D&D 5E Why Not? A Variant Captain Fighter

[doctorbadwolf]

Scan for Openings name change to Scan the Battle, this name I feel better represents the idea that the opportunity or opening might be to aid an ally or any option not just find a better attack against a target but could include that.

Scan the Battle You may forgo a single attack in order to scan the battle and make an Attribute Check usually Int(investigation) or Wis(Insight) generally median difficulty unless enemies and allies and the arena of battle were all quite foreign DMs discretion as usual. Gain an extra CS die which remains till the battlefield/enemies change in some dramatic way or till the battle ends regardless.( generally speaking the end of the encounter)

That's still probably not the right language but that is the idea.

Note the above does not include "You may add your Int/Wis/Charisma in addition to the die if the maneuver calls for a die roll." phrase - I figured since we were introducing the roll- the benefit for the more erudite battlemaster was already gaining an encouragement just in a more dicey.

I’d limit how many times a day you can gain extra dice. It’s a pretty strong number of dice to begin with.

 

[Garthanos]

I’d limit how many times a day you can gain extra dice. It’s a pretty strong number of dice to begin with.

if you fail the skill check you do not get extra die... and that limit that creates should make it about the same effectiveness as the attack you are foregoing.

 

[Garthanos]

Think of it this way at level 5 you can do a shove and attack with a weapon. it costs 2 attacks.
Or you could scan for an opening and maybe only get 1 attack or if it works you get to do a trip maneuver with an extra die of damage.

They are nigh identical numerically.

And trip is one of the more tactical options which can situationally be even better than the steady freddy riposte but should work fine as it stands by the numbers.

 

[Garthanos]

you could at level 5 be halving your number of attacks to no benefit if you roll badly... admittedly unlikely but.

 

[Garthanos]

One way of limiting a particular maneuver (say disarming attack) Is by saying it requires a non-temporary CS die. In other words it would then require a more strategic resource less tactical one.
Strategic Die = the normal CS die and Tactical Die the kind you get from Scan for Openings.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

One way of limiting a particular maneuver (say disarming attack) Is by saying it requires a non-temporary CS die. In other words it would then require a more strategic resource less tactical one.
Strategic Die = the normal CS die and Tactical Die the kind you get from Scan for Openings.

Man I really don't like that. Much better to just limit how often you can regain CS die.

 

[Garthanos]

Man I really don't like that. Much better to just limit how often you can regain CS die.

Statistically speaking it isn't a needed limit (and is contrary to one of my goals) so its more of a flavor limit ... I kind of like referring to the die you get by scanning the scene as tactical and the die you get through the clarity etc from a rest as Strategic.

However it parallels Daily or Climactic abilities as opposed to encounter ones in that they can be the less plausible ones...

 

[Garthanos]

When you are using a Tactical die you are trading enough for it (risk of no benefit and loss of an attack) ... the effective value is that of an at-will. 5e gives the fighter at-wills very like the 4e ranger (pretty strong see twin strike / or the controller version is the hunter in essentials) 5e damage damage damage model its slightly moreso.

 

[Garthanos]

Speaking of plausibility

Spend a CS die Disarm attack, Shove (second attack), move into the square and interact with weapon.... pretty nasty if the enemy relies at all on the item you disarmed. And something a Battlemaster can do raw at level 5

 

[Garthanos]

added the once per round clause

Scan the Battle Once per round after initiative has been rolled you may forgo a single attack in order to scan the battle and make an attribute check usually Int(investigation) or Wis(Insight) generally median difficulty unless enemies and allies and the arena of battle were all quite foreign DMs discretion as usual. If your check succeeds you gain an extra CS die which remains till the battlefield/enemies change in some dramatic way or till the battle ends regardless.( generally speaking the end of the encounter), You may wish to use a different colored die to represent this single battle only tactical CS die.

Design Notes: The purpose of StB is primarily to allow at heroic tier level 5 an alternative "almost but not quite" at-will abilities that allow you to do things which evoke your fighting style (you already have at this point combos like shove and strike or grab and strike). Also note if you succeed on scan the battle by rolling well you have traded the always valuable immediate progression of this battle for a future potential progression of this battle. In effect it allows you to put your skillfully plucked eggs in a future basket. StB also encourages other mental attributes rather directly and that is a design goal as well it is a smart tactical fighter style boost.

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