Weapon Maneuvers

[Ziegander]

Weapon Maneuvers
Weapon maneuvers are advanced techniques that skilled combatants can use to gain a tactical edge over their opponents. Each weapon maneuver uses a character's bonus action on its turn, and in order to use a weapon maneuver the character must be proficient with the weapon in question. Certain maneuvers can only be used with a set of specific weapons or with certain types of weapons as detailed below.

Lunge. Requires quarterstaff, spear, glaive, halberd, longsword, pike, rapier, or trident. When you make an attack with this weapon you may extend your reach (for that attack only) by 5ft by spending a bonus action. If you do, that attack deals 1d4 additional damage on a successful hit.

Sweeping Strike. Requires greatclub, quarterstaff, battleaxe, glaive, greataxe, greatsword, halberd, longsword, maul, scimitar, or warhammer. When you make an attack with this weapon you may attack up to three enemies within your reach by spending a bonus action. If you do, your Strength or Dexterity modifier only applies to the damage roll of the first successful hit among these attacks.

Quick Strike. Requires a light or one-handed weapon. You may make an attack with this weapon as a bonus action whenever you use the Dash action. This attack may be made at any point during your movement.

Rising Strike. Requires a light or one-handed weapon. If you are prone, you may stand up as a bonus action just before taking the Attack action with this weapon.

Momentum Drive. Requires a rapier, or any versatile or two-handed weapon. When you take the Attack action with this weapon and miss with an attack you may make an additional attack as a bonus action.

Snare. Requires a whip. When you make an attack with the whip, if the attack hits, you may use a bonus action to cause the struck creature to make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, your choice + your proficiency modifier). If that creature's saving throw fails you either pull it 10 feet closer to you or it falls prone (your choice).

Quick Dose. Requires a blowgun. You may apply a contact or injury poison to the tiny dart of your blowgun as a bonus action just before taking the Attack action with it.


. . .

So, can anyone think of any others? Thought I'd try to spice up non-magical combat a little bit with some bonus actions that don't involve two-weapon fighting or polearm mastery. Do the concept feel relatively balanced?

[Ralanr]

Perhaps for axe weapons you could use a reaction to hook someones weapon and disarm them?

Though that defeats the purpose of using bonus actions.

[Ziegander]

Perhaps for axe weapons you could use a reaction to hook someones weapon and disarm them?

Though that defeats the purpose of using bonus actions.

Eh, I'm not opposed to reaction maneuvers, I just couldn't think of any other than the traditional "riposte."

Disarming Snag. Requires a sickle, sling, flail, whip, or any axe. When an enemy misses you with a melee weapon attack you may use your reaction to cause that enemy to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (it's choice) (DC 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, your choice + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, you are able to snag the enemy's weapon and pull it from their grasp.

Shield Bash. Requires a shield. When an enemy misses you with a melee weapon attack you may use your reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy with your shield. This attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, and if it hits the next melee weapon attack you make against that creature before the end of your next turn has Advantage.

[Kryx]

3 attacks per attack? I must stop reading there - really really unbalanced.

[Ziegander]

That's up to three attacks, once on your turn if you have three enemies in your reach, if you spend your bonus action.

[ZenBear]

I like this concept. The Battlemaster is nearly redundant at this point but it is definitely a cool houserule if no one wants to be one.

Both Shield Bash and Disarming Snag could be a BA on your turn.

Sweeping might be a bit strong for anyone but a Fighter, unless it can be used as many times as you have attacks in a single action in which case wow dat stronk. Perhaps no modifier on damage to any target?

Why not allow Quick Dose on bows/crossbows? Particularly hand-crossbows this makes sense.

[Kryx]

That's up to three attacks, once on your turn if you have three enemies in your reach, if you spend your bonus action.
So a Babarian can make 4 greataxe attacks per turn after level 5?

Yaaaaa.. no thanks.

Rising strike: standing up is part of movement, not an action like 3.x. it shouldn't become a bonus action and ignore movement.

[Steampunkette]

Sure. 4 greataxe attacks. For 4d12+str.
+10 if gwm.

Or she can make 2 for 2d12+(strx2)
+20 if gwm

Or 3d12+(strx3)
+30 if gwm

Avg 33, 43, 23, 33, 40.5, and 50.5.

Until you start adding in the attack rolls vs ac requirements, and then the 4d12s swinginess without benefit of a +7 strength mod on each hit is gonna eat your damage a bit. Plus the targeting constraints.

[Ziegander]

Sure. 4 greataxe attacks. For 4d12+str.
+10 if gwm.

Or she can make 2 for 2d12+(strx2)
+20 if gwm

Or 3d12+(strx3)
+30 if gwm

Avg 33, 43, 23, 33, 40.5, and 50.5.

Until you start adding in the attack rolls vs ac requirements, and then the 4d12s swinginess without benefit of a +7 strength mod on each hit is gonna eat your damage a bit. Plus the targeting constraints.

Well, as written, you'd still get Str mod to your normal attack action attacks, so 4d12 + (2xStr), and you can use Great Weapon Master on all of them if you really wish for up to +40 dmg from GWM. It's true, when you can do it, it's a lot of damage, but the targeting constraints force it to be spread around and it can't happen all that often.

So, sure, at levels 5+, if you're surrounded by three or more dudes every turn, yes, you can make four attacks divided between those dudes every turn. But even if you're raging, unless you're only fighting goblins and orcs until you reach 20th level, being surrounded like that is going to catch up with you someday.


I like this concept. The Battlemaster is nearly redundant at this point but it is definitely a cool houserule if no one wants to be one.

I even thought the concept could be used to sort of make a new Battlemaster, one that actually gets stuff a lot more like Tome of Battle, with manuevers that scale a lot more and better than from 1d6 to 1d12. Since every maneuver is just once per turn using a bonus action, you can't spam them, maybe a recovery mechanic could even be thrown in so you can't use them every round, and then as you reach higher levels the maneuvers become stronger and more useful.


Sweeping might be a bit strong for anyone but a Fighter, unless it can be used as many times as you have attacks in a single action in which case wow dat stronk. Perhaps no modifier on damage to any target?

I've been considering no modifier to any target, though it doesn't make sense thematically. I don't know how it's not obvious that this doesn't happen on all of your attacks. When you make an attack, you can make up to three, by spending a bonus action. You can't spend more than one bonus action, so when you make another attack with the weapon in the same turn you can't make another sweeping strike.


Why not allow Quick Dose on bows/crossbows? Particularly hand-crossbows this makes sense.

Mostly because they don't need any boost while the blowgun absolutely has to have one to ever be viable.

[ZenBear]

I've been considering no modifier to any target, though it doesn't make sense thematically.

Mostly because they don't need any boost while the blowgun absolutely has to have one to ever be viable.

"Theme" can be sacrificed for balance within reason, buyI don't think it's unthematic to say you don't get your strength modifier to any attack because you're not following through on a single target but instead sweeping past/glancing off each target. There's going to be a loss of power.

I don't think blowguns deserve to be a viable primary weapon. They're easily hidden straws that spit tiny needles.

[Steampunkette]

I'm with Zenbear.

4e used to have sweeps deal Str or Con Mod damage to secondary targets rather than weapon+mod. I think I prefer weapon damage because it's more swingy, overall.

That said, anyone with a weapon can use these, right? So you're giving all the PC classes a boost... and also the NPCs!

And who is more likely to get surrounded while wielding a greatclub, the Warlock or an Ogre?

[Ziegander]

\That said, anyone with a weapon can use these, right? So you're giving all the PC classes a boost... and also the NPCs!

Well, really I was just throwing the idea out there. I knew intuitively that something wasn't "finished" with the concept from the get go, I just wanted to see what the community felt could be done with them.


And who is more likely to get surrounded while wielding a greatclub, the Warlock or an Ogre?

See, this is a good point, even if Warlock vs Ogre is an unfair comparison, the Ogre is still more likely to be surrounded than the Barbarian (at least in the vacuum of one encounter).