fight needs to be carrying out actions at higher levels that it could not at lower levels, not just bigger numbers more often.

Agree with both. The trick is figuring out what those things are.

 

[Clint_L]

What does a Fighter do that no other class can do?

Action surge

What does a Fighter do at 20th level that it was not doing at 1st level?

Action surge...twice!

The Fighter needs abilities that have it carrying out actions that no other class can.
The Fight needs to be carrying out actions at higher levels that it could not at lower levels, not just bigger numbers more often.

100% agree. That's why I think leadership abilities could be their niche.

 

[Eubani]

As good as Action Surge is as an ability, you are still only doing what you are already doing but more of. You are still only doing the attack action, a movement or an ability check. These are all things every other class can do, so as great an ability as it is it is still not introducing an action that someone else could not do. The Fighter needs to do other things than more of the same or the same with bigger numbers.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Weapon mysteries are 3E Combat Feats wearing a different mask. And I'll bet they have the same effect they did in 3E.

 

[Chaosmancer]

As good as Action Surge is as an ability, you are still only doing what you are already doing but more of. You are still only doing the attack action, a movement or an ability check. These are all things every other class can do, so as great an ability as it is it is still not introducing an action that someone else could not do. The Fighter needs to do other things than more of the same or the same with bigger numbers.

Oh, I agree. But being able to take two full actions is literally the only thing the fighter has going for them

 

[Clint_L]

Oh, I agree. But being able to take two full actions is literally the only thing the fighter has going for them

Well...I don't know about that. The base class is pretty vanilla, but they do their job well, there are some good subclasses, and having all those feats/ASIs lets you be more creative in customizing your character. One of my players in a home campaign is an echo knight and it's pretty cool. But they can't all be echo knights or battlemasters. Sadly.

Fighters aren't bad. Just plain.

 

[Eubani]

The problem with hedging on the 2 extra ASI's is that by the time you get the second one most campaigns are either over or nearly so. On top of that too many people stated that these fixed the Fighter's woes, it was to maintain damage parity, shore up weak defences, add social ability and add exploration ability. That is a lot of work for 1 and maybe 2 ASI. "But extra ASI" was the equivalent to sticking ones fingers in their ears and yelling I can't hear you the fighter has no issues.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Well...I don't know about that. The base class is pretty vanilla, but they do their job well, there are some good subclasses, and having all those feats/ASIs lets you be more creative in customizing your character. One of my players in a home campaign is an echo knight and it's pretty cool. But they can't all be echo knights or battlemasters. Sadly.

Fighters aren't bad. Just plain.

True, Fighter's aren't bad in combat...

But would you say Fighters are stronger in combat than Paladins, Barbarians and Rangers? I don't think I'm convinced they ARE, and that means you are either banking on a subclass for flavor, or you are looking for something uniquely "fighter". Which is action Surge. It is the only Fighter ability that Rangers and Paladin's desire. Barbarian's also generally want Fighting Styles (which I think they should get at some point).

And then you look to other pillars, and Rangers and Paladins do far better in social and exploration than Fighters and Barbarians do. So, a lot of the time, when looking at the Fighter design... it feels like the bare minimum.