D&D General Weapon Mastery - Yea or Nay?

[Emerikol]

I think, every martial should just get the option to use all weapon masteries. Having to switch them in the morning is dumb.
Otherwise they are very fine. Especially the champion rocks.

A Martial "switching" something on a daily basis is why I don't play 5e. My group would never get past that moment.

 

[Corinnguard]

I prefer Level Up's Combat Maneuvers. A lot more variety, and they're available to some degree to most classes.

I voted nay because of Level Up's Combat Traditions. They're thematic, much like those in 3e's Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords. You get more powerful combat maneuvers as you level up (no pun intended). And there are well over a dozen of them by now, both in the Adventurer's Guide and in a number of 3pp's.

In Level Up, any martial can be a Battle Master.

ohhh and weapons speeds with crit threat ranges and multipliers!

2e's Weapon Speeds favored small weapons like daggers, weapons that did very little damage to an opponent in a single round, and they penalized anybody who wielded a larger weapon by making them act last in the initiative timeline back then. I don't miss this game mechanic.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I said that to make STR viable, ALL weapons and armor should have MIX STR, starting with 8 and up to 20.
dagger could be N/A for STR

I see. Forgive my misunderstanding.
If you were doing that:
Light weapons: no requirements
Heavy weapons Str 15 or 16.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

A Martial "switching" something on a daily basis is why I don't play 5e. My group would never get past that moment.

It is super weird and also unnecessary. Just let them use them all.

 

[Emerikol]

It is super weird and also unnecessary. Just let them use them all.

It would make sense if it was a stance they could switch at will. A stance indicates the fighter is trying to setup whatever the weapon mastery is giving. I could suspend my disbelief on that one.

 

[Horwath]

I see. Forgive my misunderstanding.
If you were doing that:
Light weapons: no requirements
Heavy weapons Str 15 or 16.

I was thinking something more granular

1Handed weapons and Bows

damage:
1d4, min STR N/A
1d6, min STR 6
1d8, min STR 10
1d10, min STR 14
1d12, min STR 18
2d6, min STR 20

properties:
thrown(40/120), +2 min STR(min 8)
reach +6 min STR(min 12)
Versatile(deals 2 damage types): +2 min STR(min 8)

dual wield, both weapons +4 min STR(min 10)


2Handed weapons
1d6, min STR N/A
1d8, min STR 6
1d10, min STR 10
1d12, min STR 14
2d6, min STR 16
2d8, min STR 20

Reach, +4 min STR(min 10)
Raech(15ft), +6 min STR(min 12)
Versatile(deals 2 damage types): +2 min STR(min 8)

for melee weapons:
ALL weapons are Finesse if you have min STR requirement

if you do not have min STR, you have disadvantage on attacks and deal minimum damage if you hit.


optional for Small species:
effective STR for weapons in 4 pts lower

ARMOR:

min STR 8, +1 AC, max DEX +5
min STR 10, +2 AC, max DEX +5
min STR 12, +3 AC, max DEX +4
min STR 14, +4 AC, max DEX +3
min STR 14, +5 AC, max DEX +3, Stealth disadvantage
min STR 16, +5 AC, max DEX +2
min STR 16, +6 AC, max DEX +2, Stealth disadvantage
min STR 18, +8 AC, max DEX +1, Stealth disadvantage
min STR 20, +9 AC, max DEX +0, Stealth disadvantage

buckler: min STR 8, +1 AC,
shield: min STR 12, +2 AC,
tower shield: min STR 16, +3 AC, max DEX +1, Acrobatics and Stealth disadvantage, -5ft move speed

Dwarves could get armor adaptation, +2 to effective STR for using armor

 

[EzekielRaiden]

im super confused on the complaint here. Strength (and dex) requirements only apply to heavy weapons. And the requirement is a measly 13. Unless I’m misreading the new rules. Warlock can, literally, use any other weapon without penalty. And, if you want a glaive, put a 13 in the stat. And I see no complaint about the dex requirement for heavy ranged weapons because, of course, nobody dumps dex.

I played a playtest 7 Warlock prior to the full publication of 5.5e. I used a greatsword--as many, many warlocks did before, because warlocks can't use shields and thus have no reason not to use them.

And then Strength requirements came along and pretty well ruined that. Yes, I'm salty.

 

[Emerikol]

The problem with this approach is that armor or weapon requiring more than a 14 str would never arise. There just aren't enough people to bother making weapons for them. You could live your whole life and never meet one 20 strength person.

 

[Horwath]

I played a playtest 7 Warlock prior to the full publication of 5.5e. I used a greatsword--as many, many warlocks did before, because warlocks can't use shields and thus have no reason not to use them.

And then Strength requirements came along and pretty well ruined that. Yes, I'm salty.

not including shields in EVERY light armor proficiency gained is a mistake by WotC.

 

[Horwath]

The problem with this approach is that armor or weapon requiring more than a 14 str would never arise. There just aren't enough people to bother making weapons for them. You could live your whole life and never meet one 20 strength person.

this is where reality needs to give ground a little to game balance or think about 20 STR armor as heaviest jousting plate that was ever made. impractical for average foot soldier but not for the strongest man in town.

also it's the reason the 2d6(greatsword) is more or less in same requirement as current plate and 2d8 is for 20 STR, an oversized greatsword/axe that can be used by maybe 1in100 people.