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The Troubadour
2014-03-17, 09:08 PM
I like 4E, really. It's actually the only D&D edition I truly like. But most of my group simply can't assimilate the changes in the way the classes work (especially the At-Will / Encounter / Daily structure of powers), and many of them also dislike the added tactical complexity. So I thought of revising the four classic classes (Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue), starting with the Fighter, and see if I can make them more palatable to my group.

Any and all suggestions and criticism are very welcome!

FIGHTER (Weaponmaster)

Class Features
Remove Combat Challenge and Combat Superiority. Rename Fighter Weapon Talent to Fighter Martial Talent, increase its bonus to +2 and revise it so that it applies to any and all attacks - even unarmed and ranged - that don't have the Implement keyword.


At-Will Exploits: Everyone starts with 3 at-will exploits, instead of 2. Characters gain a new at-will exploit at level 16, and another at level 26.

Here is the list of at-will exploits for Fighters:

Combat Challenge: The Fighter makes a melee basic attack against an enemy. On a successful hit, said enemy suffers a -2 penalty to all attack rolls that don't include the Fighter as a target; in addition, if he shifts, the Fighter may make a melee basic attack against him as an immediate interrupt. This lasts until the end of the Fighter's next turn or until the target is no longer adjacent to the Fighter.

Improved Aid Another: When the Fighter performs an Aid Attack or Aid Defense action, he also gains a melee basic attack against the chosen enemy.

Improved Bull Rush: As the Bull Rush action, but the Fighter gains a +3 proficiency bonus to his attack roll (+6 at level 11, +9 at level 21), he pushes the enemy a number of squares equal to 1 + his Strength modifier, and also deals 1d6 + Strength modifier (2d6 + Strength modifier at level 16, 3d6 + Strength modifier at level 26) damage on a successful hit.

Improved Charge: As the Charge action, but the attack roll bonus is increased to +2, the melee basic attack's damage is increased by 1[W] (2[W] at level 16, 3[W] at level 26), and the Fighter can use the Improved Bull Rush exploit (if he knows it) instead of a regular Bull Rush.

Improved Grab: As the Grab action, but the Fighter gains a +3 proficiency bonus to his attack roll (+6 at level 11, +9 at level 21) and he also gains a melee basic attack against the target on a successful hit.

Improved Opportunity Attack: As the regular Opportunity Attack, but the Fighter gains a bonus to his attack roll equal to his Wisdom modifier, and the enemy stops moving (if a move provoked the attack) on a successful hit.

Precise Attack: The Fighter makes a melee basic attack and adds half his Dexterity or Wisdom modifier to the attack roll.

Slaying Attack: The Fighter makes a melee basic attack and adds his Dexterity or Constitution modifier to the damage roll.


Encounter Exploits: Everyone starts with 2 encounter exploits, instead of 1. Characters gain new encounter exploits at levels 3 and 7.
Encounter exploits can be used without limit, except that they can only be used once per encounter against a specific enemy.

Here is the list of encounter exploits for Fighters (will be expanded at a later date):

Counterstrike
Martial, Weapon
Immediate Reaction Melee weapon
Level 27: Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: A creature within melee range misses you
Level 17: A creature within melee range hits or misses you
Level 27: A creature within melee range declares an attack against you
Target: The creature that missed you
Level 17: The creature that attacked you
Level 27: The creature that declared an attack against you
Effect: The Fighter makes a melee basic attack against the creature.
Level 13: The melee basic attack is rolled against Reflex.
Level 23: The melee basic attack's damage is increased by 2[W].


Improved Disarm
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Level 17: Immediate Reaction (Trigger: A creature within melee range hits or misses you)
Level 27: Immediate Interrupt (Trigger: A creature within melee range declares an attack against you)
Requirement: Target must have missed you with a melee attack on its last attack roll, and must also be no more than two size categories larger than you.
Level 13: Target must have hit or missed you with a melee attack on its last attack roll, and must also be no more than three size categories larger than you.
Level 23: Target must have declared a melee attack against you on its last attack roll. Target can be of any size category.
Target: The creature that missed you
Level 13: The creature that attacked you
Level 23: The creature that declared an attack against you
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target's weapon is dropped into your square.
Level 16: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target's weapon is dropped into your square.
Level 26: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target's weapon is dropped into your square.


Improved Trip
Martial, Weapon
Immediate Reaction Melee weapon
Level 27: Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: A creature within melee range misses you
Level 17: A creature within melee range hits or misses you
Level 27: A creature within melee range declares an attack against you
Requirement: Target must be no more than two size categories larger than you.
Level 13: Target must be no more than three size categories larger than you.
Level 23: Target can be of any size category.
Target: The creature that missed you
Level 17: The creature that attacked you
Level 27: The creature that declared an attack against you
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target is knocked prone.
Level 16: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target is knocked prone.
Level 26: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage, and target is knocked prone.


Power Strike
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature within range
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Weapon: If you're wielding a light blade, a heavy blade or a spear, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half your Dexterity modifier.
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 13: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 17: 5[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 23: 6[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 27: 7[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Weapon: If you're wielding an axe, a hammer or a mace, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Constitution modifier.
If you're wielding a polearm, your target suffers a penalty to attack rolls equal to half your Wisdom modifier until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You grant combat advantage to all enemies until the start of your next turn.


Punishing Strike
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: Target must have missed you with a melee attack on its last attack roll.
Target: The creature that missed you
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Weapon: If you're wielding a light blade, a heavy blade or a spear, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half your Dexterity modifier.
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 13: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 17: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 23: 5[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Level 27: 6[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Weapon: If you're wielding an axe, a hammer or a mace, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Constitution modifier.
If you're wielding a polearm, your target suffers a penalty to attack rolls equal to half your Wisdom modifier until the end of your next turn.


Daily Exploits: Fighters no longer have Daily exploits (but see below).


Utility Exploits: Fighters start with 2 utility exploits at level 1, and gain new utility exploits at levels 5, 9, 15, 25 and 29 (no utility exploit can be taken more than once). All Fighter utility exploits are at-will abilities.

Here is the list of utility exploits for Fighters (will be expanded at a later date):

Extra Second Wind: You may use an additional Second Wind per encounter, but you can still use only one per round.

Fearlessness: You gain a permanent +2 bonus to all defenses against attacks with the Fear keyword. In addition, you gain a +5 bonus to saving throws against fear.

Improved Second Wind: The Second Wind action is now a Minor Action for you, and you also gain a +2 bonus to all attack rolls until the start of your next turn when you use it.

Improved Total Defense: Increase the Total Defense bonus to +4 for yourself, and you also grant a +2 shield bonus to AC and Reflex for all adjacent allies.

Indomitable Will: You gain a permanent +2 bonus to all defenses against attacks with the Charm or Illusion keywords.

Master of Athletics: For the purposes of jumping, you are always considered to have a running start, and you divide your check result by 2, not 5 or 10. In addition, you can use the Athletics Skill to Hop Down, and you can Hop Down from a height of 20 feet. Finally, you climb and swim at your speed.

Master of Endurance: The Endurance DC for you to ignore hunger and thirst is reduced to 10 + 3 per day. The Endurance DC for you to hold your breath is reduced to 10 + 3 per round, and reduced to 10 for you to keep holding your breath in a round you take damage. Finally, the Endurance DC for you to keep swimming or treading water is reduced to 7 + 1 per hour.

Mighty Juggernaut: You gain a permanent bonus to saving throws against the Immobilized, Restrained and Slowed conditions equal to half your Strength modifier.



GENERAL RULES CHANGES

Racial Features: Humans have to take the Heroic Effort racial feature, and Half-Elves have to take the Knack for Success racial feature

Basic Attack: Damage increases to 2[W] for melee (including unarmed) and ranged basic attacks at level 16, and to 3[W] at level 26.

Damage Rolls: All characters add one-half their levels to all damage rolls.

Yakk
2014-03-18, 08:08 PM
Good start, but lots of rough edges.

Charge cheese is overly easy. Careful.

Too much accuracy boosts.

Badly worded triggers. Interrupt can be triggered on being hit or missed will go off first, why trigger on attack declaration?

Needs serious system unification, esp if players find phb fighter fiddly.

Why call it weaponmaster? Leave phb fighter, write own subclass.

Seriously undervalued immediate actions.

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I would rework this into at-will stances, per encounter 'boosts' you can apply to attacks, and per-encounter 'responses' that are your immediates. Silo them and use common rules in a silo. Simplifies balance issues both for designer and player.

Maybe do away with immediate actions entirely. Opportunity actions that are once per round (or per encounter) are less rules fiddly in many cases. (design new subclass to reflect a better 4e design)

Have a penalty for overusing exploits maybe: Grant combat advantage, roll twice and take worst result, foes get to roll twice and take better result. Trigger from ising same 'encounter' exploit twice, or using too many total. Then you can have known exploits distinct from expoits per encounter, which allows disarm to suck less (as a conditional one). Bit maybe not, rather crufty.