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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Feat: Master of Many Weapons (replaces PAM/GWM/SS/CBE). PEACH



PhoenixPhyre
2017-07-30, 12:47 PM
I'm not fond of how much stronger the weapon-style feats (Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, Sharpshooter, Crossbow Expert) are than other feats or how they pigeonhole characters into only using one weapon type.

I've come up with an (admittedly complicated) attempt to overhaul that system while also making weapon types more meaningful. Each property allows a special attack that has tradeoffs while also giving a small quality-of-life benefit.

I haven't mathed it out yet and suggestions as to balancing the options against each other (so one isn't always better if a weapon has both) are very welcome, as are suggestions for alternate effects.

Changes:
Remove PAM, GWM, SS, and CBE. This feat replaces them.
(Optional) Rename Weapon Master to something else.
Add Finesse to Maces and Versatile (1d10) to Flails, Morningstars, and War Picks.

New Feat: Master of Many Weapons
When you use a weapon to make an attack, choose one property the weapon has and apply the related benefit. No more than one property's benefit can apply to any single attack, but separate attacks can gain the benefit of different properties. Only one Precision Strike or Power Attack can be made per turn. The text for Precision Strike and Power Attack follow the benefits.

+Ammunition:
You may now recover all expended ammunition after a battle by searching for a minute.
Your attacks at long range no longer suffer disadvantage.
You may make a Precision Strike in place of one attack this round.

+Finesse:
You may make either a Precision Strike or a Power Attack in place of one attack this round.
You gain +1 AC if your other hand is either free or wielding a light weapon.

+Heavy:
You may make a Power Attack in place of one attack this round.
If your attack is a critical hit or reduces the target to 0 hit points, you may immediately make a melee attack as a bonus action.

+Light:
You may make a Precision Strike in place of one attack this round.
The damage die for this weapon increases by one step (d4->d6->d8->d10).
You may draw two light weapons with the same object interaction.

+Loading:
You may ignore this property's normal effects although you still need a free hand to reload.
You may make a Precision Strike in place of one attack this round.
You may use the weapon as a finesse melee weapon, dealing 1d6 + DEX or STR bludgeoning damage on hit.

+Reach:
You may make an Opportunity Attack against creatures that enter the reach of your weapon.
All attacks made with this weapon (including Whirlwind, etc) have the same reach as the weapon.
You may make a Precision Strike in place of one attack this round.

+Thrown:
Both normal and long range of this weapon are doubled.
You may draw a weapon with this property as part of the action used to throw it.
You may make a Precision Strike in place of one attack this round.

+Two-handed:
Attacks with this weapon other than Power Attacks deal a minimum of one-half (rounded down) of the maximum damage for the weapon dice.
You may make a Power Attack in place of one attack this round.

+Versatile:
You gain +2 AC when you use this weapon in both hands.
You may make a Precision Strike when wielding this weapon in one hand or a Power attack when wielding it in both hands.



Power Attack:
A Power Attack is a special attack. It replaces one attack you make during a round. Power Attacks are made at disadvantage (subject to normal rules for advantage and disadvantage). When you hit with a Power Attack, you deal additional damage of the weapon's damage type equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

Precision Strike:
A Precision Strike is a special attack. It replaces one attack you make during a round. The attack roll for a precision strike cannot be rolled with advantage although any effects that trigger when you have advantage still occur as normal. When you hit with a Precision Strike, you may reroll the damage dice for the attack and take either of the two totals.

GalacticAxekick
2017-07-30, 06:06 PM
Only one Precision Strike or Power Attack can be made per turn. The text for Precision Strike and Power Attack follow the benefits.

[...]

Power Attack:
A Power Attack is a special attack. It replaces one attack you make during a round. Power Attacks are made at disadvantage (subject to normal rules for advantage and disadvantage). When you hit with a Power Attack, you deal additional damage of the weapon's damage type equal to twice your proficiency bonus.

Precision Strike:
A Precision Strike is a special attack. It replaces one attack you make during a round. The attack roll for a precision strike cannot be rolled with advantage although any effects that trigger when you have advantage still occur as normal. When you hit with a Precision Strike, you may reroll the damage dice for the attack and take either of the two totals.Limiting how many Power Attacks and Precision Strikes can be made per turn seems necessary for balance, because of how strong you've made them, but unfun for the player, who I think would rather have total control over how they act. If you can, nerf them both and make them free alternatives to normal attacks, instead of limited improvements to normal attacks.

Power Attacks as you've written them offer a massive boost to damage at a small penalty to accuracy. There are very few targets against whom a Power Attack would not be equivalent to a +something bonus. You might have intended this as a low accuracy, high damage tool to handle beefy-but-easy-to-hit enemies and mobs, but instead it's almost strictly stronger attack (and oddly enough, in situations when you would have disadvantage, it is a strictly stronger attack).

Precise Strike has the same issue. The inability to use it with advantage is so circumstantial (not to mention thematically nonsensical) that in effect, it's a strictly stronger attack.

My suggestion: Power Attacks knock the target off balance, reducing the target's speed to 0 and deny them reactions for the rest of the turn (not round, but turn). This means that as part of the Attack action, they let you move away from the target without provoking OAs. As part of an opportunity attack, the stop the target in their tracks.

Precise attacks don't use attack rolls, but instead demand a Dex save. This completely ignores armour, but a creature with who relies on Dexterity or with proficiency in Dex saves actually has improved odds of dodging.

This gives the play some valuable decisions to make: "Do I want to debilitate this enemy or damage them? Do I want to line up my armour-piercer or swing fast before they can dodge?"

PhoenixPhyre
2017-07-31, 10:25 AM
Limiting how many Power Attacks and Precision Strikes can be made per turn seems necessary for balance, because of how strong you've made them, but unfun for the player, who I think would rather have total control over how they act. If you can, nerf them both and make them free alternatives to normal attacks, instead of limited improvements to normal attacks.

Power Attacks as you've written them offer a massive boost to damage at a small penalty to accuracy. There are very few targets against whom a Power Attack would not be equivalent to a +something bonus. You might have intended this as a low accuracy, high damage tool to handle beefy-but-easy-to-hit enemies and mobs, but instead it's almost strictly stronger attack (and oddly enough, in situations when you would have disadvantage, it is a strictly stronger attack).

Precise Strike has the same issue. The inability to use it with advantage is so circumstantial (not to mention thematically nonsensical) that in effect, it's a strictly stronger attack.

My suggestion: Power Attacks knock the target off balance, reducing the target's speed to 0 and deny them reactions for the rest of the turn (not round, but turn). This means that as part of the Attack action, they let you move away from the target without provoking OAs. As part of an opportunity attack, the stop the target in their tracks.

Precise attacks don't use attack rolls, but instead demand a Dex save. This completely ignores armour, but a creature with who relies on Dexterity or with proficiency in Dex saves actually has improved odds of dodging.

This gives the play some valuable decisions to make: "Do I want to debilitate this enemy or damage them? Do I want to line up my armour-piercer or swing fast before they can dodge?"

That's a good catch. I was trying to use the established mechanisms, but I guess I goofed. I like your suggestions. I prefer numerical balancing to go in the class features themselves, not in feats. "Must-have" feats/feat-taxes annoy me. Your suggestions give good alternate modes, new things that you can with the feat.