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RinnWatersbane
2018-01-23, 10:25 AM
Hi!

Have a player who wants an Eldritch Knight pirate to wield a trident. Neither the spear or polearm mastery feats fit perfectly for the trident, so I combined them to make one suited for it.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Trident Mastery

Prerequisite: Martial Weapons proficiency.

The trident is a challenging weapon to learn, with its own unique fighting style. Learning to master the trident takes discipline, but it rewards you for your dedication with effective battle field abilities. You gain the following benefits:

• When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die).

• You gain a +1 to armor class due to the tridents ability to catch or block an attack with its prongs and keep enemies at a distance. This benefit only applies if wielding the trident two handed.

• You have advantage on disarming opponents.

• If an enemy closes to within ten feet, they will provoke an opportunity attack.

nickl_2000
2018-01-23, 11:10 AM
Is this for Fifth Edition?

RinnWatersbane
2018-01-23, 11:19 AM
Yes, sorry, first post and I didn’t add the tag. My bad.

Crisis21
2018-01-23, 11:21 AM
I'd drop the +1 to AC. The advantage to disarm is enough.

RinnWatersbane
2018-01-23, 11:25 AM
I'd drop the +1 to AC. The advantage to disarm is enough.

Good point. What about putting in a parry ability of some kind instead? I imagine a strike being caught in the tines.

nickl_2000
2018-01-23, 11:30 AM
Yes, sorry, first post and I didn’t add the tag. My bad.

No worries

Prerequisite: Martial Weapons proficiency.
This isn't needed. If someone doesn't have Martial Weapons Prof they can't use the weapon and therefore wouldn't take the feat. There is no real reason for this.

When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die).
Sure, this is directly from the spear, perfectly fine.

You gain a +1 to armor class due to the tridents ability to catch or block an attack with its prongs and keep enemies at a distance. This benefit only applies if wielding the trident two handed.
I like this, but I'm a fan of ways that a two handed person can get some of the bonuses of a shield. It seems fair.

You have advantage on disarming opponents.
This is only worthwhile for Battlemasters, which your friend is not (since he is an EK). He doesn't get the ability to disarm and therefore it really isn't useful to him

If an enemy closes to within ten feet, they will provoke an opportunity attack.
This doesn't fit thematically in my mind. How does a trident help you attack people when they get close?

If I based it on the UA weapon feats I would do:
Trident Mastery
The trident is a challenging weapon to learn, with its own unique fighting style. Learning to master the trident takes discipline, but it rewards you for your dedication with effective battle field abilities. You gain the following benefits:
• You get +1 bonus to attacks with a trident
• When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die).
• On your turn, you can use your reaction to catch an enemies attack with the prongs of the trident. This grants you a +1 to armor class until the start of your next turn
• When you successfully hit with a trident, you may use the prongs to push them away from you. You may use a bonus action to try to shove the creature within 5 feet of you with your trident



I like my option because it gives you more options for you character. You get a bonus action, a reaction, and two always active passive abilities. That being said, it's probably not perfect.

RinnWatersbane
2018-01-23, 11:34 AM
No worries

Prerequisite: Martial Weapons proficiency.
This isn't needed. If someone doesn't have Martial Weapons Prof they can't use the weapon and therefore wouldn't take the feat. There is no real reason for this.

When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die).
Sure, this is directly from the spear, perfectly fine.

You gain a +1 to armor class due to the tridents ability to catch or block an attack with its prongs and keep enemies at a distance. This benefit only applies if wielding the trident two handed.
I like this, but I'm a fan of ways that a two handed person can get some of the bonuses of a shield. It seems fair.

You have advantage on disarming opponents.
This is only worthwhile for Battlemasters, which your friend is not (since he is an EK). He doesn't get the ability to disarm and therefore it really isn't useful to him

If an enemy closes to within ten feet, they will provoke an opportunity attack.
This doesn't fit thematically in my mind. How does a trident help you attack people when they get close?

If I based it on the UA weapon feats I would do:
Trident Mastery
The trident is a challenging weapon to learn, with its own unique fighting style. Learning to master the trident takes discipline, but it rewards you for your dedication with effective battle field abilities. You gain the following benefits:
• You get +1 bonus to attacks with a trident
• When you use a trident, its damage die changes from a d6 to a d8, and from a d8 to a d10 when wielded with two hands. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die).
• On your turn, you can use your reaction to catch an enemies attack with the prongs of the trident. This grants you a +1 to armor class until the start of your next turn
• When you successfully hit with a trident, you may use the prongs to push them away from you. You may use a bonus action to try to shove the creature within 5 feet of you with your trident



I like my option because it gives you more options for you character. You get a bonus action, a reaction, and two always active passive abilities. That being said, it's probably not perfect.


I like it! Thanks a lot, that is terrific feedback!

RinnWatersbane
2018-01-23, 11:38 AM
The opportunity attack was to align with the polearm opportunity attack and the in which a spear can be set. But I totally see your point.

Is is OP with four characteristics, or is it balanced? That is one of my primary concerns.

nickl_2000
2018-01-23, 11:48 AM
The opportunity attack was to align with the polearm opportunity attack and the in which a spear can be set. But I totally see your point.

Is is OP with four characteristics, or is it balanced? That is one of my primary concerns.

OP is based more on the abilities it grants verses the amount of abilities. I'm going with my version to explain where I came from
1) Giving +1 to attacks is powerful, but you are sinking a feat instead of using an ASI. With an ASI for strength you get +1 to attack and +1 to damage. So, this shouldn't be overpowered
2) The increase in damage is nothing to worry about. Thins simply puts it on par with the longsword, which and EK can use anyways
3) The +1 to AC is powerful with bounded accuracy. However, doing so requires that you sacrifice the ability to make an opportunity attack. So, it should balance out in the long run.
4) This is stolen from Shield Mastery. You are using a resource (your bonus action) to get something that is useful. If your player makes this choice, they will not be able to use their war magic class feature. So, it it making them a more versatile character, but taking away from something else.