a Revised Fighter - help with balancing options

[dmhelp]

So the 5e Class Survey had me pondering if I could just merge Barbarian/Fighter/Monk together and balance the choices. It may not stand up to a pure Barbarian or Monk at every level but it does get third attack so somethings had to go.

The goal is to allow more archetypes such as armored martial artist, raging martial artist, etc.

Revised Fighter - use Fighter except as follows:

Skills:
Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Religion, Stealth, Survival

Class Features:
1 Choose Heavy Armor/Second Wind, Ranger (Favored Enemy plus one skill), or Unarmored Defense (AC 12 + [str or dex mod], if not using a shield add additional class level/6)

Also choose Martial Arts (damage increases at class levels 5/11/17; may use while wearing light armor [or heavy armor if chose Heavy Armor] but not with shields), Reckless Attack, or +2 weapon damage with one fighting style (ranged weapon attacks, two handed melee weapon attacks, one handed melee weapon attacks), or Fighting Style Two Weapon Fighting

2 Choose Ki (ki points = class level with Deflect Missiles, Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind), Rage (damage bonus increases at 9 and 16, rages increase at 3/6/12/17; may perform in heavy armor), or Action Surge (1/short rest)

3 Subclass from Barbarian (requires Rage), Fighter, Ranger (ignore additional spells), or Monk (requires Ki)

4 ASI

5 Extra Attack, Exhaustion Resistance (if Heavy Armor; treats exhaustion level as two less, e.g. death at exhaustion level 8), Fast Movement (if Unarmored Defense), Favored Enemy/one skill (if Ranger), Ki-Empowered Strikes (if Martial Arts)

6 Choose ASI, Feral Instinct, or Stunning Strike (requires Ki; use str or dex for DC but limited to once per turn)

7 Subclass power 2

8 ASI, Land’s Stride (if Ranger)

9 Choose Danger Sense, Evasion (requires Unarmored Defense), Indomitable (two uses), or Stillness of Mind (requires Ki)

10 Subclass power 3

11 Extra Attack (2)

12 ASI

13 Choose 10’ movement, Brutal Critical (triple weapon dice), or Tongue of the Sun and Moon (requires ki)

14 Favored Enemy (if Ranger), Choose ASI or Hide in Plain Sight/Vanish (requires Ranger)

15 Subclass power 4

16 ASI

17 Choose Action Surge (requires Action Surge; 3/short rest), Diamond Soul (requires Ki), or Persistent Rage (requires Rage)

18 Choose Fighter subclass power 5, Feral Senses, Perfect Self (requires Ki), or Primal Champion (requires Action Surge or Rage)

19 ASI

20 Extra Attack (3), Unlimited Rages (if Rage)


Personally, I think the fighting styles path (compared to martial arts) and the action surge path (compared to ki/rage) are a little weak compared to the other options and could use a buff. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Eric Diaz]

I am working on something (vaguely) similar FWIW... here is the thread and my warrior:

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?635456-My-minimalist-version-of-5e

The warrior:

Your Hit die is a d10. Your starting HP is 10 + CON/2.
Odd levels. Pick a feature (except for special levels).
Even levels. Raise one ability score by one point (except for special levels).
Special levels: on levels 5, 11, 17, and 20, pick a special feature (the first special feature must be extra attack). On levels 5, 9, 13 and 17, raise all ability scores by one point.

Warrior features
Fighting Mastery. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with weapons (or unarmed); grappling; and escaping from grapples. You also gain a +1 bonus to AC. In addition, choose one category of weapons (bows, two-handed weapons, heavy weapons, finesse weapons, etc.). When wielding these weapons, your attacks rolls get a +2 bonus instead of +1.

Protection. When a creature you can see attacks you or a target that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. In addition, while you are wearing armor or wielding a shield, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Second Wind. On your turn, you spend a hit die and use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to your hit die + your Constitution modifier. You cannot use this feature again for one minute.

Action Surge. You can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. Once per turn, you can spend one hit die to make another attack for free, or to Dash or Disengage with a bonus action.

Indomitable. You can reroll a saving throw that you fail by spending one Hit Die. If you do so, you add your Hit Die to the roll. You must use the new roll.

Improved Critical (2). Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. When you score a critical hit, add 5 points of damage to the total. If you pick this twice, you also score a critical hit on a roll of 18, and add 10 points of damage instead of 5 to your critical hits.

Brutal Attack. You can spend one hit die to add it to your damage roll.

Accurate Attack. You can spend one hit die to add it to your attack roll.

Distracting Attack. You can spend one hit die to give one creature you just hit disadvantage on its next attack roll.

Commander. You can spend one hit die to add it to its next to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes before the beginning of your next turn. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you.

Special features.
Extra Attack (3). You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three if you pick this feature twice and to four if you pick this three times.

Survivor. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + CON/2 if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.