Adding Martial Power: Fighters

[The_Jette]

I've been thinking about this for a while now and can't figure out if it would be a terrible idea, or brilliant. I don't want to implement it in game, especially since I'm in the middle of a campaign. So, I have plenty of time to work out the kinks, as I'm sure plenty will be pointed out that I just can't see because I'm too close to the project. Anyways, here's what I was thinking:

How would game be affected if the maneuvers that the Battle Master had access to were all available to all Fighters? The Battle Master would still pick whatever number of them they normally have access to for their superiority dice, and still only be able to add them to those maneuvers, becoming especially masterful with those maneuvers instead of only able to use those. And, other fighters would have more to do on their round than just move up and hit the next enemy. On top of that, how would feats be affected? I can see adding some minor boosts to otherwise dull feats, like the weapon proficiency feat also giving non-fighters access to one maneuver, or something like that. And, maybe non-fighters getting a maneuver if they get a Fighting Style, possibly matching them up so that it fits. Like, if you get two-weapon fighting as your Fighting Style, you can have Riposte as a maneuver, just without a superiority die. I don't know if that's getting too complicated, though...

Anyways, what do you guys think of my idea. And, yes. I know it'll make the fighter more powerful in general, and that not all maneuvers really make that much difference without the Superiority Dice being added to them.

[Dienekes]

Giving all Fighters maneuvers is one of the most common Fighter homebrews around. In general you’re right, it does give them far more to do. And is just more fun while also being more powerful. Some of the best homebrew accounts for this.

That said, the issue of maneuvers remains the same. There are some far better than others, and any Battlemaster or now just Fighter will pick the best at the earliest convenience then get less useful ones as they level up. Effectively making higher levels weaker in terms of choice and effectiveness.

I also believe Tasha’s added a Fighting Style that just gives a maneuver or two if you want to look at that.

[Yakk]

The BM maneuver system has the fundamental problem that some are way better than others. And you don't get many, but get a significant number of uses.

So you tend to pick ones that are often useful and are strong.

It emulates a fighter with "one weird trick to win all fights", not a master of battlefield opportunities.

This was true of 3e feat-based customization, 4e power-and-feat based customization, and 5e BM maneuvers. So if you are happy with that, go ahead; doing something different is going to require, well, something novel.

13th age did something novel; it had a system where the dice you rolled in an attack determined which maneuvers you could do. Like, "15+" or "odd" or "10-" on your d20.

But that is neither here nor there.

[Dienekes]

13th age did something novel; it had a system where the dice you rolled in an attack determined which maneuvers you could do. Like, "15+" or "odd" or "10-" on your d20.

But that is neither here nor there.

I think perhaps you’d enjoy a weird homebrew nonsense thing I made a while back. Essentially I turned maneuvers into a deck building game. The warrior got a series of maneuver cards, at the start of combat you shuffle and draw a hand. Once used a maneuver could not be used again. At the beginning of each of your turns draw an additional card.

At any time you can take a “reposition” action, where you shuffled up all your cards in the deck, hand, and used piles and drew a new hand.

It was incredibly fun the times I tried it. But it’s a bit much for a 5e homebrew.

[Yakk]

I think perhaps you’d enjoy a weird homebrew nonsense thing I made a while back. Essentially I turned maneuvers into a deck building game. The warrior got a series of maneuver cards, at the start of combat you shuffle and draw a hand. Once used a maneuver could not be used again. At the beginning of each of your turns draw an additional card.

At any time you can take a “reposition” action, where you shuffled up all your cards in the deck, hand, and used piles and drew a new hand.

It was incredibly fun the times I tried it. But it’s a bit much for a 5e homebrew.
One thing I played with in 4e was to have the Fighter assign their powers to values on a die, like 1 to 6.

On your turn you'd roll some "fortune of battle" dice, and based on the dice it would determine which powers you could use that turn.

This replaced the refresh mechanics of the Fighter.

I think there was a utility d6, a daily d6, and an attack d6. To use a daily utility or encounter power, your daily die had to match the attack or utility die.

Each power could be slotted into any value from 1 to 6. You could even put two powers on one value, if you wanted to form a combo.

You could then add mechanics to manipulate those "fortune of battle" dice. Like, when you do an action surge you get an extra d6 attack die and can reroll the daily die. Or if you don't use your attack die on a turn, you can change its value by 1 and use it next turn instead. Or you could keep 1 die you didn't spend each turn, and add or subtract it from the same die type next turn (this makes 1s something you don't put an ability on usually).

[SharkForce]

my biggest concern here is that battlemaster is pretty heavily front-loaded.

this adds quite a bit to the fighter when they need it least (at low levels, casters don't have much more utility than their skills provide unless there are no combat encounters expected, so fighters being powerful in combat but just a little less powerful outside of it is fine) while doing comparatively little to help them when they need it most (at high levels when spellcasters can do all kinds of crazy stuff, including lots of things that are much more impressive than knocking a medium-sized target prone, the fighter is adding comparatively little).

also, it really erodes options that would grant access to maneuvers, although that could be compensated for (perhaps giving an extra die or two to the options that would normally give you access to maneuvers).

[Bjarkmundur]

I am honestly just lurking and waiting to see when someone brings up the perfect "fighter with maneuvers" Homebrew. I already checked the compendium and didn't find anything interesting.

I don't even care if I lose action surge and indomitable. I just want reliable attacks, reliable saves, the 4e Second Wind, Fighting Styles, some utility powers and maneuvers, and to be able to spice it all up with subclasses.

[GalacticAxekick]

I am honestly just lurking and waiting to see when someone brings up the perfect "fighter with maneuvers" Homebrew. I already checked the compendium and didn't find anything interesting.

I don't even care if I lose action surge and indomitable. I just want reliable attacks, reliable saves, the 4e Second Wind, Fighting Styles, some utility powers and maneuvers, and to be able to spice it all up with subclasses.I wrote a Fighter revision (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/gLzQ17TY7JoL) that might interest you.

It isn't exactly what you're asking for, because this homebrew does not have Battle Master maneuvers. But it does have reliable attacks, reliable saves, and a choice of not one but two subclasses. Your first subclass, your Fighting Style, grants you new actions and attacks in combat (which, unlike maneuvers, you can use as much as you want). Your second subclass, your Line of Duty, grants utility features meant to help you in and out of combat alike.

The only think you want that I did not include is Second Wind. Instead of making mid-combat healing available to all Fighters, I made it exclusive to the Guardian (who can basically give himself temporary hit points at will and use them to protect other people), and the Medic (who can heal anyone he touches once per the target's rest).