D&D 5E What is a Warlord [No, really, I don't know.]

[Tony Vargas]

EDIT: I hope Warlord fans get what they want. What I don't want is for the only way to get synergy in the group is to have a warlord.

You think it's impossible to get synergy going in a 5e party now?

My overall preference is to have a Commander subclass that can fit under any class. Why can't I have a wizard commander?

A sub-class that multiple classes can take would be unprecedented and problematic - sub-classes aren't at all consistent in what they give, nor even when you get them. You can have a Wizard Commander - take the Soldier Background and say that your rank was Commander. ;P Take Inspiring Leader. If multi-classing is available you could MC to Warlord, or maybe there could even be a Mage-Commander PrC...

 

[Miladoon]

That is a question for those that think a warlord will bring synergy to the table.

 

[Bawylie]

You can't write synergy into a game. Synergy occurs when players support one another in achieving goals. Any of their mechanics and abilities can be leveraged to work with each other.

 

[Miladoon]

The overall take from reading these posts is that warlord players want a class that is specifically a support factor.

 

[mellored]

That is a question for those that think a warlord will bring synergy to the table.

a sharpshooter fighter, with bless + haste + bardic inspiration + foresight, provides a huge amount of synergy.
a battelmaster with a rogue provides good synergy.
a warlock with dissonant whispers and a rogue provides good synergy.
a valor bard with shield master and a 2-handed fighter provide good synergy.
compel duel and sanctuary provide good synergy.
ensnaring strike with a ranged party provides good synergy.
a gnome paladin with mounted combat and a lance riding a fighter with polearm master + sentinel + enlarge is good synergy.
i could go on.

so yea, there's plenty in the game already.

 

[mellored]

The overall take from reading these posts is that warlord players want a class that is specifically a support factor.

Yes.

Martial support. With bards and clerics being examples of magical support.

 

[Miladoon]

a battelmaster with a rogue provides good synergy.

Martial Support

EDIT: Response predicted. But not to the degree that a warlord class would have.

Preemptive question. Why not?

 

[mellored]

Martial Support

EDIT: Response predicted. But not to the degree that a warlord class would have.

Preemptive question. Why not?

Stock answer: The same reason why an eldrich knight not enough of a wizard.
You can't fit a full class into a sub-class.

 

[Miladoon]

Not buying that.

You can make an eldritch Knight subclass of wizard.

Perhaps we can agree that something something has to fit within our own acceptable parameters in order for it to be acceptable.

 

[mellored]

You can make an eldritch Knight subclass of wizard.

Yes you could.
But that's the same as making a battlemaster sub-class for a warlord.
Or a valor class for bard (which is not enough of a fighter).


It was entirely possible for the warlord and fighter to be the same class. For instance, if you had something like the fighter from the playtest, (here) which got 1d6->6d6 maneuver dice each turn. You would have plenty of flexibility to trade the damage for support maneuvers.

But instead they chose to put the power into multi attack and action surge. Neither of which are support.

Potentially, i could see something like "skip 1 attack to gain 1 tactical die. If you have multi-attack you can skip more then 1 attack. In addition, you can use second wind and actions surge on another creature".

Though that's very clunky.